Senior Program Officer

About the Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), located in Princeton, N.J., is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Since 1972, we have focused on developing and promoting innovations in health and healthcare to improve the lives of millions. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, we work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to achieve health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

We take seriously our responsibilities, and we pledge to work in ways that reflect our Guiding Principles. These are rooted in equity and influence everything we do at RWJF. Equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and collaboration enable our staff’s wide range of experiences, passions, and perspectives to strengthen our ability to address our nation’s most pressing health issues and support a culture of belonging. Part of this work includes actively shaping an inclusive organization where all staff members thrive as we build and use our capabilities, voice, and power to advance health equity. RWJF offers a collaborative, collegial, and creative work environment. With a career at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, you will make a difference.  

About This Opportunity

Reporting to the director of Learning in the Research-Evaluation-Learning (REL) unit, the senior program officer (SPO) is responsible for creating, developing, implementing, and managing the research and evaluation aspects of the Foundation’s initiatives to improve health and wellbeing. Their primary responsibility is to work with colleagues in REL, program staff across the Foundation, and the executive staff, to design and implement research and evaluation strategies that generate impact congruent with the specific objectives of the teams and the Foundation. They are also responsible for engaging with external partners to disseminate findings from research, evaluation, and policy investments. They may also be responsible for designing and managing internal research and evaluation efforts to accomplish Foundation-wide goals. As with staff at all levels of RWJF, the SPO is expected to demonstrate a passionate commitment to equity and to the Foundation’s mission and Guiding Principles.

REL is responsible for several important components of the Foundation’s strategy including (1) Supporting a research portfolio that generates evidence on the most effective ways to create the change we seek; (2) Building on the Foundation’s long tradition of evaluation to better understand the impact of our strategies and funding; (3) Supporting and sharing our learning across the Foundation and with external audiences; and (4) Supporting the development and tracking of measures and indicators of progress within our Prioritized Systems.

REL is comprised of an interdisciplinary staff of applied researchers and evaluators. We are looking to bolster the range of expertise among our staff by adding a new SPO with specific training and expertise in survey research. While researchers and evaluators from all content areas and disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply, we are specifically interested in individuals who have established track records of designing and conducting complex, large-scale surveys.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Development and Monitoring:

• Initiates and contributes to the design, implementation, and oversight of research and evaluation initiatives. May lead committees and workgroups to design and manage program areas to achieve key team objectives. Serves as a partner with team director and other staff in identifying strategic objectives and direction.
• Works with internal staff, consultants, other funders, and external organizations to plan, develop and respond to requests for funding. Screens and assesses prospective research and evaluation project proposals and works with applicants to refine plans and project budgets.
• Drafts preliminary summaries of the project and develops recommendations for teams, program staff, Foundation management, and Board approval. Assures the quality of documents for projects being recommended for approval.
• Participates in meetings, conducts site visits, and reviews grantee submissions as part of overall responsibility for developing and managing existing grants and programs.
• Prepares oral and written summaries of grant activities. 
• Monitors programmatic aspects of funded projects and programs. Works with program financial analysts in assessing financial status of funded programs over time.
• Leads the development of the research and evaluation part of the team’s strategic plan.
• Leads the development and monitoring of team’s indicators of progress.

Learning and Dissemination:

• Works with staff and consultants to assess, evaluate, and disseminate results of programs and projects. Works with staff to develop measures of impact for major programs and activities. 
• Works with staff and consultants to harvest lessons from previous and current grantmaking and to actively disseminate results and lessons to other staff, grantees, and the field.
• Collaborates with team directors and team members, particularly Communications staff, to develop plans for and disseminate team-based products, including content featured on rwjf.org.

Team Functioning:

• Responsible for actively participating in team activities and improving team functioning, including compliance with team norms and providing support and backup for team members.
• Plays a collaborative role with communications and program staff to set strategic priorities for the team, develop and manage grant programs, and harvest lessons from previous grants.

Grantmaking Processes:

• Responsible for understanding, implementing, and following RWJF’s grantmaking processes and policies.
• Analyzes and evaluates all aspects of teamwide and project-specific proposals including strength of the activity, value for dollars requested, and the organization's health and stability. 

Foundation and Field Contributions:

• Represents the Foundation publicly regarding program direction, program funding, and grantmaking results. Responds to public inquiries about the program directions and application process.
• Participates in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities to maintain and enhance expertise and professional status. May conduct individual research related to the Foundation’s priorities. Keeps up with the latest developments in their fields.
• Contributes to and participates in internal Foundation groups and teams and carries out other responsibilities assigned by executive staff.
• Participates in Foundation-wide projects related to interest and program areas.
• Initiates, develops, and participates in Foundation efforts to evaluate itself.
• Supports the vice president, REL, in accomplishing annual unitwide goals and priorities.
• Performs other projects and responsibilities, as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Commitment to racial and health equity and to the Foundation’s vision, values, and Guiding Principles.
• Advanced degree and seven (7) or more years of extensive experience in survey research and designing and conducting large-scale, complex surveys.
• Formal survey training in traditional, new, alternative, and current methods.
• Experience designing and implementing a variety of survey research projects using a variety of methods and designs; experience in all phases of survey research from both the supply side and commission side.
• Experience evaluating survey design and methods and/or commissioning survey work.
• Experience reporting and presenting survey results, including summary reports, full methodological reports, press releases, and research briefs.
• Experience working with a variety of survey vendors and knowledge and understanding of appropriate uses of different types of survey vendors.
• Experience handling multiple priorities effectively; must be adept at organizing time efficiently; high tolerance for ambiguity; ability to understand and work effectively with team members in the Foundation’s organizational structure.
• Strong skills in research and evaluation methods; research skills; strong analytic skills.
• Good presentation skills; must be persuasive and respectful.
• Ability to evaluate the effectiveness of RWJF’s communications efforts is desirable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to synthesize material and focus quickly on the essence of an issue; to identify major opportunities in a specific area; and to see the big picture.
• Strong project and people management skills including demonstrated ability to think independently and with limited supervision, to be flexible, to juggle multiple priorities.
• Creative, flexible; able to work independently and in teams to think imaginatively about opportunities; to create and respond to novel and innovative approaches to addressing an issue; to inspire others to work toward achieving team goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills; collegial, energetic, and able to develop productive relationships with colleagues, grantees, consultants, external funders, and others who contribute to program development and management.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a complex team matrix.
• Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment; ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of time; including site visits and representing the Foundation at outside meetings.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

The senior program officer will perform job duties in a normal business office environment. Specific physical abilities required by this job include operating basic office equipment. The incumbent will be required to attend meetings, both in person and off-site via phone or videoconference. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Position’s Assigned Office Location

This position is assigned to our Princeton, N.J. office.

Hybrid: Flexible Purpose (HFP) Explained

As of January 1, 2023, the Foundation has implemented a model we call Hybrid: Flexible Purpose (HFP). RWJF’s new operating model is the infrastructure (e.g., policies, practices, protocols, procedures, systems) that forms the basis for how the day-to-day operations are managed, culture is built and nurtured, and mission is delivered. This model is designed to meet the needs of the organization while giving employees as much flexibility as possible. Onsite participation is determined by job responsibilities, organizational and team-level requirements, and mandatory gatherings throughout the year. While there are no fixed days per week, all employees are expected to plan their time on-site and cover commuting expenses as needed to meet those expectations. Learn more about our operating model and in-office requirements.

Salary

The starting salary for this position is $158,300. Candidates who the Foundation determines have directly related experience exceeding the minimum requirements may receive a higher starting salary based on the level of qualifications. All salary offers are non-negotiable.

Benefits

RWJF offers comprehensive health and retirement benefits to employees, generous paid time off, and more. Why work at RWJF? Learn more about the benefits of working at RWJF.

Transition Stipend

A transition stipend is provided to all new hires to aid in costs related to transitioning to a new job.

Discretionary Year-End Bonus

Employees may also be eligible for a discretionary year-end bonus based on a variety of factors, at the Foundation’s sole discretion.

How To Apply

• Applicants should submit a resume and letter of interest by the stated deadline below.
• Internal RWJF applicants should submit a resume and letter of interest through the Internal Jobs Hub app in Workday.

Application Deadline

Monday, April 14, 2025, by 10 a.m. ET.