Description

Program Officer – Children, Youth & Families

Organizational Background
A national leader in rural philanthropy, The Ford Family Foundation is a private foundation benefiting communities in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. In 1957, Kenneth W. Ford & Hallie E. Ford established a then-modest foundation to give back to the timber communities of southwest Oregon. It grew in size, scope, and geography to become The Ford Family Foundation in 1996, with its main office in Roseburg, Oregon. One of the three largest grantmaking foundations in Oregon, The Ford Family Foundation has assets in excess of $1 billion, an annual budget of approximately $55 million, a seven-member Board of Directors and 57 employees located in two office locations and in rural communities throughout Oregon and Siskiyou.

Purpose/The Opportunity 
The Ford Family Foundation is focused on ensuring that children have the family, educational and community supports they need to succeed in life. We are committed to the rural communities of Oregon and Siskiyou County, California with investments in rural community-building, grantmaking and scholarships. Vibrant, robust rural communities and economies depend on their ability to attract and sustain working families. Likewise, outcomes in life often depend on community systems that support lifelong health, educational success, and wellbeing. We know that rural is its own inequity and work to champion rural causes, people and places.

The aim of the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Department is to increase the number of children in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County who are thriving, supported, and prepared to transition successfully to adulthood. The Department focuses on: supporting rural families to provide children with a nurturing, safe and stable foundation; kindergarten readiness and early education; and K-12 experiences that prepare youth to transition successfully beyond high school. We work to ensure that statewide policies and systems respond to the needs of rural, recognizing supported families and communities are key to children’s success. We proudly embrace our role as a rural advocate, encouraging statewide attention to rural people and places.

The Program Officer will bring K–12 experience and knowledge of statewide policies and systems to support both the Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Department and a cross-departmental team focused on pathways from K–12 into postsecondary education and career opportunities. Our K-12 portfolio and strategies support innovation in the K-12 educational system and aim to strengthen links between K-12 and partners at both ends of the youth age spectrum: early childhood and postsecondary readiness and transition. The portfolio includes both responsive and proactive grantmaking/field building approaches. The Program Officer reports directly to the Director of Children, Youth and Families.

This is an exempt position, and the annual wage is $98,000 - $109,000, depending on experience. Our excellent benefit package includes paid time off and holidays, health and dental insurance, health savings account, generous retirement plan, matching gifts program, access to an employee assistance program, professional development opportunities, rejuvenation leave and more. Performance and compensation are reviewed at least annually.  

Position Location Options & Preferences
This position has the potential to be structured in one of the following ways. Preference will be given to candidates located in or willing to relocate to Roseburg, OR.

• Hybrid (within 40 miles of Roseburg, OR)
  • Minimum of three days per week in the Roseburg office
  • Residency within 40 miles of Roseburg is required
  • Relocation assistance is available
• Field-Based (Rural Southwest Oregon)
  • In-office requirements will be negotiated based on location
• Additional Details:
  • This role requires regular travel within Oregon and Siskiyou County, CA Occasional national travel for conferences and meetings is anticipated
    
    
    

To apply, please email your letter of interest, and resume to Michelle Allen, SR Human Resources Specialist at mallen@tfff.org. Letter of Interest must include:
1.) Location Preference
Please indicate which option you are applying for:
Option 1: Hybrid within 40 miles of Roseburg, Oregon (minimum of three days per week in the Roseburg office; relocation assistance available).
Option 2: Field-based in Rural Southwest Oregon (in-office requirements negotiated based on location). If applying for this option, please specify your current location in Southwest Oregon.

2.) Please describe your experience with the K–12 education system, including any work related to college and career exploration and preparation. In your response, share how you gained this experience and your current understanding of rural contexts, issues, and challenges.

Deadline to submit materials is January 8th, 2026 @ 5:00 PM PST. Please note that the application deadline is subject to change. The position may close sooner than the deadline listed based on the number of applicants. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategy

• Strategically deploy the Foundation’s philanthropic resources – grants, convening, research, technical support, policy, building community capacity and more - to inspire, instigate, and leverage change on behalf of rural youth in Oregon and Siskiyou County.
• Build and maintain a high level of knowledge (current research, key and relevant policies and best practices) for rural K-12 success.
• Represent the Children, Youth and Families team on a Foundation-wide team developing shared strategies to develop and support effective career and college pathways for rural students.
• Serve as a thought partner to develop program strategies, work plans, and budgets for initiatives supporting department and Foundation goals.
• Champion the importance of youth development and youth agency in rural communities.

Relationship Building and Collaboration

• Work effectively with partners, grantees, and communities to build the capacity and programs that will ensure that rural children have the best possible support to succeed through their K-12 transition to postsecondary and career path.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the policies and systems that shape student outcomes, including how Oregon’s education system functions and the structural barriers within K–12.
• Advance the Foundation’s strategy for the critical K–12 transition to postsecondary and career, in collaboration with diverse stakeholders including students, families, educators, administrators, civic leaders, state and regional education agencies, and national partners.
• Bring people together to address the opportunity gaps faced by our stakeholders due to zip code, race, gender, and ethnicity.
• Represent the Foundation in communities and forums statewide as a champion of quality education and youth leadership in rural communities. 
• Contribute and collaborate across Foundation departments to more deeply integrate and align efforts.

Grant Development and Management 

• Build and manage a portfolio of grants.
• Prepare grant recommendations for review at the appropriate staff, committee, or board level.
• Coordinate complex projects and develop, execute, manage, and evaluate strategic community programs; and,
• Partner with evaluation experts to design a method for monitoring, checking and adjusting the effectiveness of the Foundation’s investments; create and maintain systems to track the progress and ensure that timelines and benchmarks are met.

Required Competencies and Skills

• Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in education, K-12 system experience is a must, and the ideal candidate will also have experience with college and career exploration and preparation. Demonstrated understanding of rural contexts, issues and challenges is a must.
• Demonstrated experience in public policy preferred; desire and commitment to learning required if new to policy work.
• A bachelor’s degree is required, and a graduate degree in a relevant subject (education or liberal arts) is preferred.
• Experience in building and maintaining relationships with school administrators, parents, community residents, technical experts, and advocacy organizations.
• Commitment to rural issues and community-based efforts; familiarity with or direct experience in the rural communities of Oregon or Northern California would be an advantage.  
• Outstanding interpersonal skills are key; we are a foundation that highly values an approachable style, humility, compassion for the children and families being served, empathetic listening skills, and the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders are vital attributes.  
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, collegial, and team-oriented environment where a willingness to “roll up your sleeves” to get the job done is central to the culture.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the challenge of forging a path forward when information is imperfect, and milestones may not be clear.  
• Exceptional project management skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a confident presence across social media, radio and conference engagements.
• Skilled in crafting and delivering concise, impactful content that makes complex ideas accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
• Good judgment and discretion, especially in external facing roles.
• Skillful handling of multiple relationships is critical.  
  
  

Employee Profile
The successful Foundation Program Officer candidate will be a strategic and mission-driven professional with a strong track record of program development, and community engagement in support of complex social change. This individual will bring depth of experience in designing and managing initiatives that address pressing community challenges—particularly in rural settings—and will demonstrate a commitment to advancing equity, opportunity, and sustainable community well-being.

This role requires a thoughtful and experienced collaborator who can help shape and implement strategies aligned with the Foundation’s vision and evolving priorities. The ideal candidate will be skilled in identifying high-impact opportunities, cultivating relationships with grantees and community partners, and managing a portfolio of grants with rigor, responsiveness, and humility. A strong background in in K-12 education is essential, especially when grounded in direct work with rural communities in Oregon or similar regions across the U.S.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong analytical and systems thinking abilities, coupled with a deep respect for community-led solutions and lived experience. They will approach their work with curiosity, integrity, and a readiness to learn from the communities they serve. An ability to balance strategic thinking with practical, hands-on implementation is essential.

Exceptional interpersonal skills are required, along with emotional intelligence, to build trust-based relationships across a wide range of partners, from grassroots leaders to policymakers. Cultural humility, active listening, and a sensitivity to context are vital in ensuring the Foundation’s work is both effective and respectful. The Program Officer will be joining the Foundation during a pivotal time of strategy evolution, and must therefore be flexible, adaptive, and comfortable navigating ambiguity and change.

This is a collaborative and highly engaged role that requires a deep commitment to teamwork, continuous learning, and shared leadership. A roll-up-your-sleeves attitude, a drive for impact, and a genuine passion for supporting rural communities are key to success in this position.   

Physical Demands of Job Duties and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk, and hear. This position is fairly active and requires long periods of standing, sitting, keyboarding and occasional driving. The employee would rarely lift or move items over 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a normal office type environment with some exposure to the outside environment. This position is rarely exposed to dust, odors, water, fumes, and noise. Work is always performed in a safety-conscious manner. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals to perform essential functions.

It is the policy of The Ford Family Foundation to treat applicants and employees without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law.