Program Officer, San José

The Sobrato Organization•San Jose, CA

20h•$129,000 - $149,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Program Officer (SPO), San José, the Program Officer (PO), San José plays a critical role in advancing Sobrato Philanthropies’ place-based economic mobility strategy, serving as a strategic anchor for education- and housing-related policy, advocacy, and systems-change efforts in San José. The PO will support cohesive strategy implementation, grantmaking, and portfolio management with a particular focus on communities experiencing the highest levels of social and economic vulnerability, including East and Downtown San José. The PO brings deep local expertise in San José’s civic, political, and community landscape and demonstrates strong knowledge of promising strategies that advance a holistic, multi-generational approach to economic mobility. This includes strengthening pathways to economic opportunity that improve financial security, well-being, and community cohesion across education, housing, and workforce systems. The PO will support with the cultivation and stewarding of public–private partnerships, work with government agencies and local community leaders, and play an active role in policy and advocacy-aligned efforts that support systems change in San José. The role requires experience operating in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and using strategic facilitation and collective impact approaches to align partners, elevate community voice, and move shared agendas forward. Working closely with colleagues across Sobrato Philanthropies, the PO ensures effective planning, budgeting, grants management, reporting, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). The successful candidate centers equity and community voice, manages multiple workstreams with clarity and discipline, and thrives in building authentic, trust-based relationships with grantees, public partners, and cross-sector collaborators.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, education, housing, public policy, or the public sector.
5+ years experience in grantmaking, strategically investing grant funds and other resources with due diligence and high accountability.
Experience in program implementation in the philanthropic or nonprofit sector, with excellent project planning and management skills, ensuring deliverables are well-executed, on-time, and on budget.
Experience working with or alongside government entities, local leaders, or public agencies preferred.
Demonstrated experience in public–private partnerships and/or cross-sector collaboration.
Advanced written and verbal communication skills to effectively interact with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to drive key deliverables effectively and efficiently.
Ability to be proactive and constantly prioritize responsibilities in a fast-moving and rapidly changing environment.
Works well independently and within a team, demonstrating great initiative, flexibility, and collaboration.
Exercises good judgment.
Facilitation skills to guide discussions, support collaborative planning, and manage complex stakeholder dynamics.
Nonprofit consulting experience or providing strategic technical assistance is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Experience demonstrating program impact by aligning implementation with monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
Track record in community development, community engagement, community building, or community organizing, understanding how to embed community voice, lived experience, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in recommendations.
Familiarity with collective impact frameworks, ecosystem mapping, or collaborative community initiatives.
Experience using Fluxx grants management software.
Proficiency in Asana project management software is a plus.
Proficiency in Canva graphic design is a plus.
Established history of strong relationships with the East/Downtown San José community
Familiarity with the local political landscape is a plus.
Education and housing policy expertise is a plus.

Responsibilities

Identifies and cultivates potential grantees and aligned initiatives across education, housing, and economic mobility systems in San José.
Conducts due diligence on grant proposals, evaluates alignment with strategy, and prepares clear, compelling, Board-facing dockets and funding recommendations.
Conducts site visits; provides strategic guidance, technical assistance, and thought partnership to grantees; and maintains strong, ongoing relationships grounded in trust and accountability.
Advances proposal application, renewal, and amendment processes in close partnership with the grants management team.
Supports capital investment processes when aligned opportunities arise.
Applies an understanding of public–private partnership models, policy levers, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen grantmaking strategy and recommendations.
Monitors the San José community, policy, and program landscape, staying current on research, local and state policy developments, and trends related to education, housing, and economic mobility.
Implements and adapts the foundation’s place-based, community-centered approach, grounding work in local context, lived experience, and organizational capacity building.
Conducts research and synthesis to inform program recommendations, including background analyses of community needs, policy environments, prospective partners, and ecosystem dynamics.
Supports implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework, including identifying learning questions, tracking progress, and applying insights to strategy refinement.
Scopes, coordinates, and partners on assessments and learning activities that inform continuous improvement and systems-level impact.
Monitors grantee performance through report review, site visits, and regular check-ins.
Develops annual goals, work plans, indicators of success, and budgets as part of the foundation’s planning and budgeting cycle.
Manages multiple, concurrent workstreams, balancing strategic priorities, timelines, and partner needs in a dynamic environment.
Participates actively in team meetings to coordinate work, surface insights, flag risks, and share learning.
Utilizes strategic facilitation skills to design and lead convenings, learning sessions, and collaborative planning processes with diverse stakeholders.
Implements and supports the program’s community engagement strategy, including site activation and place-based collaboration.
Serves as a connector and trusted partner to grantees, developing a deep understanding of organizational strengths, challenges, and community priorities.
Leverages the foundation’s full range of tools, including grantmaking, policy engagement, capacity building, SPRE (social purpose real estate), and PRIs (program-related investments), in partnership with colleagues to support impact.
Acts as an anchor for San José focused policy and advocacy efforts related to education and housing, engaging with local decision-makers, coalitions, and advocacy partners.
Builds and sustains strong networks with government agencies, philanthropic partners, nonprofit leaders, and community stakeholders to align strategies, funding, and action.
Participates in or leads collective impact tables, multi-stakeholder collaborations, and public–private partnership efforts, representing the foundation’s values and strategy.
Represents Sobrato Philanthropies externally through participation in conferences, meetings, and community forums.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and dependents on the first of the month following the hire date
Short and long-term disability and life insurance
Fertility program benefits
Comprehensive mental health benefits for employees and dependents
Retirement savings account with matching contributions of up to 10%
Twenty PTO days in the first year of service in addition to paid year-end closure days between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Eleven paid holidays
Transit commuter benefits
Tuition assistance and professional development initiatives for growth
Technology allowance
Employee matching gifts program
Generous parental leave
Flexible and inclusive work environment
Enjoy a professional yet comfortable work environment with our business casual dress code
Catered lunches, healthy snacks and beverages
Acknowledgement for exceptional work as well as important moments in the lives of those we work with