Program Officer, Climate Change Responses that Strengthen Rural Communities

The Ford Foundation supports visionary leaders and organizations on the frontlines of social change worldwide.

Position Overview:

The Program Officer will be responsible for implementing, monitoring, and coordinating grant making activities in the Climate Change Responses that Strengthen Rural Communities portfolio, which seeks to promote international and national climate change policies related to forests and rural land use that benefit low-income rural communities, particularly indigenous communities, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The program strategy within this portfolio is designed to influence the climate change policies of major international agencies and organizations, national governments, and large private companies in ways that favor disadvantaged rural communities. This includes policies that help such communities to gain secure access to land and forests, earn income from climate change funds, and improve their local institutions while providing safeguards that ensure climate change policies don't affect them adversely.

Particular attention will be given to policies related to Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and to biofuels. Working closely with the Director and other Program Officers in the Natural Assets Unit, the Program Officer will develop grant making and other program activities to implement 3 strategies to achieve program goals:

1. supporting research and development efforts to build the case for appropriate policies;
2. promoting communications campaigns and other activities that directly advocate a pro-poor approach to rural climate change policies; and
3. strengthening networks of groups and individuals that support pro-poor climate change approaches.

Specifically, the Program Officer will formulate plans to implement grant making in the program strategy; solicit, review, and respond to grant proposals; prepare recommendations for Foundation funding; and work with other Foundation staff to develop learning strategies related to the role of rural climate change policies and practices.

The Program Officer will be expected to provide intellectual leadership in the field of climate change policies related to rural land use and to work closely with other Program Officers throughout the Foundation whose work relates to the central mission of the portfolio, particularly those in the Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico and Central America offices.

The Program Officer will look for ways to build links to the foundation's other natural resources initiative, called Expanding Community Rights Over Natural Resources, and will incorporate a gender focus in their work.

This position includes a high-level of participation, on behalf of the Ford Foundation, in the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), which also includes ClimateWorks, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Program Officer is expected to have a major role within CLUA's Global Climate and Land Use team and to participate in CLUA's Indonesia initiative.

CLUA responsibilities include active engagement in all team activities for strategy development, grant making, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation, as well as responsibility for a portion of ClimateWorks Foundation grant making within the CLUA Global Team. The Program Officer is also expected to collaborate broadly with scholars and practitioners, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other donors on issues of common program concern.

Qualifications:

Significant experience in the fields of environmental policy, community-based natural resource management, rural development, and/or global commodity markets, with a combination of policy analysis, advocacy, communications, and implementation experience. Demonstrated capacity to understand and influence policy processes, market mechanisms including investment and finance, work with organizations representing low-income rural communities, and work effectively in multiple countries, with a strategic "grassroots to global" perspective. Substantial experience with environmental/natural resource policies and coalition building and a nuanced understanding of the links between environmental issues and social justice are required.

Demonstrated commitment to collaboration, evidence of effective accomplishment as part of a team and a proven track record of achieving change are also required. Excellent analytical, organizational, and oral and written communication skills. An advanced degree in public policy, natural resource management, social sciences, law, or other relevant field is preferred.

Deadline: 5/24/2012