Program Lead - San Francisco, Pisces Foundation

POSITION DESCRIPTION
PISCES FOUNDATION - PROGRAM LEAD – SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco, CA - July 26, 2024

ABOUT PISCES FOUNDATION

The Pisces Foundation works to advance a world where nature and communities thrive. With a focus on fostering collective action to address complex social challenges, the foundation supports the field building, movement infrastructure, and collaborations necessary for significant and sustainable change. The foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California with grantee partners across the globe. More information on the Pisces Foundation’s updated strategy can be found here.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Pisces Foundation seeks a leader with expertise in place-based approaches to grantmaking and investments and relevant experience working on San Francisco’s unique urban challenges and opportunities to serve in the newly created position of Program Lead - San Francisco (SF).

The Program Lead SF will play a key role in implementing the Foundation’s updated and cutting-edge social impact approach in the Foundation’s two main programmatic areas: 1) launching and leading a new initiative directing investments that contribute to a more thriving, vibrant San Francisco; and 2) partnering with colleagues overseeing an integrated approach to the Foundation’s work in the Environment.

As part of its strategic update, the Pisces Foundation is launching a new initiative to make investments that contribute to a more vibrant San Francisco. Despite meaningful efforts and substantial public and private investment–and some signs of progress–much more needs to be done to ensure San Francisco thrives.

The Foundation’s intention is to accelerate progress by being a thoughtful local funding partner, working collaboratively with leaders and the community to address many of San Francisco’s significant urban challenges and opportunities. These include behavioral health, community vibrancy, housing/homelessness, public safety, and related ingredients of a thriving community for all. As the Foundation implements the San Francisco initiative, these issues (and likely others) will be a focus.

As with the Foundation’s environmental grantmaking, the Foundation’s core approach in San Francisco will focus on advancing collective action through field building, movement infrastructure, and collaborations, since these are indispensable components of the influence and alignment needed for significant social change. The Foundation plans to support strong leaders, enable connections and collaborations, and fund shared tools and resources that can unlock progress and address interconnected challenges.

The Program Lead SF will have primary responsibility for the design and implementation of the Foundation’s new placed-based investment in and commitment to San Francisco. Reporting to the Program Director, the Program Lead SF will be a key member of the Foundation’s five-person program team. The Program Lead will work closely with the Program Director to ensure that the work of the San Francisco initiative is aligned with the Foundation’s overarching vision, strategy, and desired impact.

The Program Lead SF will also be a trusted thought partner and close collaborator to the Program Lead - Environment. The Foundation is establishing a program structure that promotes cross-sectoral strategizing and minimizes silos. Both Program Leads will work seamlessly with the Program Director and President to ensure that the Foundation’s program strategies are integrated, leveraging learning and amplifying their impact.

Candidates must have 1) relevant experience and a track record of working on collaborative, place-based approaches to San Francisco’s diverse challenges and opportunities; 2) a sophisticated understanding of the complex interactions among the interrelated issues in San Francisco of behavioral health, community vibrancy, housing/homelessness, public safety, and workforce development; 3) a robust San Francisco-based network with a depth and range of contacts across relevant organizations; 4) strong expertise in collective impact and collaboration for impact and deep understanding of social movements and capacity to iteratively improve program implementation by thinking critically about theories of change; 5) excellent strategic and project management skills and a track record as a creative, highly motivated and resourceful self-starter and team-player. Candidates must also have a strong interest in collaborating on the foundation’s work in the Environment.

Candidates must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area. To promote collaboration and a dynamic work experience, Pisces uses a hybrid remote and in-office format from their San Francisco office. A fully remote work option will not be considered for this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Pisces Foundation implements grantmaking and other supportive program activities through an integrated program team capable of collaborating across its two focus areas, environmental and San Francisco grantmaking. In the context of a multi-focal strategy, the Program Lead SF will:

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Develop and implement the San Francisco strategic plan to achieve program goals in alignment with the Foundation’s updated strategy. Build the Foundation’s San Francisco-focused strategy, leveraging lessons from the Foundation’s first ten years and recent planning work that established an updated strategy for the Foundation.
• Oversee the foundation’s San Francisco grantmaking, partnership building, and field building. This includes all planning, research, development, and due diligence with support from the team’s Program Analyst.
• Support grantmaking across the Foundation’s other domain area, environmental grantmaking, in alignment with a single shared Foundation approach.
• Oversee learning and evaluation of San Francisco grants and assess the effectiveness of the overall strategy.
• Execute approaches for accessible grantmaking, e.g., request for proposals and other participatory grantmaking strategies working collaboratively with external partners.
• Develop cross-program and Foundation-wide grant initiatives in collaboration with the Program Director and colleagues.
• Prepare written analyses of grant proposals and reports for review and approval.
• Develop non-grantmaking aspects of the strategy, including convenings, in partnership with the Program Director and other staff.
• Plan and monitor program budget spending with the grants team to optimize impact with smooth cash flow.

Represent the Foundation Externally

• Build strategic relationships with other foundations, organizations, and consultants, presenting Foundation views, providing technical expertise, and promoting collaboration and coordination between entities in alignment with the Foundation’s updated strategy.
• Cultivate effective relationships with new and existing partners and grantees.
• Communicate directly with foundation stakeholders via speaking engagements, written blogs, social media, and more.
• Represent the Foundation on local San Francisco issues.
• Support the Trustees, President, and Program Director in communicating the Foundation’s overall strategic approach.
• Manage relationships with partner and grantee organizations and the implementation of the program with responsiveness and approachability.
• Provide clear communications and guidance to grantees, applicants, and other interested parties.
• Contribute to the Foundation's presence in relevant funder, NGO, academic, and for-profit networks.

Management, Learning, and Collaboration

• Create and support an inspiring, creative, and effective matrixed program team environment with open communication and cross-program impact and learning; provide effective guidance and mentoring to junior colleagues reporting to this role on a project basis as part of a matrix-management structure.
• Lead occasional foundation-wide projects that advance the Foundation's organizational goals.

Internal Relationships and Leadership

• Support the integration of a shared Foundation strategy, ethos, and approach across both environmental and San Francisco grantmaking areas.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to Environment Program Lead, working seamlessly and flexibly to execute Foundation grantmaking across programmatic focus areas and ensure strategies are integrated, leveraging learning and amplifying their impact.
• Collaborate with the Program Director and Grants Manager to ensure smooth team operations and effective collaboration to maximize impact.
• Maintain currency and fluency in key issues in the field, including but not limited to philanthropy best practices; how to effectively fund impact-oriented collaborations; field infrastructure, field-building, and its variants; and the Foundation’s work in the Environment (water management, climate and energy, environmental education), and San Francisco.
• Maintain and share knowledge of current events, local, state, and federal policy, research, trends, and relevant political landscapes within the Foundation.
• Attend or plan training and networking events with grantees and funding partners.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An advanced degree is preferred, and at least ten years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, private, or public sector, including some experience directly managing others.
• Recognized San Francisco leadership and expertise with an understanding of place-based approaches, plus a keen interest in water, climate and energy, and environmental education.
• Strong expertise in collective impact and collaboration for impact. Deep understanding of social movements and capacity to iteratively improve program implementation by thinking critically about theories of change.
• Expert on the complex interactions among the interrelated issues of San Francisco: behavioral health, community vibrancy, housing/homelessness, public safety, workforce development, and related issues, and a depth and range of contacts across relevant organizations.
• Self-starter; highly motivated and resourceful team player. Comfortable with ambiguity and the ability to work through solutions when there is no obvious path.
• Strategic and creative thinker with experience in the development and execution of strategy to achieve social goals and forge new ground.
• Strong team orientation and the demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within and across teams to reach common goals.
• Ability to represent the Foundation and build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, partners, and grantees, respectfully and authentically. Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Flexibility, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to help others.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively through formal work products including written reports, board memos, blogs, emails, etc. and through formal and informal meetings and presentations. Experience adapting communication styles to different cultural environments.
• Demonstrable commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to high-quality work.
• Commitment to the Pisces Foundation’s mission and strategy.
• Willingness to travel when needed to advance the aims of the organization.

LOCATION

To promote collaboration and a dynamic work experience, the Pisces Foundation operates with a hybrid remote and in-office schedule, working out of the Foundation offices in downtown San Francisco 2 - 3 days per week. Candidates must live in the San Francisco Bay Area. A fully remote work option will not be considered for this role. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pisces Foundation offers an excellent compensation package that includes platinum-level health, dental, and vision insurance, FSA, life insurance, bereavement leave, paid time off, and holidays. The starting salary for this role is $140,000 - $175,000, depending on skills and experience. Our salaries are competitive, reflect our geographic location and field, and are commensurate with experience. Pisces Foundation participates in multiple compensation surveys for grantmaking organizations and conducts an annual review of market-based salary trends.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

We know there are strong candidates who may not have all the qualifications listed above. If you have skills and experiences that would be an asset to the role, please apply. The Foundation encourages people of color, those from under-resourced communities, immigrants, LGBTQ+, and others with diverse backgrounds and with a variety of skills, experiences, and ideas. We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

TO APPLY

Martha Montag Brown & Associates, LLC has been retained to conduct this search. Interested and qualified candidates should apply by emailing a resume and substantive cover letter to [email protected]. All correspondence will remain confidential.