Program Officer, First Hospital Foundation

Posted by First Hospital Foundation on February 13, 2017

The First Hospital Foundation, established in 1997, is a private foundation that supports nonprofit organizations whose programs and services help improve the health and well-being of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The Foundation envisions a Philadelphia in which everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being. Since its inception, the Foundation has invested over $21 million in more than 160 nonprofit organizations in the greater Philadelphia region.

In 2016, the Foundation approved a new strategic plan that focuses on advancing health equity and championing the integration of care and services. Over the next five years, the Foundation will seek opportunities to eliminate health disparities and increase access to quality health care services that enable people to feel their quality of life has improved.

The Foundation is converting from predominantly responding to program/funding proposals from nonprofit organizations to soliciting proposals addressing areas of focus selected by the Foundation Board. The Foundation is committed to investing in service models of proven effectiveness, while recognizing that populations are not stagnant, therefore effective care and services must be adaptable. The Foundation also will work to raise awareness of and community attention to the root causes of health inequities and disparities, and to empower community members to have an effective voice in designing and implementing inclusive and equitable health policies and services.

Position Summary
Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Program Officer will be responsible for planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of the Foundation’s strategic grant initiatives, supervision of the Grants Administrator, and work with the Board of Directors, and partner nonprofits and communities. The Program Officer must bring leadership and creativity in the design and implementation of strategic initiatives including evaluation of solutions proposed by non-profits, and selection of partners and programs.

The Program Officer will be responsible for building and maintaining productive relationships with partners and community leaders in Philadelphia County and across the state that contribute to an understanding of health disparities and the Foundation’s role in addressing them. The Program Officer must be a strong voice championing the importance of reducing health disparities to advance health equity for everyone.

The person filling this role will be a key member of the Foundation’s staff working with the Executive Director and members of the Board of Directors to successfully implement the new strategic grant initiative that results in achieving the mission and vision of the Foundation.

Key Responsibilities Grantmaking
 Design and implement the Foundation’s strategic initiatives that include grantmaking, training and technical assistance, convening and networking with community and foundation partners.
 Research and evaluation to address social determinates of health in Philadelphia County.
 Advance and align goals and strategies within strategic initiatives.
 Develop collaborative relationships with potential grant applicants and others to help build the capacity of nonprofits to achieve goals and objectives of Foundation initiatives.
 Design protocols for Foundation-initiated projects and convene oversight and/or planning committees of community leaders and experts, as appropriate.
 Design and execute program evaluation and monitoring process for grants to ensure consistency with the conditions of Foundation awards and to support the successful achievement of desired grant outcomes.
 Ensure that all pre-grant and grant management requirements are met, including continual review of progress and expenditure reports, and to assure timely and accurate preparation of all grant-related communications, including terms and conditions of awarded grants.
 Assure accuracy and usefulness of the Foundations website and online application and reporting system.
 Serve as the Foundation’s principal contact with grantees.
 Support applicants, grantees and others through consultation, site visits, peer networks, meetings, and/or education/training/technical assistance, as needed.
 Prepare written summaries and analysis documents of grant applications to aid the Board of Directors in evaluation of proposals and in the making of awards.
 Coordinate annual and final evaluation of Foundation grants.
 Prepare reports for the Board, management and community on the purposes of and results of Foundation strategic initiatives.

Field Building
 Provide leadership in the field and the community as needed to effectively achieve Foundation goals.
 Pursue opportunities to further the Foundation’s mission through non-grantmaking opportunities such as serving as a community resource, providing leadership in strategic planning, grant development and collaboration, and serving on advisory committees and task forces.
 Represent the Foundation locally, regionally and nationally in the fields of health, health care, and philanthropy.

Strategic Support
 Contribute to the development of goals, objectives and outcome measures for Foundation efforts.
 Assist with communication of information obtained from Foundation strategic initiatives to policymakers, target communities, professional and lay providers of healthcare services, other funders and the general community.
 Work as a catalyst and facilitator in the development and implementation of effective public policy to forward strategic initiatives and achieve the mission of the Foundation.

Other
 Develop and maintain an appropriate level of expertise in grantmaking, issue content and foundation practices to support all parties involved in developing, implementing and sustaining Foundation initiatives and grants.
 Keep current on health issues of importance to the Foundation by literature review, contact with social and professional communities, and participation in relevant conferences.
 Participate in activities to develop relevant skills and knowledge, including seminars, conferences and independent study.
 Provide support, when necessary, of all Foundation activities.

Critical Skills/Qualifications The successful candidate will be results-driven and is expected to hold an Master’s level degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. MPH, MBA, MSW, MPP, or JD) and at least 5+ years of relevant professional experience (e.g. in health industry, health policy, nonprofit, government, academic or philanthropic organization addressing the needs of vulnerable people). A combination of education and experience may be substituted for education requirements.

A strategic thinker, the candidate will have exceptional organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, and will take a thoughtful approach to collaboration and community and partner engagement. Impeccable verbal and written communication skills are required. The candidate will have the interest and competence to interact with individuals from broad and diverse backgrounds on a range of complex issues. Complementing a passion for correcting health inequities and improving service delivery effectiveness, the candidate will have an ability to understand and analyze the business, legal and financial issues related to health administration.
Humility, empathy and a bias toward listening are key attributes needed in this role. The successful candidate must demonstrate cultural competence, sensitivity and awareness to be an effective representative of a small foundation serving Philadelphia residents.

In addition, the successful candidate must possess the following characteristics:
 Proactiveness and resourcefulness in an entrepreneurial environment.
 Track record of converting vision into action and measurable results.
 Strong facilitation skills and track record of leading, inspiring and developing high performance teams.
 Demonstrated understanding of policy and systems change frameworks and knowledge of approaches to promotion of health, root cause analysis and elimination of inequities in health outcomes.
 Demonstrated maturity and seasoned judgement.
 Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations and be responsible and clear with stakeholders.

Compensation Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications; includes a generous benefits package.

How to Apply: First Hospital Foundation is committed to hiring a diverse workforce and all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. To be considered, please submit a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission, specific experience and fit for the program officer position along with your resume to info@firsthospitalfdn.org. No phone calls please. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with an expectation to fill the position in March 2017.