Program Officer

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 205,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation seeks a Program Officer to advance an education strategy focused on equitable, high-quality learning for all students, especially those furthest from opportunity. You will partner with grantees and education leaders to shape programs and evaluate impact.

Reporting to the Education Program Director, you will manage a grants portfolio, collaborate across teams, and represent the Foundation at conferences, site visits, and convenings while driving outcomes

Qualifications

• Deep commitment to equitable, high-quality public education.
• Significant experience with education organizations and leaders to drive systemic change.
• Knowledge of instructional practices, pedagogical trends, and research on teaching and learning.
• Experience supporting educators to improve practice in philanthropy, schools, nonprofits, government, or community organizing.
• Prior classroom, building, or system-level leadership experience.
• Understanding factors contributing to disparate outcomes and equity issues.
• Ability to lead research or analytical projects related to grantmaking with limited staff.
• Ability to set clear objectives, evaluate progress, and manage complex projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to collaboration with colleagues, grantees, and field leaders.

Responsibilities

• Advance grantmaking aligned with the program strategy and goals.
• Manage a portfolio of grants including design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and stewardship of resources.
• Build and maintain relationships with grantees, partners, and leaders across education.
• Contribute content expertise and networks to inform program strategy.
• Engage in national conversations on improving educational opportunities and share best practices.
• Collaborate with a collegial team to strengthen alignment and learning.
• Develop and refine evaluation approaches; manage third‑party evaluations.
• Represent the Foundation externally at conferences, meetings, site visits, and convenings.
• Collaborate with grantees to refine approaches and maximize resources.
• Prepare briefing materials, reports, and other written materials to inform audiences.
• Support implementation of outcomes‑driven strategy to improve teaching and student experiences.

Skills

Equity in education

Grantmaking experience

Written and verbal communication

Collaboration

Project management

Policy and practice knowledge

Education

Graduate degree in a relevant field

Job description

About the Role

At a pivotal moment for the Foundation and the broader field, the Program Officer will help advance an evolving strategy focused on strengthening human connections and expanding rich learning experiences for all students, particularly those furthest from opportunity. Reporting to the Education Program Director, the Program Officer will play a central role in shaping and implementing the Foundation’s education strategy, engaging with a diverse set of partners across the education ecosystem, and contributing to work that seeks to strengthen public education and its role in supporting thriving communities, a healthy democracy, and a vibrant economy.

Key Responsibilities

• Advance grantmaking aligned with program strategy and the Foundations goal of expanding high quality learning for all students.
• Manage a portfolio of grants including design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and stewardship of financial and programmatic resources.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with grantees, partners, and leaders across the education field.
• Contribute content expertise, professional networks, intellectual curiosity, and cultural awareness to inform program strategy.
• Engage in national conversations on improving educational opportunities and share best practices related to impact, sustainability, and scalability.
• Work collaboratively within a highly collegial team, sharing plans and insights to strengthen alignment and learning.
• Develop and refine evaluation approaches; commission and manage third‑party evaluations to test strategic assumptions and inform decision making.
• Represent the Foundation externally at conferences, meetings, site visits, and foundation‑hosted convenings.
• Collaborate with grantees to refine approaches, maximize resources, and advance program objectives.
• Prepare briefing materials, reports, presentations, blog posts, and other written materials to inform internal and external audiences.
• Support the implementation of an aspirational, outcomes‑driven strategy focused on improving teaching, learning, and student experiences.

Qualifications

• Deep commitment to equitable, high‑quality public education supported by experience in education practice, policy, or system improvement.
• Significant experience working with education organizations and leaders with a strong understanding of how to drive systemic change across classrooms, schools, and systems.
• Knowledge of leading‑edge instructional practices, pedagogical trends, and contemporary research on teaching and learning.
• Experience supporting educators to improve practice gained in settings such as philanthropy, school or system leadership, nonprofits, government, or community‑state organizing.
• Prior classroom, building, or system‑level (district, state, federal) leadership experience.
• Understanding of factors contributing to disparate educational outcomes and experience addressing equity issues in practice.
• Ability to lead and manage research or analytical projects related to grantmaking, including executing work with limited staff support.
• Demonstrated ability to set clear objectives, evaluate progress, and independently manage complex projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to collaboration and authentic partnership with colleagues, grantees, and field leaders.
• Alignment with Hewlett’s Guiding Principles.
• Comfort working in a highly collaborative, relatively flat organizational structure balancing autonomy with teamwork.
• Growth‑oriented leadership style including experience or interest in mentoring and supervising staff and working closely with embedded team members, grants, legal, and communications.
• Adaptable, flexible, highly relational and grounded in humility, integrity, and a positive collegial spirit.
• Independent initiative, openness to diverse perspectives, and receptiveness to feedback.
• A graduate degree in a relevant field.
• Foundation grantmaking experience.
• Willingness to take smart risks and pursue outcomes‑driven work.
• Ability to work from the Hewlett Foundation’s Menlo Park office.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary range: $205,000–$250,000, based on years of experience and the Foundation’s practice of maintaining salary equity. The role includes a comprehensive benefits package and an eight‑year term limit.

Location

The position is based in Menlo Park, California, with 30–40% national travel. The Foundation has adopted a hybrid work environment with an expectation of 2–3 days in the office per week; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are required when not traveling.

EEO Statement

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation embraces the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally in our hiring process and organizational culture and externally in our grantmaking and related practices. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.