Program Officer, Economic Opportunity - Policy at The Steans Family Foundation
Chicago, IL
Full Time
Senior Manager/Supervisor
MISSION
The Steans Family Foundation (“the Foundation”) envisions North Lawndale and North Chicago as vibrant, thriving, and equitable communities where residents, especially the communities’ Black and Latinx residents, lead healthy and prosperous lives. The Foundation works closely with community partners to launch, resource, and/or amplify initiatives in North Lawndale and North Chicago that directly support residents to achieve strong educational and economic outcomes; strengthen the built infrastructure that individuals need to live, work, and play; and change policies and systems to create the conditions for healthy, vibrant communities.
BACKGROUND
The Foundation concentrates its grantmaking and programs in North Lawndale, a community on Chicago’s west side, and North Chicago, a city 40 miles north of Chicago, and on aligned policy and ecosystem initiatives. By dedicating time, resources, and skills, the Foundation works in partnership with local residents and institutions to build and enhance both communities.
The Foundation’s work supports the idea that effective revitalization can occur within the existing embedded social and economic networks that create and sustain communities. In addition, the Steans Family Foundation supports policy efforts that bolster the work on the ground, specifically focused on Education, Economic Opportunity, Housing, and Communities. The Foundation believes that with investment, coupled with a strong policy ecosystem, communities can thrive.
There are currently 20 employees who are all committed to moving the values of diversity and equity into action. Staff work from an office in downtown Chicago along with workspaces in North Lawndale and North Chicago. The Foundation granted about $17M in 2023 to community partners in North Lawndale and North Chicago and to fund policy initiatives. The Foundation is governed by a 6-member Board of Trustees comprised of family members. It is co-located with two other family businesses, the law firm of Massey & Gail and Financial Investments Corporation (“FIC”), a private equity firm that also houses the Steans family office operations.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Foundation leadership understands that scalable, sustainable impact will require policy and systems changes. The vision for the Foundation’s policy work is that residents of North Lawndale, North Chicago, and across Illinois are supported by equitable policies, systems, and community conditions that they need to thrive. The framework towards progress on policy priorities includes making investments that strengthen the policy ecosystem, build capacity for data collection, research and communications infrastructure, and amplify community voice. A guiding principle of the Foundation is to work in partnership, therefore prioritizing collaboration and community engagement.
The Foundation recently completed a strategic planning process that hones in on a systemic approach to lifting communities out of poverty. Policy plays a central role in the strategic plan objectives, as sustainable progress at scale on the Foundation’s priorities requires a strategy for systems-level change.
Focused policy efforts began six years ago, with hiring of the first Director of Policy and establishment of the Policy & Ecosystem “pillar” of the Foundation’s work, aimed at augmenting the place-based work in North Lawndale and North Chicago through a policy and systems-change lens. The department has evolved significantly since then, making strides in the Foundation’s priority areas including early childhood and K-12 education, higher education and workforce, community safety, and economic opportunity. The new strategic plan calls for a deepening of the Foundation’s policy work and even closer coordination with the place-based strategies in North Chicago and North Lawndale, including policy initiatives aligned with the new economic opportunity and housing work in the latter community. As a new area of focus, the housing policy strategy needs to be developed.
With this new and deepened economic opportunity work, including the expansion into housing policy, there is an exciting opportunity for a leader with policy expertise to create sustainability for the residents of North Lawndale and North Chicago. This work will positively impact families in the coming years and for generations by reducing barriers and breaking systemic cycles of poverty. This entrepreneurial opportunity to develop a comprehensive grantmaking strategy based on issues that arise from a learning process will have deep impact in the communities served. The learning process will include understanding the Foundation’s current programming and gathering input from community partners. From this work, creating recommendations for economic opportunity and housing policy priorities will be a key deliverable.
The successful candidate will have a background in programs, research, policy, or grantmaking related to economic opportunity and housing and bring strong relationship-building, communication, and analytical skills. The person in this newly created role will be interested in meaningful collaboration with thought leaders in both the private and public sectors. The ability to build relationships and to participate in collaborative discussions with a variety of constituents at the city and state levels to spot opportunities and projects will be key. Individuals committed to social justice, diversity, and equity with a passion for addressing systemic barriers and disparities in housing access and affordability, will thrive in this role.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Program Officer reports to the Director of Policy and supports a portfolio of work focused on economic opportunity and housing policy. The Program Officer will source opportunities in these issue areas and manage the grantmaking process, including proposal review, diligence, and oversight of the portfolio. The Program Officer, in consultation with the Director of Policy, will also shape the strategy and direction of the Foundation’s policy work in Economic Opportunity and Housing.
The Program Officer is expected to develop key relationships with grantees, public officials, policymakers, etc.; to stay abreast of policy developments at the federal, state, and local level; and to broker strategic partnerships to drive the work forward and accomplish policy goals. The Program Officer will work closely with program staff on the Foundation’s place-based teams—North Lawndale and North Chicago—so as to align and collaborate on cross-cutting work. The Program Officer also contributes to the ongoing development of Foundation communications, operations, and data systems to support an organizational culture of mutual support and continuous learning and improvement.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The person we seek will understand the complexities, systemic barriers, and landscape of economic opportunity, as well as a working knowledge of how systems work at the federal and state level. A strong understanding of affordable housing development and financing, issues impacting low-income communities, and a passion for expanding housing opportunities for historically marginalized communities are required. The qualified candidate will have experience working in government, advocacy, community organizing, or related areas.
An active and engaged listener, this individual will demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives. The qualified candidate will have experience with and a strong commitment to applying a racial equity lens to their work. Commitment to diversity and equity, along with a demonstrated capacity to be part of a multicultural team is required. The person we seek should embrace diversity and demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation’s mission and vision statements. A passion for creating positive social change is essential.
The qualified candidate will have a solid understanding of the relationship between public policy, government systems, and the experience of vulnerable communities. They will have experience working with marginalized communities at the local level and/or a deep understanding of community power-building strategies.
The Program Officer, Economic Opportunity - Policy will bring a learning mindset to the role and will have demonstrated ability to convey complex ideas, data, and strategic messages to various audiences both through verbal presentations and written presentations/documents. Utilizing data to inform decision-making and narrative change is desired. Communicating programmatic data and presenting clear program, process, and data visualizations are a plus. Affinity for and ability to generate, analyze, interpret, and report data with clarity and actionable insight is needed.
Skills including excellent attention to detail and follow through are required. This person will thrive in a multicultural environment with open communication. The ability to build successful partnerships/collaborations, including working well with networks of potential partners is required.
Commitment to deep inquiry and rigorous analysis of complex information to probe the true impact of policy initiatives is expected. The Program Officer will demonstrate the ability to plan, set and achieve realistic goals and objectives, and balance multiple priorities. A changemaker, the Program Officer will creatively challenge what is possible through philanthropy and identify opportunities for innovation in furtherance of the Foundation’s mission.
The ideal individual will demonstrate the highest standards of ethics and integrity. A trustworthy, service-oriented individual who maintains confidentiality and fairness is sought. This person will be able to roll up their sleeves and quickly toggle between oversight of routine functions to high level strategy and everything in between. We seek an imaginative problem solver with a track record establishing relationships marked by trust and respect.
The qualified candidate is a collaborative, hands-on, self-starter who has an entrepreneurial personality yet is a team player. Excellent judgment, a sense of urgency, a balance between analytical, and intuitive skills are also sought. The successful candidate will have the ability to embrace and incorporate direct feedback. Having a sense of humor as well as steadfast optimism and commitment to push through inevitable challenges is a plus. The successful candidate will conduct themselves as an excellent steward of the Steans Family Foundation, serving as a representative.
A demonstrated comfort with operating in ambiguity and an ability to persist with work assignments that revolve around complex and fluid issues where an answer is not always clear is essential. This individual will possess a strong willingness to stay abreast of current research, activities, and trends relating to their body of work and will positively contribute to a culture of learning.
Bachelor's degree of equivalent experience required. Master's degree in a related field a plus. 7+ years previous experience in in a relevant field, such as housing, economic, or community development is required. Knowledge of affordable housing financing is ideal. Proficiency with all the Microsoft office products and Google Drive is required.
Compensation
Salary range is $110,000 - $135,000, commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package includes employer paid medical, dental, and life insurance; long-term disability; an employer match and contribution to a retirement account; and generous paid leave. Foundation staff work in a hybrid work arrangement.
Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service and/or marital status, order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.
The Steans Family Foundation (“the Foundation”) envisions North Lawndale and North Chicago as vibrant, thriving, and equitable communities where residents, especially the communities’ Black and Latinx residents, lead healthy and prosperous lives. The Foundation works closely with community partners to launch, resource, and/or amplify initiatives in North Lawndale and North Chicago that directly support residents to achieve strong educational and economic outcomes; strengthen the built infrastructure that individuals need to live, work, and play; and change policies and systems to create the conditions for healthy, vibrant communities.
BACKGROUND
The Foundation concentrates its grantmaking and programs in North Lawndale, a community on Chicago’s west side, and North Chicago, a city 40 miles north of Chicago, and on aligned policy and ecosystem initiatives. By dedicating time, resources, and skills, the Foundation works in partnership with local residents and institutions to build and enhance both communities.
The Foundation’s work supports the idea that effective revitalization can occur within the existing embedded social and economic networks that create and sustain communities. In addition, the Steans Family Foundation supports policy efforts that bolster the work on the ground, specifically focused on Education, Economic Opportunity, Housing, and Communities. The Foundation believes that with investment, coupled with a strong policy ecosystem, communities can thrive.
There are currently 20 employees who are all committed to moving the values of diversity and equity into action. Staff work from an office in downtown Chicago along with workspaces in North Lawndale and North Chicago. The Foundation granted about $17M in 2023 to community partners in North Lawndale and North Chicago and to fund policy initiatives. The Foundation is governed by a 6-member Board of Trustees comprised of family members. It is co-located with two other family businesses, the law firm of Massey & Gail and Financial Investments Corporation (“FIC”), a private equity firm that also houses the Steans family office operations.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Foundation leadership understands that scalable, sustainable impact will require policy and systems changes. The vision for the Foundation’s policy work is that residents of North Lawndale, North Chicago, and across Illinois are supported by equitable policies, systems, and community conditions that they need to thrive. The framework towards progress on policy priorities includes making investments that strengthen the policy ecosystem, build capacity for data collection, research and communications infrastructure, and amplify community voice. A guiding principle of the Foundation is to work in partnership, therefore prioritizing collaboration and community engagement.
The Foundation recently completed a strategic planning process that hones in on a systemic approach to lifting communities out of poverty. Policy plays a central role in the strategic plan objectives, as sustainable progress at scale on the Foundation’s priorities requires a strategy for systems-level change.
Focused policy efforts began six years ago, with hiring of the first Director of Policy and establishment of the Policy & Ecosystem “pillar” of the Foundation’s work, aimed at augmenting the place-based work in North Lawndale and North Chicago through a policy and systems-change lens. The department has evolved significantly since then, making strides in the Foundation’s priority areas including early childhood and K-12 education, higher education and workforce, community safety, and economic opportunity. The new strategic plan calls for a deepening of the Foundation’s policy work and even closer coordination with the place-based strategies in North Chicago and North Lawndale, including policy initiatives aligned with the new economic opportunity and housing work in the latter community. As a new area of focus, the housing policy strategy needs to be developed.
With this new and deepened economic opportunity work, including the expansion into housing policy, there is an exciting opportunity for a leader with policy expertise to create sustainability for the residents of North Lawndale and North Chicago. This work will positively impact families in the coming years and for generations by reducing barriers and breaking systemic cycles of poverty. This entrepreneurial opportunity to develop a comprehensive grantmaking strategy based on issues that arise from a learning process will have deep impact in the communities served. The learning process will include understanding the Foundation’s current programming and gathering input from community partners. From this work, creating recommendations for economic opportunity and housing policy priorities will be a key deliverable.
The successful candidate will have a background in programs, research, policy, or grantmaking related to economic opportunity and housing and bring strong relationship-building, communication, and analytical skills. The person in this newly created role will be interested in meaningful collaboration with thought leaders in both the private and public sectors. The ability to build relationships and to participate in collaborative discussions with a variety of constituents at the city and state levels to spot opportunities and projects will be key. Individuals committed to social justice, diversity, and equity with a passion for addressing systemic barriers and disparities in housing access and affordability, will thrive in this role.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Program Officer reports to the Director of Policy and supports a portfolio of work focused on economic opportunity and housing policy. The Program Officer will source opportunities in these issue areas and manage the grantmaking process, including proposal review, diligence, and oversight of the portfolio. The Program Officer, in consultation with the Director of Policy, will also shape the strategy and direction of the Foundation’s policy work in Economic Opportunity and Housing.
The Program Officer is expected to develop key relationships with grantees, public officials, policymakers, etc.; to stay abreast of policy developments at the federal, state, and local level; and to broker strategic partnerships to drive the work forward and accomplish policy goals. The Program Officer will work closely with program staff on the Foundation’s place-based teams—North Lawndale and North Chicago—so as to align and collaborate on cross-cutting work. The Program Officer also contributes to the ongoing development of Foundation communications, operations, and data systems to support an organizational culture of mutual support and continuous learning and improvement.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manages the Policy & Ecosystem grantmaking portfolio focused on Economic Opportunity, inclusive of issue areas such as public benefits/safety net access, housing, wealth building, economic opportunity, and community organizing
- Leads the ongoing strategic development for increasing impact in the Economic Opportunity area of giving, in alignment with the strategic plan
- Operates closely and in coordination with the North Lawndale and North Chicago programs teams to understand policy barriers and opportunities in those communities and develops strategies to address them
- Engages with community-based organizations, as appropriate, to understand policy barriers and opportunities in communities and to collaborate on campaigns
- Maintains up-to-date knowledge of the federal, state, and local economic opportunity/housing policy context and continually builds subject matter expertise for the Economic Opportunity issue area, and represents the Foundation at appropriate policy tables
- Reviews grant application materials and reports including analyzing organization and program goals, outcomes, measures, budgets and financial data, and other relevant information; drafts grant reviews and recommendations; conducts site visits; communicates clearly with funded grantees as well as organizations that do not receive support
- Regularly communicates with grantees and partners to monitor success of existing grantees and projects and identifies additional supports or opportunities to strengthen initiatives
- Builds relationships that enhance the Foundation’s knowledge, partnerships, and ability to sense strategic opportunities or barriers across a range of issues, environments, and communities
- Collaborates cross-departmentally to help identify policy priorities
The person we seek will understand the complexities, systemic barriers, and landscape of economic opportunity, as well as a working knowledge of how systems work at the federal and state level. A strong understanding of affordable housing development and financing, issues impacting low-income communities, and a passion for expanding housing opportunities for historically marginalized communities are required. The qualified candidate will have experience working in government, advocacy, community organizing, or related areas.
An active and engaged listener, this individual will demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives. The qualified candidate will have experience with and a strong commitment to applying a racial equity lens to their work. Commitment to diversity and equity, along with a demonstrated capacity to be part of a multicultural team is required. The person we seek should embrace diversity and demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation’s mission and vision statements. A passion for creating positive social change is essential.
The qualified candidate will have a solid understanding of the relationship between public policy, government systems, and the experience of vulnerable communities. They will have experience working with marginalized communities at the local level and/or a deep understanding of community power-building strategies.
The Program Officer, Economic Opportunity - Policy will bring a learning mindset to the role and will have demonstrated ability to convey complex ideas, data, and strategic messages to various audiences both through verbal presentations and written presentations/documents. Utilizing data to inform decision-making and narrative change is desired. Communicating programmatic data and presenting clear program, process, and data visualizations are a plus. Affinity for and ability to generate, analyze, interpret, and report data with clarity and actionable insight is needed.
Skills including excellent attention to detail and follow through are required. This person will thrive in a multicultural environment with open communication. The ability to build successful partnerships/collaborations, including working well with networks of potential partners is required.
Commitment to deep inquiry and rigorous analysis of complex information to probe the true impact of policy initiatives is expected. The Program Officer will demonstrate the ability to plan, set and achieve realistic goals and objectives, and balance multiple priorities. A changemaker, the Program Officer will creatively challenge what is possible through philanthropy and identify opportunities for innovation in furtherance of the Foundation’s mission.
The ideal individual will demonstrate the highest standards of ethics and integrity. A trustworthy, service-oriented individual who maintains confidentiality and fairness is sought. This person will be able to roll up their sleeves and quickly toggle between oversight of routine functions to high level strategy and everything in between. We seek an imaginative problem solver with a track record establishing relationships marked by trust and respect.
The qualified candidate is a collaborative, hands-on, self-starter who has an entrepreneurial personality yet is a team player. Excellent judgment, a sense of urgency, a balance between analytical, and intuitive skills are also sought. The successful candidate will have the ability to embrace and incorporate direct feedback. Having a sense of humor as well as steadfast optimism and commitment to push through inevitable challenges is a plus. The successful candidate will conduct themselves as an excellent steward of the Steans Family Foundation, serving as a representative.
A demonstrated comfort with operating in ambiguity and an ability to persist with work assignments that revolve around complex and fluid issues where an answer is not always clear is essential. This individual will possess a strong willingness to stay abreast of current research, activities, and trends relating to their body of work and will positively contribute to a culture of learning.
Bachelor's degree of equivalent experience required. Master's degree in a related field a plus. 7+ years previous experience in in a relevant field, such as housing, economic, or community development is required. Knowledge of affordable housing financing is ideal. Proficiency with all the Microsoft office products and Google Drive is required.
Compensation
Salary range is $110,000 - $135,000, commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package includes employer paid medical, dental, and life insurance; long-term disability; an employer match and contribution to a retirement account; and generous paid leave. Foundation staff work in a hybrid work arrangement.
Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service and/or marital status, order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.
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