Program Officer

Position Summary

The Program Officer will be an important member of JSMF’s three-person Grants and Impact Investment team, alongside the Director of Grants and Impact Investment and the Associate Program Officer. The team is part of the Foundation’s Strategy and Programs unit and works closely with colleagues across the organization. The Program Officer is accountable for identifying new funding opportunities aligned with Foundation strategy and for managing an assigned portfolio of grants and impact investments and the related funded partner relationships, and is a key contributor to the Foundation’s annual grantmaking and impact investment processes.

The Program Officer reports directly to the Director of Grants and Impact Investment.

Key Responsibilities

Identifying new funding opportunities

• Identify grant and impact investment opportunities aligned with Foundation strategy, drawing on the existing portfolio, assigned prospective partners and new relationships.
• Stay current on local economic mobility trends and represent JSMF in the St. Louis ecosystem in coordination with the team.
• Work with the team to keep a tracker of prospective partners and opportunities.

Portfolio management

• Manage an assigned portfolio of grants and impact investments and the related partner relationships, in coordination with the Director of Grants and Impact Investment.
• Lead semiannual check-ins with funded partners, including occasional site visits.
• Oversee the portfolio performance dashboard and lead preparation for quarterly portfolio status meetings.
• Keep partner profiles and support plans current across JSMF’s systems, such as HubSpot, Monday.com and SmartSimple.

Funded partner relationships

• Serve as the day-to-day relationship lead for funded partners in the assigned portfolio, and provide general relationship coverage in coordination with the team.
• Participate in onboarding orientations for new funded partners.

Grantmaking and impact investment process

• Work with applicants to develop grant and impact investment proposals through invited and open calls, analyze them, make funding recommendations to the Director of Grants and Impact Investment, and help prepare recommendations for leadership, committees and the Board.
• Help prepare materials for quarterly JSMF Board of Directors meetings and for Investment Committee meetings held throughout the year.
• Liaise with the wider JSMF team on process documentation and improvements.

Partner events and learning

• Contribute to JSMF-hosted initiatives such as funded partner networking events and learning cohorts.

Qualifications and Competencies

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Five or more years of relevant grantmaking or impact investment experience required.

Skills and tools

• Proven ability to identify high-quality, scalable grant or impact investment opportunities.
• Program design and operations expertise to serve as a thought partner to applicants and funded partners.
• Experience using Excel spreadsheets and analyzing financial reports to assess applicants’ fiscal strength, program sustainability and the viability of impact investments.
• Clear writing for funded partner communications and internal reports.
• Familiarity with, or eagerness to learn, tools such as HubSpot, SmartSimple, Monday.com and Claude.

Competencies

• Alignment with JSMF’s mission.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Professional presence and sound judgment to navigate complex work with a wide variety of stakeholders in dynamic contexts.
• A collaborative, creative and proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills, with empathy and a service mindset.
• Strong project management, time management and prioritization skills.
• A team player willing to pitch in across JSMF.

JSMF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. JSMF will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the application and interview process; to request one, send an email to accommodations@jsmf.org.

About James S. McDonnell Foundation

The James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) envisions a thriving St. Louis region where inclusive economic growth drives shared prosperity and enhances the quality of life for all. Guided by its mission to advance economic mobility for St. Louisans facing the starkest disparities, JSMF invests in four areas essential to the region's long-term success: workforce, small and mid-size businesses, wealth building, and the civic infrastructure needed to design and implement lasting economic solutions. Founded in St. Louis in 1950 by aerospace pioneer James S. McDonnell, JSMF has awarded more than $600 million in grants to date. For more information about JSMF's mission and the work of its funded partners, visit jsmf.org.