Program and Policy Officer, Early Childhood

About Robin Hood

Robin Hood fights poverty in New York City. Since 1988, we have invested nearly $3 billion to help elevate New Yorkers out of poverty by identifying and supporting high-impact community organizations, partnering with government, and advocating for what works so that New York City can be an engine for upward mobility for all. We focus relentlessly on results, and are committed to using research, data, and evidence throughout our work. Because Robin Hood’s Board of Directors covers 100% of all administrative, fundraising, and evaluation costs, every dollar donated to Robin Hood goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need. Robin Hood is the largest philanthropic organization focused on poverty in New York City, raising and granting about $130 million to local organizations in our most recent year.

Early Childhood and Policy Portfolios

Increasingly, Robin Hood’s philanthropic work integrates multiple disciplines, including grants for direct services and policy advocacy, lobbying, research, community engagement, capacity building and other activities. The Program and Policy Officer is intentionally cross-functional, supporting direct service grants and policy grants as well as advocacy and research, responsible for managing a varied portfolio of grants to address issues affecting New Yorkers living in poverty.

Based on a body of rigorous research, Robin Hood invests in early childhood programs for children birth-5 and programs designed to optimize birth outcomes for mothers and children alike. The Early Childhood portfolio makes grants totaling about $20 to $25 million annually. The Program and Policy Officer will operate within the Early Childhood team, focusing on the Child Care Quality & Innovation Initiative. The Child Care Quality & Innovation Initiative is a $100 million public-partnership with the City of New York that seeks to make high- quality, affordable child care more accessible while improving the quality of care provided to children birth through five.

The primary area of focus for the Program and Policy Officer will be to address issues around high-quality early care and education (e.g., educator professional development, best practice to promote early development, Early Intervention, caregiver mental health), with the aim of helping to support diverse evidence-based interventions and promote policy reform that improves the quality of childcare and pre-K. The shared aim of our investments is to drive improved developmental, education and life outcomes for children and families in New York City living in poverty.

The Program and Policy Officer will oversee a portfolio of early childhood program and policy grants, serve as a resource and thought partner for our community and government partners, and identify potential new investment opportunities that can inform change in governmental systems and policies to better meet the complex needs of families in poverty with young children. Like other Program Officers and Policy Advisors, the Program and Policy Officer is expected to articulate clear and persuasive rationales for funding new and renewing ongoing programs. This is accomplished by thoroughly understanding the nature of a problem, the landscape of existing and potential programs and policies, and the evidence about what works, while also conducting comprehensive reviews of performance data and nonprofits’ organizational health.

The Program and Policy Officer will work collaboratively with other Robin Hood staff within the Program & Impact Department and across the organization. As this is a new multi-disciplinary role, the Program and Policy Officer should expect and welcome a degree of ambiguity and experimentation during the early phase of the position and be prepared for the role to evolve with experience.

Reporting

The direct supervisor for the Program and Policy Officer will be the Managing Director, Early Childhood, but the Program and Policy Officer will also work closely with the Public Policy team. As such the Program and Policy Officer will manage grants and support initiatives being overseen in both the Program and Policy teams.

Key Responsibilities

Manage Grants

• Monitor grantee performance through analysis of outcomes data, site visits, and independent assessment of progress or setbacks in management and financial reports
• Develop a clear articulation of the strengths and weaknesses of potential new and renewal grants and capture them in write-ups and presentations delivered to program staff and board committees
• Develop contracts and negotiate annual objectives and goals
• Identify and refine methods for quantifying the impact of an organization’s services using the latest research studies, or by helping to fill research gaps where they exist
• Collaborate with Robin Hood Management Acceleration staff to assess community partners’ organizational health with respect to finance, governance, fundraising, strategy, and other areas
• Build relationships of trust and mutual respect with nonprofit leaders to support them in delivering on their mission
• Ensure timely preparation of grant write-ups and recommendations to ensure efficient management of grants and preparation of documentation for Board committee meetings
• Evaluate and revise grant strategies, as necessary, to achieve program and policy priorities under portfolio responsibility

Source New Funding Opportunities

• Explore, identify, and fund effective approaches to lift New Yorkers out of poverty
• Understand pressing needs, including through direct input from community members, organizations, advocates and research
• Identify the most promising or effective interventions, policies, and organizations in the field, keeping open opportunities for direct service, policy, and research grants
• Rigorously assess potential investments based on strategic fit, potential performance, likelihood for meaningful impact, and organizational strength
• Develop a clear articulation of the strengths and weaknesses of a potential grant in write-ups and presentations delivered to program staff and board committees

Analyze Public Policy and Governmental Practice

• In consultation with the Policy team leadership and relevant Program teams, lead efforts to identify, propose, develop, and pursue policy priorities to advance Robin Hood’s poverty-fighting agenda
• Produce written materials to promote and advance Robin Hood’s policy positions and priorities to various audiences (e.g., policy statements, memos of support or opposition, op eds, etc.)
• Prepare presentation decks and other materials for meetings with relevant government and non- governmental stakeholders
• Monitor and conduct timely analysis of relevant proposed and enacted policies and legislation on the city, state, and federal levels impacting Robin Hood’s poverty-fighting agenda

Internal and External Engagement

• Support Robin Hood’s development and communications staff by providing program knowledge in support of Robin Hood organizational efforts to donors, at events, and through other development programming
• Help foster and participate in cross-department collaboration and coordination between Program and Policy teams and other relevant departments
• Represent Robin Hood, as assigned, in external forums to convey programmatic, policy and advocacy positions and share learnings related to achieving upward mobility from poverty
• Engage with nonprofit, government, and philanthropic partners in portfolio-related areas

Required Skills

• Critical Analysis and Communication
  1. Applies sounds reasoning and questions basic assumptions, notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information
  2. Strong writer: able to distill key information and develop compelling written grant recommendations that articulate clear arguments for funding or defunding work
  3. Clarity of presentation; provides direct and clear communication; delivers counsel and feedback to stakeholders; and presents well and persuasively based on sound, well-considered argument rooted in data and evidence
• Issue Area Expertise: Commands knowledge of one or more content areas, including best practices and core strategies for success. Comfortable with reviewing and assessing social science research.
• Relationship Building: Establishes trust with internal and external stakeholders, including leadership at nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and internally across Robin Hood departments
• Initiative: Identifies what needs to be done and acts before being asked or the situation requires it; takes independent action to improve the ultimate outcome
• Performance Assessment of Grants: Identifies themes, strengths, and opportunities across quantitative and qualitative data sets and monitors and evaluates organizational performance against established goals

Qualifications

• B.A. or B.S. with focus on early childhood development or a related field, and/or strategy development, policy development and/or administration in the public, nonprofit and government sectors and at least four years of experience required. Master’s degree preferred, but equivalent experience considered.
• Brings experience in government, advocacy, social venture or the nonprofit sectors. Direct experience in early childhood, childcare, or education sector preferred.
• Personal or professional experience with low-income communities and New York City preferred

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Robin Hood is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation in all aspects of its work. As New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, Robin Hood believes that building a diverse team is fundamental to its ability to effectively serve and strengthen organizations serving the most vulnerable communities in the city, and to influence the policies that affect them.

Robin Hood believes in the potential that diversity creates – deep and responsive relationships with its community partners; the ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively; and, most importantly, the ability of its diverse staff to work to its full capacity.

Robin Hood builds diversity, inclusion, and equity practices into all aspects of its work. Its practices, values, traditions, and beliefs are embedded in the inclusive culture that it creates. Operationally, its formal and informal structures support a work environment that advances the professional development of staff at all levels, allows for innovation, and grounds its work as poverty fighters.

In its workplace, diversity equals representation. Robin Hood seeks to attract and retain a staff that reflects the communities that it serves. Racial and ethnic diversity matter to it, as does diversity among other cultural identifiers (ability, educational background, generation, gender, gender expression religion, immigration status, military status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status).

Diversity within Robin Hood's staff is enhanced by its efforts at meaningful inclusion. It ensures that team members are empowered to make decisions, offer actionable feedback, and share credit for team success. Further, Robin Hood seeks to develop its talent professionally and has created an intentional focus on mentorship and sponsorship, particularly of junior staff. Its goal is to encourage long term talent retention and engagement, while fostering a culture of innovation.

Robin Hood Guiding Principles

As an organization committed to economic mobility, our work is grounded in the following Guiding Principles:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Proximity and humanity
• Risk-taking and innovation

Our professional community reflects myriad demographic characteristics, perspectives, and backgrounds, which includes various identities that reflect diversity in gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic status. Our colleagues have access to opportunity and advancement, as we promote fair and equitable treatment and have encouraged participation by underrepresented groups. As a team, we promote a sense of belonging, high levels of engagement, and shared respect.

Robin Hood puts people first. Always.

• Robin Hood is unafraid to take action and create solutions.
• Robin Hood is data driven and heart led.
• Robin Hood works the coat check.

Salary and Benefits

Robin Hood offers a highly competitive and comprehensive salary and package of employee benefits and encourages strong work-life balance. This is a hybrid position located in New York City and is required to be in the office 2 days per week.

The salary range for this role is $95,000 - $115,000.