Senior Program Officer (BCNCF)

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation - Durham, NC; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is seeking a Senior Program Officer focused on early childhood to lead strategy development, grow a dynamic portfolio of investments, and collaborate with grantees and partners to transform health outcomes in North Carolina.

The role emphasizes relationship-building with community members, government partners, and funders, with experience in systems change and equity-focused impact. Travel across North Carolina is required as part of duties.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 7 years’ experience in program management or demonstrated impact in a specialized area for the Foundation.
• Strong analytical, writing, and oral presentation skills.
• Ability to travel inside and outside North Carolina.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine strategy for impact across grants and programs.
• Work with grantees and partners to build capacity and drive outcomes.
• Document learnings and disseminate knowledge to advance field impact.
• Collaborate with team to improve program operations and strategies.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Analytical writing

Oral presentation

Community partnership

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Job description

We are looking for a community-oriented, strategy-minded leader to join our team. Senior Program Officers work directly with community members, grantees, and other internal and external partners toward the goal of dramatically improving health in the state. We are looking for a leader who will thrive in (and contribute to) a collaborative environment to develop, implement, and refine our approach. Our grantees transform communities for better health; we are seeking a Senior Program Officer, with a specific focus on early childhood, to support them to cultivate systems and policy change.

What You’ll Do

Develop and Refine Strategy for Impact

• Build relationships with community members, potential grant applicants, advocates, organizational leaders, state government, funders, and others to support the Foundation’s goals while leveraging emerging trends and opportunities for partnership.
• Lead and contribute to the design and implementation of new and continuing strategies in priority areas consistent with the Foundation’s vision and goals to scale what works and contribute to population-level health changes and reduced inequities.
• Participate in meetings and site visits around the state and nationally to represent the Foundation, stay current on new developments in the field, and bring back takeaways to the team to influence program and strategy.

Work with Grantees in an Assigned Portfolio of Work

• Support and develop a dynamic portfolio of investments including grants, contracts, and consultant relationships.
• Work directly with grantees – at the individual level, and in cohorts – to support their work through capacity building and connection-making and to understand their goals and impact.
• Document and share (through presentations and publications) grantee activities for the purposes of learning and field building.

Contribute to the Team, Organization, and Field of Philanthropy

• Act as a specialist by deepening knowledge in a field that is key to the Foundation’s goals – including developing new subject matter expertise when necessary – while serving as a generalist and thought partner with colleagues.
• Lead with influence externally and internally, including mentoring other staff and providing oversight to contractors, interns, or others as assigned.
• Work collaboratively on a team; contribute to the development of practices and processes to maximize learning and disseminate knowledge to create impact more broadly or at scale.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement with respect to both strategy and operations to enhance grantee experience and increase impact.

Qualities We Love

• Personal alignment with Foundation values.
• Existing knowledge and experience in systems related to the early childhood experience with an interest in developing new areas of expertise to support the mission as needed. Approach the work with a focus on building and strengthening relationships.
• Experience in advocacy, communications, community organizing, movement building, or leadership development.
• Commitment to systems change grounded by connection to community.
• Experience working across sectors and with individuals with a variety of types of leadership experience.
• Experience working in the nonprofit sector.
• Rooted in North Carolina.

Hiring Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 7 years’ experience in program management or demonstrated impact in a specialized area of focus for the Foundation, with a strong preference for experience with systems that shape the early childhood experience
• Strong analytical, writing, and oral presentation skills.
• Strong project management skills, and a proven ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Adaptable and flexible; able to shift, prioritize, and focus in a busy office environment.
• Oriented to supporting the success of the team including grantees and other external partners.
• Ability to travel inside and outside of North Carolina.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is an independent, charitable foundation with the mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. In our grantmaking, we strive to address the key drivers of health, take a flexible approach designed to meet identified needs in partnership with the community, and focus on addressing the root causes of systemic inequities. We also work closely with our grantees, and other nonprofits, to support their growth through capacity building, technical assistance, and leadership development opportunities.