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About the Role

The Program Officer is a collaborative and mission-driven professional responsible for contributing to the development and execution of the Foundation’s Journalism Initiative by identifying and engaging key partners and talent, and deploying resources in alignment with strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

Develop grantmaking plans and manage a portfolio of grants for assigned grantmaking initiatives.
Solicit and screen proposals, applying breadth of expertise and a clear understanding of the Foundation’s interests.
Develop coherent, accurate, and complete summaries of funding and prepare to answer substantive questions about the proposals.
Structure grant term, payment, and reporting timelines and maintain up-to-date records through grant termination.
Partner with Legal and Grants Management to ensure compliance with Foundation policies and IRS guidelines.
Monitor grant progress by reviewing progress reports, as well as staying in contact with grantees and responding to issues as needed.
Provide non-financial support to grantees, including advice concerning capacity building, fund development, project activities, and evaluation.
Conduct site visits to current and potential grantees.
Stay informed about, and follow up as necessary on, grant-related issues throughout the duration of a grant.
Work with the Foundation’s Communications team to broaden the impact of the initiative’s grantmaking.
Develop and draft grantmaking strategies and implementation plans based on the approved direction and goals of the Journalism Initiative.
Monitor progress on approved grants and strategies, including the effectiveness of individual grants and lessons learned to inform refinements to strategies and grantmaking plans.
Conduct research and analyses to inform the development or refinement of strategic goals and tactics for assigned initiatives.
Draft memos on recommended strategies, implementation plans, emerging areas of interest, and other developments.
Keep the President & CEO, Director of CEO and Board Initiatives, and Foundation leadership informed on developments within grantmaking areas.
Occasionally attend Board meetings to support grant recommendations and periodically review and report to executive management and the Board on the overall effectiveness of funding.
Stay abreast of the policy and research landscape for assigned initiatives, including policy and practice issues, emerging trends, and key resource people and organizations.
Proactively identify key organizations and talent, build relationships, and act as a connector across the broader ecosystem.
Know the funding landscape, including other funders who support similar projects, and participate in joint efforts with other foundations and affinity groups of foundations.
Develop a clear understanding of how organizations fit into the Foundation’s and leadership’s priorities.
Represent the Foundation and assigned grantmaking initiatives to external audiences.
Work collaboratively as a part of the CEO & Board Initiatives team to support special projects and events, such as International Human Rights Day.
Serve as a resource to team members on grantmaking and due diligence.
Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and dynamic organizational culture.
Participate in Foundation-wide activities, such as committees, internal culture-building, training, and strategic planning.
Assist with the onboarding and training of new team members.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant experience in journalism, media, and strategic communications
Understanding of the journalism sector, including existing business and revenue models
Demonstrated ability to think strategically, apply a dynamic systems analysis, and translate thinking into clear, logical arguments and actionable recommendations
Strong research, analysis, and synthesis, with the ability to distill complex ideas into actionable insights and communicate them clearly both in writing and verbally
Intellectual curiosity, openness to a range of ideas and perspectives, and a commitment to ongoing learning
Flexibility, humility, ingenuity, and a willingness to pitch in as part of a team
Ability to work independently and proactively — getting ahead of problems, and taking ideas or direction and developing them into concrete outcomes
Comfort with ambiguity, managing change, and dealing with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to develop strategies in collaboration with others and prioritize resources to maximize impact
Understanding of the grantmaking process and how foundations function is preferred, not required
Detail-oriented, with proven organizational and project management skills
A collegial and diplomatic demeanor, excellent interpersonal skills, and a sense of humor
A facilitative style of leadership and communication
Integrity and sound judgment
Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications
Occasional travel

Skills

Journalism
Media
Strategic Communications
Grantmaking
Research
Analysis
Synthesis
Communication (written and verbal)
Project Management
Microsoft Office

Location

San Francisco Bay Area

Work Type

Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Exempt (salaried)
Hybrid

Experience Level

8+ years of relevant experience

Salary/Compensations

$167,000 to $201,000 per year

Benefits

Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
Flexible spending account (FSA) for medical and childcare expenses
401(k) plan with an employer match of up to 16%
3 weeks of vacation per year
Paid time off for sick, personal reasons, and holidays

About the Company

The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation based in Los Altos and San Francisco, California, with plans to move to a larger, centralized San Francisco office in 2027.
The Foundation works with its many partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking science research, enhance the education of our youngest learners, and support human rights for all people.
In 2025, the Foundation awarded more than $169 million in grants.
The Foundation’s grantmaking is guided by the values of humility, courage, justice, opportunity, sustainability, innovation, relationships, and integrity.
An informed citizenry is a precondition for a functioning democracy, and journalism is a mechanism by which that information reaches the public.
The journalism or information ecosystem today faces compounding crises: a broken business model, declining public trust, and a rapid technological transformation that has rendered legacy structures obsolete.
Local newsrooms have collapsed at historic rates.
The platforms that now distribute information were not built to serve the public interest.
The definition of journalism itself is shifting in ways that demand fresh thinking about what we fund and why.
The Foundation’s Journalism Initiative seeks to strengthen the journalism ecosystem itself and use media as a lever to increase public understanding about issues related to the Foundation’s program areas.
The Foundation’s journalism grantmaking focuses on Strengthening the Ecosystem — “For the Media” and Advancing Programmatic Goals — “Through the Media”.
Journalism is housed within the CEO and Board Initiatives team, which collaborates with the President and CEO and the Board to shape and execute strategic grantmaking initiatives and high-impact convenings across priority areas, including youth housing and journalism.
The Journalism initiative is projected to invest up to $7 million in grants in 2026, and possibly more in 2027.

Equal Opportunity

The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of applicants.
Foundation policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, military service, legally protected medical condition, reproductive health decisions, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified applicants with disabilities may participate in the application process.
Our success is dependent on our ability to build teams that include people with different experiences and expertise who can challenge each other’s assumptions with new viewpoints and bring different perspectives to the team.
We encourage women, people of color, formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and others with diverse perspectives and experiences to apply.