Program Officer, Early Childhood Initiative

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Westlake Village (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation invites a Program Officer to advance the Early Childhood Initiative through strategic grantmaking, portfolio management, grantee partnerships, and field learning.

This role reports to the Senior Program Officer and targets grants aligned with the board-approved strategy to improve health and learning outcomes for young children in priority geographies, including Los Angeles, CA, and New Mexico.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• At least seven years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, public, philanthropic, or social‑impact sector.
• Demonstrated U.S. early childhood development experience, ideally in Los Angeles/CA, with expertise in at least one core strategy area: childcare and child‑focused health services, parenting, caregiver economic and mental well‑being, or sector funding and partnerships.
• Extensive knowledge of early childhood development programs, policies, field dynamics, and funding landscapes, particularly in Los Angeles/CA (or a comparable region) and/or New Mexico.
• Ability to manage a portfolio, assess prospective partners, build relationships, track progress, and adapt decisions based on data and learning.
• Experience evaluating nonprofit or community‑based partners, including leadership, track record, fiscal health, and organizational capacity.
• Strong collaboration, relationship‑building, analytical, writing, presentation, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience using grantmaking, knowledge management, or data systems to document engagement, progress, decisions, and learning.
• Commitment to strategic philanthropy and improving outcomes for children facing adversity.
• This role is based in Westlake Village, CA and follows the Foundation’s hybrid schedule, with employees working from the office Monday through Wednesday.
• The position requires approximately 35%-40% travel, including driving to local meetings in Los Angeles County and domestic air travel, for grantee engagement, convenings, and other field collaboration.
• Responsibilities also include routine administrative tasks such as calendaring, expense reports, and travel arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, and cultivate grantees and partners that advance the Early Childhood Initiative’s strategy in assigned geographies or issue areas.
• Manage the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, due diligence, compliance review, recommendations, board materials, monitoring, approved changes, and closeout.
• Partner with grantees to strengthen project design, outcomes, budgets, implementation, organizational capacity, and fiscal health.
• Document grant activity, portfolio progress, key decisions, field learning, and follow‑up actions in the Foundation’s grantmaking and knowledge management systems.
• Use data, evaluation findings, community and caregiver perspectives, and field insights to recommend portfolio adjustments and future investments.
• Identify ecosystem gaps and opportunities, understand local context, recommend grants or partnerships, and conduct site visits and travel to assess opportunities and monitor progress.
• Partner with the Senior Program Officer and Early Childhood team to plan, implement, and adapt the integrated strategy.
• Contribute expertise across the strategy’s core areas, including childcare and child‑focused health services, parenting, caregiver economic and mental well‑being, and sector funding and partnerships.
• Collaborate with internal teams to track progress, strengthen learning, and support cross‑geography coordination.
• Stay current on relevant research, policy, practice, and funding trends and apply insights to strategy and portfolio decisions.
• Support convenings, field engagement, consultants, and other work that strengthens grantee practice and advances initiative goals.
• Prepare clear board materials, briefings, presentations, grantee communications, and internal updates.
• Synthesize portfolio learning, field insights, and grantee progress for internal and external audiences.
• Collaborate with the Communications department on relevant content and materials.

Skills

Grantmaking experience

Portfolio management

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Brief Description

The Program Officer supports the Foundation’s integrated Early Childhood Initiative’s strategy through strategic grantmaking, portfolio management, grantee partnership, and field learning. Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, this role manages grants aligned with the board-approved strategy to help young children in priority geographies be physically and emotionally healthy and learning. The Program Officer identifies and assesses potential grantees, supports proposal development and due diligence, monitors grant performance, and applies evidence and learning to portfolio decisions. The current U.S. portfolio focuses on Los Angeles, California, and New Mexico, and the role represents the Foundation with grantees, partners, public agencies, funders, and other stakeholders.

Brief Description

The Program Officer supports the Foundation’s integrated Early Childhood Initiative’s strategy through strategic grantmaking, portfolio management, grantee partnership, and field learning. Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, this role manages grants aligned with the board-approved strategy to help young children in priority geographies be physically and emotionally healthy and learning. The Program Officer identifies and assesses potential grantees, supports proposal development and due diligence, monitors grant performance, and applies evidence and learning to portfolio decisions. The current U.S. portfolio focuses on Los Angeles, California, and New Mexico, and the role represents the Foundation with grantees, partners, public agencies, funders, and other stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, proactive professional with early childhood development expertise and knowledge of at least one core strategy area: childcare and child-focused health services, parenting, caregiver economic and mental well-being, or sector funding and partnerships. Success in this role requires sound judgment, strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, the ability to interpret qualitative and quantitative information, excellent communication, and effective management of multiple priorities.

Portfolio Development, Implementation, and Monitoring

• Identify, assess, and cultivate grantees and partners that advance the Early Childhood Initiative’s strategy in assigned geographies or issue areas.
• Manage the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, due diligence, compliance review, recommendations, board materials, monitoring, approved changes, and closeout.
• Partner with grantees to strengthen project design, outcomes, budgets, implementation, organizational capacity, and fiscal health.
• Document grant activity, portfolio progress, key decisions, field learning, and follow‑up actions in the Foundation’s grantmaking and knowledge management systems.
• Use data, evaluation findings, community and caregiver perspectives, and field insights to recommend portfolio adjustments and future investments.
• Identify ecosystem gaps and opportunities, understand local context, recommend grants or partnerships, and conduct site visits and travel to assess opportunities and monitor progress.

Strategic Support for the Initiative

• Partner with the Senior Program Officer and Early Childhood team to plan, implement, and adapt the integrated strategy.
• Contribute expertise across the strategy’s core areas, including childcare and child‑focused health services, parenting, caregiver economic and mental well‑being, and sector funding and partnerships.
• Collaborate with internal teams to track progress, strengthen learning, and support cross‑geography coordination.
• Stay current on relevant research, policy, practice, and funding trends and apply insights to strategy and portfolio decisions.
• Support convenings, field engagement, consultants, and other work that strengthens grantee practice and advances initiative goals.

Communications

• Prepare clear board materials, briefings, presentations, grantee communications, and internal updates.
• Synthesize portfolio learning, field insights, and grantee progress for internal and external audiences.
• Collaborate with the Communications department on relevant content and materials.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• At least seven years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, public, philanthropic, or social‑impact sector.
• Demonstrated U.S. early childhood development experience, ideally in Los Angeles/CA, with expertise in at least one core strategy area: childcare and child‑focused health services, parenting, caregiver economic and mental well‑being, or sector funding and partnerships.
• Extensive knowledge of early childhood development programs, policies, field dynamics, and funding landscapes, particularly in Los Angeles/CA (or a comparable region) and/or New Mexico.
• Ability to manage a portfolio, assess prospective partners, build relationships, track progress, and adapt decisions based on data and learning.
• Experience evaluating nonprofit or community‑based partners, including leadership, track record, fiscal health, and organizational capacity.
• Strong collaboration, relationship‑building, analytical, writing, presentation, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience using grantmaking, knowledge management, or data systems to document engagement, progress, decisions, and learning.
• Commitment to strategic philanthropy and improving outcomes for children facing adversity.
• This role is based in Westlake Village, CA and follows the Foundation’s hybrid schedule, with employees working from the office Monday through Wednesday.
• The position requires approximately 35%-40% travel, including driving to local meetings in Los Angeles County and domestic air travel, for grantee engagement, convenings, and other field collaboration.
• Responsibilities also include routine administrative tasks such as calendaring, expense reports, and travel arrangements.

Preferred

• Graduate degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experience managing grants or philanthropic portfolios, including due diligence, recommendations, monitoring, and portfolio learning.
• Direct experience in a child‑or‑family‑serving nonprofit, public agency, school system, health or mental health organization, housing organization, or community‑based organization.
• Experience working across systems that affect young children and families, such as education, health, or child welfare.
• Experience in Los Angeles/CA or New Mexico.
• Lived experience related to the strategy’s issue areas is welcomed.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work on‑site at least three days each week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) according to the hybrid schedule policy.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Summary

Founded by international hotelier Conrad N. Hilton in 1944, the Foundation invests in organizations tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, helping people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage. We think big about solutions, working in partnership with local communities to improve lives, strengthen systems, and bring meaningful change. The Foundation partners with organizations worldwide, with a special focus on Africa, South America, and the United States, including our home in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Foundation awards the world’s largest annual humanitarian prize for nonprofits - the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. For 30 years, the Prize has recognized nonprofit organizations setting a global benchmark for excellence and advancing the collective progress of humanity. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest and has awarded grants to date totaling more than $4 billion, with nearly $353 million in 2025. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.