The Cal Wellness Foundation, Chief of Staff, Programs
Application
Details
Posted: 07-Jan-23
Location: Los Angeles or Oakland, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $220,000
Salary Details:
The target starting annual salary for the newly hired Chief of Staff is $220,000 per year. Highlights from our benefit package include: a variety of medical insurance plans (most plans fully covered for staff, covered at 90-95% for dependents), medical and dental insurance (covered at 90-95%), a generous 401(k) retirement savings plan (with a 16% employer contribution), flexible paid time off, tuition reimbursement (up to $5,250 per year), professional development opportunities, matching gifts (for every $1 you give to an eligible organization, we’ll match $3), and the opportunity to work at a mission and values driven organization.
The California Wellness Foundation seeks a highly strategic, collaborative, adaptable, and action-oriented leader as Chief of Staff (CoS) to support the leadership of Lori Cox, the Vice President of Programs (VPP), in the Grants Program Department. This is an exciting time to join the team, as the VPP implements her vision entering her second year leading the department, and a new Cal Wellness long-term strategy is on the horizon. The CoS will serve as deputy to the VPP in managing the department, and support and oversee a wide range of programs related activities including strategy, grantmaking, staffing, learning, special projects, and program operations. The CoS will also support grant making from the VPP’s office and ensure the prioritization of critical issues for the VPP to help facilitate timely decision-making. The CoS may also provide leadership within one or more of the Advancing Wellness (AW) portfolios - including grantmaking, strategy, and learning - with a focus on areas outside of the main portfolios. This position will be the ultimate high-level utility player.
The CoS will serve as a senior leader and creative thought partner to the VPP bringing and building upon innovative ideas to enhance processes, systems, relationships, and outcomes. As the eyes and ears of the VPP, the CoS will leverage exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to develop and maintain strong relationships within the department and across the Foundation, breaking down silos and building bridges to conceive of and/or implement complex initiatives; build internal capacity; and step in, when needed, as a representative of the VPP, Grants Program Department, and Foundation. The ideal candidate will possess deep understanding of and direct experience in grant making programs; be passionate about the Foundation’s mission, vision and values; and enjoy hands-on leadership, coaching, and execution as part of a sizeable, passionate team. The CoS will supervisor one or more staff, and will have leadership presence, management experience, and a passion for developing teams and individuals.
THE GRANTS PROGRAM DEPARTMENT
The CoS will join Call Wellness’ diverse and highly collaborative 14-person Grants Program team headed by and reporting directly to the Vice President of Programs. The Grants Program Department leads grantmaking, internal evaluations, and organizational learning for the Foundation. The CoS will provide high-level strategic support and counsel within the Department on grantmaking priorities and special projects; overall strategy; budget and operations; and external engagement working effectively with Program Directors, Officers, Coordinators, and executive support staff. The CoS will bring expertise and bold thinking to help integrate strategies across the Advancing Wellness (AW) portfolios, enhance the grant review process, and pilot potential solutions that further Grants Program goals. The CoS will also work with the VPP and in close collaboration with other departments to ensure cohesive and compelling overarching strategy and team. The CoS will also engage and interact regularly with the CEO, the executive management team, and the Board of Directors.
To apply please upload a cover letter, resume, and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to references) by 5:00 pm PT on Friday, February 10, 2023.
Resume review begins immediately. Those selected for advancement will be asked to participate in several rounds of interviews (virtual and/or in-person) and complete a writing assignment. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in our application process, please let us know.
The California Wellness Foundation is partnering with Walker and Associates Consulting - a Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and search firm located in Oakland - for this search. Questions or Nominations? Email us at calwellness@walkeraac.com.
The California Wellness Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse candidate pool. Additionally, we are a fair chance employer and welcome candidates with living experience with the criminal justice system.
The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to limit the scope of potential work assignments. This is only a summary of the typical functions of the job and duties may differ from those as outlined above.
Leadership & Management
Serve as back-up to the VPP.
Support the VPP with annual strategic planning, budgeting, grant allocation pipeline management, contract management for outside consultants, key performance metric analysis and tracking, and all other operational aspects of the department.
Serve as a creative and dependable problem solver and thought partner to the VPP.
Supervise a Senior Program Officer and other program staff as assigned.
Lead strategy and learning for grantmaking that falls outside of the AW portfolios, or for portfolios that do not have a PD assigned.
Participate constructively in ongoing organizational development as a senior leader within the Foundation.
Support professional development of team, including identifying opportunities for learning and growth.
Strategy & Learning
Lead, develop and implement portfolio and grantmaking strategy that falls outside of the AW portfolios, or for portfolios that do not have a PD assigned.
Manage grantmaking resources and allocations across the team- ensuring grantmaking benchmarks are met through planning and monitoring of pipeline.
In partnership with Finance and/or Program colleagues, evaluate the feasibility of alternative forms of capital support for nonprofit organizations, contributing to program-related investment strategies, or identify opportunities for joint grantmaking.
Prepare analyses and reports of grants, as well as strategy papers and other written materials, for the VPP, CEO, EMC and/or Board.
Create and present materials at Board meetings regarding portfolio strategy and grant recommendations.
Develop and lead portfolio-related projects (convenings, assessments, etc.).
Recommend and participate in learning and evaluation activities to guide the evolution of programmatic work. Contribute to the team’s development of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the grantmaking portfolios.
Maintain and share a high level of knowledge of effective grantmaking strategies and philanthropic innovations.
Stay informed on trends, activities and strategies in the health care, public health, and social justice fields.
Program Operations
Play a critical cross-functional role with Grants Management and other stakeholders to apply innovative operational management practices that create efficient program activities and effective grantmaking.
Assist with development and testing of tools and workflows that enhance the work and effectiveness of the Programs staff and the foundation’s grantees.
Develop and maintain a robust program operations policies and procedures manual.
Community Engagement & Public Affairs
Serve as a liaison between the foundation and grantees, grantseekers, other foundations, evaluators, and policymakers.
Explain foundation priorities and procedures to grantseekers and respond to goal- and priority-related inquiries from grantseekers and the general public.
Actively engage with partners to learn and guide strategy development and build relationships.
Represent the foundation and its work in a variety of venues and to a range of audiences, including philanthropic, governmental, academic, and nonprofit groups.
Participate in networks, affinity groups and other external efforts to learn about relevant issues and trends and to advance the foundation’s strategies.
Facilitate and participate in community visits, learning visits, outreach activities and public speaking opportunities.
Partner with Public Affairs to disseminate highlights and lessons learned from grantmaking portfolios and respond quickly to current events related to portfolios.
Grantmaking & Grantee Engagement
Review and respond to letters of interest (LOI), grant proposals, and make grant recommendations.
Produce and present written summaries, analyses, and recommendations for proposed grants to the VPP or designee.
Perform programmatic and financial due diligence for all grant proposals. Conduct grantee learning/site visits.
Meet quarterly and annual grantmaking benchmarks/targets.
Engage with active grantees throughout the grant life cycle, monitor progress and performance, support grantees in resolving and/or communicating any issues that arise (i.e., org closes, legal/financial issues).
Review grantee reports and complete closeout in the grants management system.
About The Cal Wellness Foundation, Chief of Staff, Programs
Our Story
When we began grantmaking in 1992, we were California’s largest health conversion foundation. Why? In part, because activists fought for a fairly valued endowment when Health Net converted from a nonprofit to a for-profit insurance plan. Over the years, we have taken on some of the most contentious issues of our time, all focused on advancing health and wellness for underserved people. Our earliest efforts connected public health and gun violence prevention, and supported teen pregnancy prevention, healthy working conditions and place-based grantmaking that took a broader view of health.
With $1 billion in assets, we are one of California’s largest public health philanthropic institutions. We award approximately $43 million annually in grants and program-related investments that promote health equity, justice and advocacy for communities and individuals whose lives and wellness are too often determined by their race, income, immigration status or where they live. Throughout our 30-year history, we have played a leadership role in promoting violence prevention as a public health issue and are one of the nation’s leading philanthropic voices in funding gun violence prev...ention efforts. We launched initiatives to advance the health of Black women, particularly those with HIV-AIDS and formerly incarcerated women experiencing challenges to reentry.
In addition, we continue to expand our mission-related investment strategy and invest our endowment with diverse asset managers, particularly people of color and women, who now account for over 45% of our managers.
