Program Officer, Mississippi & New Orleans Programs
Jackson, Mississippi
To read the full position description and review application instructions, click download.
Website: W.K. Kellogg Foundation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), a leading philanthropic force helping communities create the conditions children need to thrive, is seeking nominations and applications for a Program Officer for its U.S. Southern Programs, serving Mississippi and New Orleans. In recent years the foundation has sharpened its focus on improving conditions for vulnerable children, concentrating on three key factors of success and their intersections: education and learning; food, health and well-being; and family economic security. WKKF partners closely with community stakeholders and policy makers to co-create a network of organizations working together to advance economic stability, racial equity, and community and civic engagement, while increasing access to quality education, healthy food, and medical care for children and families in need.
Working in partnership across the two team offices for U.S. Southern Programs led by Director Rhea Williams-Bishop and with WKKF national staff, the Program Officer will provide leadership and oversight for on-the-ground execution of program efforts that nurture opportunities for achieving positive systemic change for better education, health, and economic outcomes for children and their families throughout Mississippi and New Orleans. The Mississippi & New Orleans team works in offices in Jackson and New Orleans and is a critical place-based team at the foundation. Particular areas of interest related to WKKF priorities include early childhood and education systems, employment equity, racial equity and equitable economic development. The Program Officer will screen and recommend grants for funding, conduct site visits, manage and monitor a portfolio of grant programs aligned with the foundation’s strategic framework, and collaborate within the programs team and across the foundation to develop a more interdisciplinary approach to grantmaking. The Program Officer will maintain strong, authentic relationships with grant seekers and grantees and act as a spokesperson for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, effectively communicating the foundation’s goal of partnering with communities to improve the well-being of children and their families.
The ideal candidate will have expertise and leadership experience in the areas of early childhood education, maternal and child health, employment equity, or economic development, and will be committed to the values and mission of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Familiarity and experience with the grantmaking process is a plus. She/He/They will have a deep and comprehensive understanding of program execution and development. The Program Officer will have the cultural fluency to curate a portfolio reflective of needs of leaders in Mississippi specifically, and to be responsive to local mores and longstanding grassroots leaders. She/He/They will possess a strong team orientation, a high tolerance for ambiguity, the ability to adapt quickly to change, the willingness and availability to travel extensively throughout the region and to Michigan, and success working effectively with persons from diverse cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
Ability to travel approximately 50 percent time is required; regular attendance on-site at the Battle Creek headquarters to facilitate interaction and synthesis of the grantmaking programs is required.
TO APPLY
This search is being assisted by Katherine Jacobs and Erica Nicole Richardson of NPAG. Due to the pace of the search, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format) and where you learned of the position should be sent to: WKKF-POSP@nonprofitprofessionals.com. In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.
Our Lead
Katherine Jacobs, Ph.D.
As a trained psychologist, teacher, researcher, and consultant with twenty years of experience both in the U.S. and abroad, Katherine guides organizations through change with particular expertise in founder transitions, facilitation of Board and executive level decisions, and the implications for growth and strategic talent development.