Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Program Officer for Civic Design and Community Revitalization, The Heinz Endowments - Pittsburgh, PA

Posted: 6/9/10

The Heinz Endowments
(An Equal Employment Opportunity Employer)

The Heinz Endowments is based in Pittsburgh, where we use our region as a laboratory for the development of solutions to challenges that are national in scope. Although the majority of our giving is concentrated within southwestern Pennsylvania, we work wherever necessary, including statewide and nationally, to fulfill our mission. That mission is to help our region thrive as a whole community — economically, ecologically, educationally and culturally — while advancing the state of knowledge and practice in the fields in which we work. Our fields of emphasis include philanthropy in general and the disciplines represented by our five grant-making programs: Arts & Culture; Children, Youth & Families; Education; Environment; and Innovation Economy.

We have a vacancy for:
A Program Officer for Civic Design and Community Revitalization

Position Outline:
This is a newly created position that will span both the Environment and the Arts and Culture Programs. Qualified candidates are likely to have a minimum of 10 years of related experience.  This will include direct work experience in urban planning, public art, sustainable design, community development or other aspects of civic design and community revitalization.
Prior grantmaking experience would be an advantage but is not required.
A Bachelor Degree in a directly related field is required with an Advanced Degree strongly preferred.

Purpose and Scope of the Position:
The Heinz Endowments, with a strong commitment to place-based grant making, has steadily increased its focus on the importance of high quality sustainable design in the ‘built environment’ and all aspects of the public realm.  Beginning with the creation of Heinz Hall and the cultural district, and expanding to green buildings, sustainable design, public art and Pittsburgh’s riverfronts, the Endowments’ commitment to creating “places where people love to live” has grown steadily over the last decade.

A commitment to civic design has also reinforced the Endowments’ goal of working across its five established program areas, since the issue touches the work of all of the current interest areas – arts, environment, education, innovation economy and children, youth and families.   For several years, the Endowments’ multi-program Civic Design Task Force has worked on cross-programmatic issues of civic design.

Since 2009, the Civic Design Task Force has begun to broaden its focus on sustainable neighborhoods to include values and objectives of cultural diversity, economic opportunity and social equity.  The Civic Design Task Force has become a forum for coordinating neighborhood-based initiatives within The Heinz Endowments.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Staffing the Civic Design Task Force, including creating an updated strategy for the work of this group
• Assuming responsibility for specific grantees in the arts and culture and the environment programs that relate to issues of civic design, public art and community revitalization.
• Playing a key role in the development of comprehensive neighborhood grantmaking strategies
• Working effectively across multiple program and issue areas both within and outside the Endowments
• Managing ongoing grant relationships with a wide range of  organizations  in the southwestern Pennsylvania area   
• Working constructively with applicants and grantees to develop applications
• Evaluating grant applications and participating in grants review and decision-making meetings
• Preparing and delivering clear and accurate written and oral presentations concerning grant proposals and evaluations for internal review and board review
• Developing a grants portfolio that achieves the strategic objectives of The Heinz Endowments
• Developing and implementing appropriate evaluation tools and metrics to monitor the effectiveness of individual grants
• Working in cooperation with other program areas at The Heinz Endowments to develop integrated grant activities
• Participating in program and organization-wide strategic planning processes
• Developing knowledge of the philanthropic community and forging working partnerships with other foundations to achieve strategic objectives
• Remaining current on best practices in the field and work to position The Heinz Endowments as a community resource and thought-leader
• Appropriately representing the Endowments within the community that we seek to serve

Capabilities

• Ability to perform effectively under pressure and in an organized manner when faced with multiple time-sensitive priorities
• Ability to interact comfortably and constructively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds
• A thorough understanding of the manner in which grantees in his/her program area manage their operations and the pressures under which they operate
• The confidence and credibility to represent the Endowments within the community that it seeks to serve
• Knowledge of nonprofit financial management practices and indicators, including budgets, cash flow statements and financial statements
• Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit board relative to the role and scale of the organization
• Knowledge of regulations and accountabilities that affect the nonprofit sector
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, especially with regard to teamwork
• Capability to maintain the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity
• Strong planning and organizing skills
• Eagerness to work within and contribute to a diverse group of professional colleagues
• Computer proficiency especially Microsoft Office and GIFTS

TO APPLY:  Applications will be accepted through June 30th 2010. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: sredshaw@heinz.org

Please mention that you heard about this opportunity from Dewey & Kaye Jobs Watch in your cover letter when applying for this position.

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