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About the Role

The Mellon Foundation seeks a Program Officer to lead and advance its Monuments Project, a multi-year initiative focused on revitalizing the nation's commemorative landscape by funding projects that enrich historical narratives and expand remembrance practices.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key leader in advancing the Monuments Project, implementing strategy and refining grantmaking priorities.
• Lead the development and management of grants and special initiatives to strengthen the commemorative landscape.
• Identify, assess, and cultivate prospective grantees and strategic partners.
• Evaluate grant proposals and organizational readiness, including capacity, governance, financial health, and project feasibility.
• Prepare funding recommendations, strategy memoranda, Board materials, presentations, and analyses for leadership.
• Provide strategic guidance and technical assistance to grantees, monitoring project progress and outcomes.
• Design and execute strategic initiatives to advance program goals and strengthen the commemorative field.
• Cultivate relationships across the commemorative ecosystem, including government agencies, community organizations, cultural institutions, historians, artists, designers, planners, developers, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the Foundation at meetings, convenings, conferences, and public forums.
• Serve as a thought partner to colleagues and contribute to Foundation-wide learning.
• Attend Board of Trustees meetings and deliver presentations as needed.
• Supervise assigned staff, providing mentorship and expertise.
• Stay informed about developments in commemoration, public history, public art, cultural heritage, planning, and design.
• Perform additional duties as required to support the Monuments Project.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in philanthropy, public administration, cultural institutions, public history, public art, memorialization, planning, design, or related fields, including leadership of complex programs, initiatives, or partnerships.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Deep knowledge of the commemorative, memorial, public art, public history, or cultural heritage sectors, and related policies, processes, and stakeholders.
• Understanding of the intersections among culture, history, the humanities, civic engagement, and social justice.
• Experience working across diverse stakeholder groups, including government agencies, community organizations, cultural institutions, developers, planners, designers, historians, and other partners.
• Significant experience in grantmaking, program design, or public funding, including assessing organizational capacity, financial health, and project feasibility.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-year initiatives and balancing strategic vision with effective implementation.
• Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor colleagues, work collaboratively, and contribute to a collegial team environment.
• Willingness to travel domestically as required.

Skills

• Grantmaking
• Program design
• Strategic partnerships
• Field-building
• Grant assessment
• Organizational capacity assessment
• Fiscal health assessment
• Strategic guidance
• Technical assistance
• Project management
• Analytical skills
• Problem-solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Written communication
• Presentation skills
• Public speaking
• Mentorship
• Collaboration

Location

• Manhattan offices

Work Type

• Hybrid

Experience Level

• 10+ years of experience

Education Level

• Advanced degree in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and professional experience

Salary/Compensations

• $310,000-$325,000

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits program
• Competitive and equitable compensation within the philanthropic sector

About the Company

• The Mellon Foundation is a not-for-profit, grant-making organization that believes the arts and humanities are essential for expressing human complexity and enriching communities.
• Through its grants, the Foundation aims to build just communities empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.
• The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas: Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place, in addition to its signature Presidential Initiatives.

Equal Opportunity

• The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
• Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organizational need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
• We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.
• Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.