Program Officer - Environment Program

The Kresge Foundation seeks a Program Officer for its Environment Program to advance climate change initiatives while promoting racial and economic justice. Responsibilities include managing grants, collaborating with teams, and building relationships with stakeholders. The role involves strategic leadership in grantmaking, contributing to broader strategies, and staying informed on climate trends. This position is remote, allowing for work from anywhere.
About the Foundation:

The Kresge Foundation is one of the top 20 private philanthropic foundations in the United States and the only one focused exclusively on expanding opportunities for people with low income in American cities. With an endowment of approximately $4 billion and a staff of over 100 employees, the foundation deploys grants and social investments across arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development. The foundation’s state-of-the-art headquarters maintains an array of energy-efficient, water-conserving and health-promoting systems. The foundation also operates an office in Detroit’s Midtown district.

About the Position:

The Environment Program Officer will play a key role in advancing the goals of the Environment Program, focused on helping cities combat and adapt to climate change while advancing racial and economic justice. The Program Officer will manage a diverse portfolio, overseeing grants within the program’s Climate Change, Health, and Equity Initiative (CCHE) as well as field-building efforts aimed at strengthening leaders and organizations crucial to accelerating equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions in U.S. cities. In addition, the Program Officer will work closely with other members of the Environment team to contribute to the design and execution of the program’s broader grantmaking and social investment strategies.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Provide strategic leadership and contribute to execution of the grantmaking strategy of the CCHE Initiative, serving as a primary program officer for CCHE grants in close collaboration with program staff across Kresge’s Environment, Health, and other program teams.

2. Structure and recommend a portfolio of grants and manage grantee relationships within the Environment Program’s field building strategies focused on supporting organizations and leaders advancing the climate justice movement, public sector leaders driving equitable climate action within local government, and community development professionals and other urban practitioners advancing equitable climate adaptation and mitigation solutions into community development practice.

3. Act as a thought partner and identify opportunities for collaborative strategy development and grantmaking with other Kresge program teams.

4. Contribute to the design and execution of grantmaking and social investment strategies across the Environment Program.

5. Contribute to and apply working knowledge of subject matter and field expertise to Foundation-wide activities aimed at integrating climate action into all aspects of the organization’s work.

6. Build and manage relationships with nonprofits, philanthropic institutions, government and/or community partners, and assess opportunities for impact and collaboration through research, site visits, and stakeholder interactions.

7. Participate in funder and cross-sector collaboratives as needed to achieve program objectives.

8. Stay abreast of emerging trends and new developments in the climate change field, including the relationship of climate change mitigation and adaptation to racial and economic justice.

9. Prepare materials for internal and external presentations and meetings and represent the foundation publicly to share program approaches and outcomes.

10. Travel to conferences, convenings, and site visits with grantees and funding partners.

11. Lead special projects as needed.