The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Location
Menlo Park, CA | United States
Job description
Program Officer, U.S. Democracy
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, seeks a collaborative and outcomes-driven Program Officer for its U.S Democracy Program. As a key member of the U.S. Democracy Program, the Program Officer will engage in grantmaking within the program’s Strategy for Trustworthy Elections; will partner effectively and build and maintain strong relationships with grantees; and will monitor progress and engage in strategic planning for this strategy. The Program Officer will also be deeply engaged in national conversations regarding the future of U.S. democracy and will prioritize building and nurturing networks of practitioners and funders of elections systems.
About the Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world.
For more than 50 years, we have supported efforts to advance education for all, preserve the environment, support vibrant performing arts, strengthen Bay Area communities, make the philanthropy sector more effective, and foster gender equity and responsive governance around the world.
Started in 1966 by engineer and entrepreneur William R. Hewlett and his wife, Flora Lamson Hewlett, with their eldest son, Walter Hewlett, today the foundation is one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the United States, awarding $516 million in grants in 2021 to organizations across the globe to help people build better lives.
The foundation has approximately 125 employees in programmatic, operational, and investment roles, located in Menlo Park, California. Our employees are challenged with meaningful work, have the resources for ongoing professional development and learning, and contribute to a collegial and engaging environment where they can thrive. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. For more information about the Hewlett Foundation, please visit www.hewlett.org.
About the US Democracy Program and the Strategy for Trustworthy Elections
The Hewlett Foundation’s U.S. Democracy Program makes grants to strengthen America’s electoral and governing institutions, and to support a healthy democratic culture. We believe that public trust across the ideological spectrum in U.S. elections is a critical foundation to U.S. Democracy, and support efforts to build that trust in the short- and long-terms.
The ultimate goal of the Foundation’s democracy work has, from the outset, been to mitigate the corrosive effects of polarization on U.S. politics. Our early approach focused on political elites, especially elected officials. We aimed to abate polarization by creating conditions in which elected officials could more easily compromise across party lines, reasoning that precisely because the American public was less divided and entrenched, it would support and follow their lead. After the 2020 election, we realized that the precipitous loss of confidence in election outcomes among Americans presented an immediate problem that needs to be addressed in the near term: After all, we will not get to “the long run” if a wide swath of the public stops believing that election results are legitimate.
In early 2021 we rolled out a fresh strategic framework built around two new strategies: a Trustworthy Elections strategy that aims to rebuild public confidence in election outcomes; and a National Governing Institutions strategythat continues some of our work to shore up Congress, while adding efforts to create a more capable executive branch.
Continued upheavals in politics have since led to further evolution in our strategies and plans. In addition to continuing to improve trust in elections and strengthening national governing institutions, we are working to reduce polarization through the prism of conflict, developing a line of in-group moderation work committed to advancing cross-ideological solutions.
The Program Officer role works closely with a dedicated and dynamic team of colleagues to advance the program’s overall goals while focusing on grantmaking to support a well-administered, fair, accessible, and safe election. They will provide thought leadership around innovative ways that grantmaking and associated grantmaking efforts can build trust in elections. Additionally, they will monitor progress for purposes of ongoing strategy development, and a potential strategy refresh.
Successful candidates will exhibit a passion for the team’s vision of: a durable, inclusive liberal democracy that accounts for cultural and racial difference; and deep collaboration and learning. They will bring a keen understanding of election systems and best practices for their improvement.
The U.S. Democracy Program is nonpartisan and supports organizations across the ideological spectrum, including academic researchers, advocacy groups, think tanks, media platforms, infrastructure providers and civic leadership organizations who share our goals. We partner actively with other foundations in this field.
Interested applicants can learn more about the U.S. Democracy Program’s strategy here.
About the Position
The Program Officer will report to the Director and work collaboratively with members of the US Democracy Program team and others throughout the foundation. Specific responsibilities include:
Qualifications, Skills, and Personal Attributes
Compensation and Benefits
The Hewlett Foundation is committed to providing compensation that is competitive within the philanthropic sector. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits.
The salary range for this role is $195,000-$223,000. Offers are based on the candidate's years of experience and our practice of maintaining salary equity within the foundation. This position is exempt and full-time. Program officers of the Hewlett Foundation serve for an eight-year term.
Physical Demands/Work Environment
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
The position is based in Menlo Park, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Hewlett Foundation offices at least 2-3 times per week, when they are not traveling. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to spend extended periods of time at a computer. Travel will vary, but employee should expect to travel up to 25 percent of the time The Foundation requires all staff, vendors, and visitors accessing the office to be fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (including boosters when eligible).
How to Apply
Viewcrest Advisors (www.viewcrestadvisors.com) is supporting with the Hewlett Foundation on this search. Please send your resume and cover letter, to include a description of when you have successfully worked across political and ideological diversity:
Email: [email protected]
Application deadline: January 31, 2024. Interviews will begin soon after this date, with a target for final interviews to take place by mid-February, 2024.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation embraces the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally, in our hiring process and organizational culture, and externally, in our grantmaking and related practices. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
Viewcrest Advisors is committed to social justice and access to opportunity, and actively cultivates relationships with individuals who have varied life experiences as well as the skills needed to lead strong, innovative programs and organizations. In addition, the organization is committed to your privacy and to protecting your personal data; for more information, please visit: www.viewcrestadvisors.com.
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