Program Officer, Water Solutions & Grants

The Water Foundation; Oakland, Sacramento (CA, CA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Water Foundation seeks a Program Officer to advance strategic water management across California and the West, working with partners and grantees to achieve priority outcomes. You will report to the Senior Program Officer and collaborate with the Director of Programs and Strategy to shape grants and program direction.

You will lead research synthesis, develop written assessments, and support coalition-building efforts while guiding grant portfolios and ensuring rigorous program execution.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of substantive, relevant work experience in philanthropy, government, nonprofits, or business.
• Advanced degree or comparable knowledge in water policy, conservation science, resource management, or related environmental field.
• Strong facilitative leadership ability, proactive project management skills, and problem-solving proficiency.
• Superb writing and editing skills including the ability to synthesize extensive information into clear, cohesive written products.
• Excellent work ethic, initiative, follow-through, and good judgment.
• A collaborative style and first-rate people skills.
• High standards for quality, presentation, protocol, and confidentiality.
• Patience, grace, and humor under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Senior Program Officer and Director of Programs and Strategy to identify strategic opportunities to realize the Water Foundation’s vision and to craft strategies to achieve priority outcomes.
• Implement necessary modifications to strategies amidst changing conditions, and help adapt the Foundation’s approaches as opportunities shift.
• Identify promising areas of research and programming that can fill in gaps that exist in the Foundation’s programs and, as needed, conduct research and analysis and develop written assessments of key topics that are strategically relevant to the Foundation’s programs.
• Work with the Senior Program Officer to develop a portfolio of grants and contracts to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Enable and support grantee work.
• Conduct site visits and provide technical guidance to grantees, consult with grantees on how best to achieve desired impacts, and evaluate grantees based on milestone-based performance objectives.
• Review grantee proposals and provide written recommendations for funding.
• Manage internal processes and prepare dockets while ensuring appropriate documentation, grant and program budgeting, and reporting.
• Cultivate partners from a wide range of interests and sectors to build coalitions and convene stakeholder meetings that can advance program objectives as needed.
• In coordination with the Senior Program Officer, engage directly with governmental decision makers and other leaders to advance programmatic work.

Skills

Leadership

Writing

Project management

Communication

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Advanced degree in water policy

Job description

The Water Foundation seeks a Program Officer to advance strategic water management across California and the West, working with partners and grantees to achieve priority outcomes. You will report to the Senior Program Officer and collaborate with the Director of Programs and Strategy to shape grants and program direction.

You will lead research synthesis, develop written assessments, and support coalition-building efforts while guiding grant portfolios and ensuring rigorous program execution.