Senior Program Officer for Climate and Environmental Justice

Brief Overview:

We are seeking a talented Senior Program Officer for Climate and Environmental Justice to join our Grantmaking team and be an integral part of a broader project team building on and expanding the vision and portfolio of Climate and Environmental Justice work, strengthening and creating new relationships with community groups and more.

Position Description:

Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA) is a non-profit organization working to improve and reimagine public health. We connect, consult, and collaborate to solve complex challenges of access and equity in our health and social systems. Together with our partners, clients, and collaborators, we create actionable solutions so that all people can thrive.

In 1957, The Medical Foundation (TMF) was created to primarily fund biomedical research in Massachusetts. Since then, we’ve been on a journey of evolution. We changed our name to Health Resources in Action (HRiA) to reflect our impact in the field of public health. Today, HRiA works with individuals, organizations, and communities to drive a policy and systems change approach to advance health and racial equity.

HRiA seeks sustainable solutions for complex problems using an anti-racist approach. We aim to be adaptable and flexible in meeting clients and partners where they are, offering our decades of knowledge and resources to collectively realize our dream of equitable, sustainable health for all. The foundation of this work is centered on our values:

  • Health and racial equity by identifying and addressing the root causes of health inequities, intentionally working to shift narratives and power imbalances and disrupt all systems of oppression.
  • Leading with heart by demonstrating our passionate commitment to our work, continuously challenging ourselves with humility and vulnerability while pursuing and holding ourselves accountable to our mission.
  • Collaboration by intentionally and respectfully leading, partnering, and following to strengthen relationships, uplift different voices and build trust.
  • Innovation by driving toward new strategies, questioning norms, and continuously learning and evolving to support the needs of our clients and communities.

HRiA offers exciting, engaging, and challenging employment opportunities for facilitators, trainers, researchers, analysts, policy specialists, grant managers, and more. People come to HRiA because of our commitment to advancing health equity and inspiring work; they stay for our wonderful clients, partners, and dedicated and dynamic staff. With our growing portfolio of high-impact work, person-centered policies, and generous benefits, our team continually invests in making HRiA a great place to work. Our diverse staff of over 270 people hail from 30+ states, with a homebase in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.

Summary:

Health Resources in Action (HRiA) seeks a talented Senior Program Officer for Climate and Environmental Justice to join our Grantmaking team.  The Senior Program Officer will be an integral part of a broader project team building on and expanding the vision and portfolio of Climate and Environmental Justice work, strengthening and creating new relationships with community groups and other partners, identifying and pursuing new opportunities for HRiA, and advancing equitable solutions to pressing climate and environmental justice issues facing disadvantaged communities and populations.

The Senior Program Officer will work collaboratively with a cross-disciplinary team to deepen HRiA’s commitment to, and work in, climate and environmental justice-related activities and initiatives.  Initially, this position will focus on “Grantmaking to Build Sustained Environmental Justice Capacity and Networks Across New England,” implemented by HRiA with core partners, Alternatives for Community & Environment, Inc. and the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund (see program information page).  This three-year, $50 million initiative, which includes $40 million in grants over three years, is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  It is an effort by the Biden-Harris administration to strip away traditional barriers communities have faced in applying for federal grants, and is part of the Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to historically disadvantaged communities that carry a disproportionate amount of the burden of pollution.  As core partners, HRiA, ACE, and Grassroots Fund hope up the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing as foundational values.

The Senior Program Officer will report to the Managing Director of Racial Equity Grantmaking and collaborate with a team made up of positions embedded withing our Grantmaking and Health and Racial Equity Clusters.  This position will sit within the Community Health Grantmaking department at Health Resources in Action.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $70,000-$86,000 and is commensurate with experience. HRiA seeks candidates who reside in New England.  Health Resources in Action offers an attractive benefits package including employer-funded medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, and employer contributions to a tax-deferred annuity.  Additionally, employees enjoy flexible work schedules and other policies that promote work/life balance, vacation starting at four weeks, thirteen paid holidays, plus office closure time for the last week of December.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Senior Program Officer will help spearhead grantmaking mechanisms and processes for multi-year grants made available to community-based organizations across all New England states.  Roles and responsibilities are detailed below and will be conducted in close coordination with members from HRiA’s team, as well as with partner organizations.

  • Participate in Governance Council and other stakeholder meetings to gather feedback on design of funding opportunity, Request for Proposals, and other grantmaking mechanisms.
  • Provide support and feedback for landscape analyses for outreach and engagement activities across New England states.
  • Help identify and engage potential applicants during grantmaking cycles.
  • Draft Request for Proposals and other application requirements to support launch of funding opportunity.
  • Provide technical assistance and support through funding announcement webinars, office hours, and individualized assistance to applicants throughout the application cycle, including on EPA regulations.
  • Manage intake of applications through HRiA’s online grantmaking portal
  • Manage reviewer activities, including coordinating communications with internal and external reviewers, facilitating review meetings, and recommending cohorts of awardees to decision-making bodies.
  • Manage the award approval and declination process.
  • Help Develop deep ongoing relationships with awardees,​ including facilitating check-ins and site visits.
  • Help serve as grantee champion​, identifying opportunities to uplift awardee work and highlight achievements.
  • Participate in ongoing technical assistance and ongoing capacity building for awardees as they engage in their funding cycles.
  • Provide support to awardees in reporting to the EPA, including elevating stories and highlights, as well as summarizing themes.
  • Support the processing of no-cost extensions and budget re-allocation requests.
  • Support the development and dissemination of written and other forms of materials highlighting the impact of the Funds.
  • Support the overall operations of the climate and environmental funds.

Within Community Health Grantmaking and the broader organization, the position will have the following responsibilities:

  • Lead small- to -medium-sized grantmaking projects including supporting the wide range of grantmaking activities as requested by the client, from strategy and development, to drafting Requests for Proposals in collaboration with project teams, overseeing application submissions, leading review processes, and making recommendations to decision-making bodies.
  • Foster strong relationships externally and internally, including participation in HRiA organizational committees and staff meetings.
  • Liaise with funders and assist with new business development efforts as needed.
  • Work collaboratively with program teams to integrate grantmaking best practices.
  • Propose ideas/improvements in project processes and systems through participation in program planning meetings.

Candidate Qualifications:

  • At least 5-7 years of relevant work experience in increasing positions of leadership with a strong preference for candidates with experience in environmental justice, community health, and public health grantmaking.
  • A commitment to addressing racial and health equity, including structural racism and other systemic drivers of health equity.
  • A commitment to diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives.
  • Facilitative experience, including of team and review meetings, and shepherding a group through consensus processes.
  • Organized, detail-oriented and able to meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple tasks and events simultaneously.
  • Elevated level of professionalism and self-motivation, with a demonstrated ability to commit to and follow through on projects.
  • Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, including communicating by videoconference, phone, and/or in person (when needed) with community members and organizational partners.
  • Able to work independently and as a part of a team.
  • Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment with evolving endpoints, while delivering high quality work.
  • Experience in event and meeting planning, coordination, and logistical support.
  • Excellent problem solving, organizational, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.
  • Resourceful self-starter with a proven ability to perform under tight deadlines.
  • Flexibility and a sense of humor.
  • Experience working in diverse and multicultural settings.
  • Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Asana.

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of work duties that will be required in this position.  It is not intended to limit, or in any way modify, the ability of any supervisor to assign, direct, and contract work of staff under their supervision. The use of a particular illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties, not mentioned, that are of a similar level or difficulty.

How to Apply:

HRiA is actively seeking to build a diverse and experienced staff. The organization encourages multiple perspectives and experiences, supports a multicultural environment, and strives to hire and retain a diverse work force that reflects the populations we work with and the communities where we work. Diversity is a core value of HRiA resulting in culturally competent services, materials, resources, and programs. Our hiring and business practices appreciate the strengths offered through diverse backgrounds.

HRiA is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

Submit your cover letter and resume at http://hria.org/about/careers.html.   We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis until it is filled. Submit your cover letter and resume online by May 30, 2024.

Please respond to the following question in your cover letter:  What draws you to doing work focused on promoting health equity and/or environmental justice? How has your previous work aligned with the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing?



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