THE FORD FOUNDATION

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

PROGRAM OFFICER

Asset Building and Community Development Program

Environment and Development and Community Development

Mexico and Central America

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:  The Program Officer will have primary responsibility for developing, managing and monitoring program activities in the field of Environment and Development for Mexico and Central America.  The Foundation’s work in this field seeks to strengthen the capacity of low-income communities to overcome chronic poverty, social isolation and structural inequities, and to expand their livelihood options. The Program Officer will have responsibility for assessing current work and designing new program strategies.  This will include ongoing work on community-based natural resource management, including community forestry and innovative use and management of natural resources and ecosystem services.  He/she will also develop program opportunities for decreasing the risks and burdens of environmental pollution and degradation to low-income communities, and building their capacities to participate more fully in development. Working with the Representative and other Foundation staff in the Mexico City office, the Program Officer will be responsible for shaping and implementing the grant-making strategy, identifying prospective grantees; soliciting, reviewing and responding to grant proposals; preparing recommendations for Foundation funding; monitoring grants and assessing outcomes and lessons learned. The Program Officer is expected to collaborate with colleagues in the Foundation's other offices around the world to refine and promote the Foundation's goals in asset building and community development, and to contribute to the overall strategic direction for grantmaking in Mexico and Central America.

QUALIFICATIONS: A thorough understanding of the issues and dynamics of local development and poverty in rural areas, their environmental, social and economic linkages and the role of community based and non-governmental organizations; substantial prior professional experience working on development in Mexico or Central America; strong analytical skills and organizational and time management abilities; excellent written English and Spanish; experience with and talent for teamwork and collaboration. A graduate degree in social sciences is preferred. Fluency in English and Spanish is essential.

Salary is based on experience and on the Foundation's commitment to internal equity. A generous benefits package is provided.

To apply for the position visit www.fordfound.org/employment or send full application materials (consisting of substantive cover letter, c.v., and a 5-20 page sole-authored writing sample in English) to Douglas Miller at 320 E. 43^rd St., New York, NY 10017, USA, by November 18, 2005.

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at the Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. 

August 2005                                                                                                                              #673