Description

SBF attracts folks who care about our mission of building empathetic, resilient communities. We live our values by building trust, embracing learning, fostering innovation, creating inclusive spaces, and treating one another and our communities with respect and care. We are a consecutive winner of PCBT’s Best Places to Work in the Central Coast.

We offer one of the most competitive benefit packages for similar and similarly sized organizations. Please check out our benefits page.

We’re seeking a Senior Programs Officer to join our Programs department. This position reports directly to our Vice President, Programs and is based in Santa Barbara County.

This is a hybrid role which will require an average of three days of in office work, plus regular site visits and offsite meetings.

All applicants must submit a professional resume, cover letter and completed copy of our employment application, in order to be considered.

Please review our Job Description below, before applying

Position Summary:
The Senior Program Officer (SPO) provides strategic leadership, coordination and support for a portfolio of initiatives that strengthen systems, partnerships, and public awareness across the Foundation’s priority focus areas. This role implements strategies and special projects aligned with the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities, including fostering trust-based partnerships and ensuring practices are transparent, equitable, and responsive to community needs. The SPO collaborates across internal teams, external partners, and funders to advance shared goals and improve community outcomes. The SPO supports grant programs, multi-year initiatives, budgets, workflows, and timelines, and monitors contracted partners to ensure effective implementation, accountability, and continuous improvement.  In collaboration with the VP, Programs, President & CEO, and Programs Directors, the SPO also identifies opportunities for impact, aligns stakeholders, mobilizes resources, and builds partnerships across nonprofit collectives, government agencies, civic leaders, and internal Foundation teams to align efforts and advance shared goals in areas such as housing affordability, childcare, health equity, digital equity, and food systems.

The Senior Program Officer also serves as a key thought partner in advancing discretionary grantmaking and manages a portfolio of competitive and discretionary grant programs aligned with donor intent and the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities. The role implements strategies that foster trust-based partnerships and ensure grantmaking practices are transparent, equitable, and responsive to community needs and input. It also includes researching, analyzing, and reporting on community needs, identifying external grant opportunities, and supporting the development of new strategic opportunities that positively impact the communities of Santa Barbara County.

Specific Responsibilities:

•         Build and maintain strategic relationships with leaders across public, nonprofit, and private sectors to advance initiatives and develop opportunities and pilot programs. 
•         Assess opportunities through research, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis to determine alignment with the Foundation’s strategy, feasibility and potential impact; synthesize findings into clear recommendations for leadership decision-making. 
•         Deploy a range of Foundation tools to achieve outcomes, including grantmaking, partnerships, policy, and evaluation, to advance strategic goals and outcomes for priority areas.
•       Initiate stakeholder meetings and convenings, supporting strategy development, and program management including budget and workplans
•       Conduct research and analysis and present findings on community needs, issue areas, and nonprofit organizations to inform strategy, support decision-making, and contribute to the Foundation’s learning agenda and inform strategic direction, grounded in community-informed insights.
•       Build and maintain relationships with grantees, community leaders, donors, and partners, serving as a liaison representing the Foundation and facilitating collaboration across stakeholders.
•       Exchange insights and best practices with peer organizations, foundations, and the Board of Trustees; centering trust, transparency, and responsiveness.
•       Contribute to the development, implementation, and refinement of the Foundation’s discretionary and strategic interest area grantmaking strategies.
•       Ensure strategic activities are developed in collaboration with partners and informed by community priorities and perspectives.
•       Convene and/or actively participate in collaborative and/or advisory groups, task forces, committees, and strategic partnership spaces to address complex community challenges, represent the Foundation’s perspective, and listen to and elevate community and partner insights on emerging needs, partnerships, and opportunities to inform and strengthen grantmaking strategy.
•       Collaborate across Foundation departments to align grantmaking, donor engagement, evaluation, and strategic initiatives.
•       Research and apply for external grants and manage grant reporting requirements.
•       Contribute to the development and articulation of the Foundation’s strategic narrative in partnership with the Program Directors, VP of Programs, The Investments Team, and the Marketing & Communications Team.
•       Manage grant review processes, including proposal evaluation, and making funding recommendations to inform grant decisions.
•       Monitor and assess grant performance by reviewing outcomes and indicators and collaborating with the Director of Evaluation & Learning to collect, analyze, and apply data to support learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.
•       Partner with the Evaluation & Learning team to turn data and insights from grantmaking, partnerships, and community engagement into lessons that inform strategy and strengthen the Foundation's learning culture.
•       Facilitate and participate in community visits, learning exchanges, outreach activities, and public speaking opportunities to strengthen relationships, listen to community perspectives, and inform ongoing learning and strategy.
•       Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment:
      General office environment, maybe in open office area or shared office space.

      Dogs (pets) intermittently on the premises, please see our Pet Policy for more information.

      Hybrid: In office (minimum 3 days/week), plus optional telecommuting/ability to work from home. Must provide own router, modem, and reliable internet connection.

      Significant telephone, video and computer work (repetitive movement – typing).

      Some driving travel within the county and occasional travel outside of the county (via car or plane).

      Frequent sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending and occasional lifting/pushing of light to heavy loads (10lbs. to more than 50 lbs.)

Requirements

•       At least seven years of relevant experience in philanthropy, nonprofit, public sector, or related fields.
•       Experience or familiarity with nonprofit engagement, public policy, or implementation of social programs.
•       Strong verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and audiences.
•       Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trust-based, respectful relationships with colleagues, community partners, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds  and lived experiences.
•       Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to collaborate effectively, listen actively, and navigate complex or sensitive situations.
•       Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and flexibility, with the ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment and drive work toward results.
•       Demonstrated adaptability and problem-solving skills, with the ability to respond constructively to challenges and shifting priorities.
•       Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple projects and manage competing priorities.
•       Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to assess programs and use data to inform decision-making.
•       Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn new systems and tools quickly.
•       Demonstrated curiosity and learning orientation, including openness to feedback, new ideas, and continuous improvement.
•       Bachelor's degree in public health, public policy, social sciences, behavioral health, business or a related field preferred.