The William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation
Program Officer for Communications and Next Generation Engagement
(Location: Cleveland, OH, Open)
Job Description
2016
Background
The William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation (ONF) is a private family foundation based in Cleveland, OH. Founded in 1987 by Dorothy O’Neill and her son William J. O’Neill, Jr., the Foundation brings the O’Neill family together in service to their hometowns through their philanthropy.
The focus of our work is on the family, and four generations of the O’Neill family work in collaboration and partnership with organizations that share our desire to improve the quality of lives for families and communities. The ONF is governed by a Board of Trustees who are representatives of each of the six branches of the O’Neill family,
Our vision is for strong communities where families thrive. Our mission is to partner with nonprofits to improve the quality of life for families and communities, in places where O’Neill family members live. While the ONF is based in Cleveland, OH, its mission driven grant making is currently active in 10 communities in the United States where O’Neill family members live, work and are active in the work of the ONF. A priority for the ONF is to actively engage the 3rd and 4th generation of O’Neill family members in the work of the Foundation.
Currently, the staff consists of the President and CEO, Vice President, and Program Assistant. The ONF currently seeks to expand its staff in order to more strategically deploy its investments in the communities we serve.
For more on the ONF history, board, staff, mission and vision as well as its grantmaking priorities and locations, please visit the website: www.oneill-foundation.org
Job Summary
The Program Officer for Communications and Next Generation Engagement will be responsible for two distinct yet highly inter-connected areas of work. The first will be work directly with younger generations of O’Neill family members. The Program Officer will work in partnership with the younger generations to develop one or more youth philanthropy projects; seek experiences for the youth and young adults to interact with current and potential foundation grantees; attend site visits; work on community projects together as a family; and engage family members in philanthropic learning opportunities. The ONF seeks an individual with experience with and passion for working with youth and young adults to engage them in their communities and with the broader work of the ONF.
The Program Officer should be an innovative strategic thinker who is fluent in all forms of social media communications vehicles that will be a necessary for the next-gen engagement strategy. The Program Officer should be comfortable working with children (and their parents) as well as with young adults up to age 26.
The Program Officer will also be responsible for developing and implementing a foundation-wide communications strategy which will increase awareness of the ONF mission and work in communities across multiple audiences, both internal (O’Neill family members) and external (current grantee organizations, potential grant seekers and other community partners). The program officer will work with colleagues to create strategies and content to communicate the work of the ONF primarily through its website and through social media.
Although the ONF has its office in Cleveland, OH, the ONF is open to the successful candidate living in another location where we currently have a grantmaking presence (see website for list of locations). Regardless of location, regular travel to O’Neill communities as well as to Cleveland will be necessary. No relocation assistance will be offered for this position.
The Program Officer’s major responsibilities include the following:
Mission/Vision/Values
· Ability to embrace the mission/vision/values established by the board.
Communications
· Develop and execute the ONF digital communications strategy, including execution of the ONF day-to-day community engagement tactics.
· Manage the ONF social media accounts and develop strategies to increase engagement with family members, particularly the younger generations.
· Write and produce content for all communications vehicles, including website, facebook, and a quarterly ONF family e-newsletter to include stories about the ONF gantmaking.
· Track, analyze and report on engagement with the various social media and other communications tools.
Next-Gen Engagement in ONF work
· Develop and execute an engagement plan to address various age cohorts of O’Neill Family members across all geographies, including metrics for demonstrating increased engagement
· Seek opportunities to connect next-gen family members with ONF grantees and potential grantees
· Engage younger generations to participate in grantmaking process including service on grant committees, grant proposal reviews and attendance at site visits
· In collaboration with Next Gen family members, create one or more youth philanthropy grantmaking programs to engage multiple generations in the grants process
· Encourage and support younger family members to utilize the ONF family-directed gifts program
· Provide support to grantseekers to effectively engage them in the youth grantmaking process; including guidance on the proposal submission through reporting process
Grantmaking
· Provide staff support to ONF responsive grantmaking process, including proposal review and site visits
· Research, develop and present ideas for strategic impact initiatives that best leverage the ONF resources and increase engagement of Next Gen family members
· Seek and implement learning opportunities with grantees and O’Neill family members
Community Engagement
· Serve as a representative of the ONF at various community meetings and events
· Participate in community activities around topics relevant to ONF grant making, including opportunities for collaborative grantmaking
· Seek opportunities to convene, leverage and jointly work with colleague foundations, non-profit organizations and policy makers that further the work of the ONF
Formal Education
A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a communications field.
Qualifications
· Minimum of two-years work experience, preferably in field of youth development or communications. Experience with a grantmaking family foundation is highly desirable.
· Have significant familiarity in all social media and knowledge of Google analytics and other social media metrics
· Experience engaging multiple stakeholders using digital/social media and physical platforms
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Knowledge of website content management systems and design software is highly desirable.
· Possess a strong visual sense as well as excellent storytelling and writing skills
· Ability to communicate ideas and concepts with a variety of people including young children
· Collaborative and flexible in various roles
· Excellent interpersonal, presentation, verbal and written communication skills
· Demonstrated attention to detail while handling multiple projects simultaneously
· Self-motivated and independent worker who also functions well as part of a team
· Ability to travel (up to 35-40%)
This position description is intended to serve as an overview and will evolve over time. The Program Officer may be assigned different or additional duties as needed.
Compensation
The position is full-time, competitive salary plus generous benefits
To Apply
Send your resume with cover letter, including salary requirements to:
Subject: Program Officer Communications and Next Gen
No Phone Calls Please.