California Communities Director

USD $255,000 - $317,000 / yearFounded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (the Foundation) is a family philanthropy dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations around the world working to invest in children and families, protect and restore the natural world, and create just and inclusive societies. For more than six decades, the Foundation has advanced scientific innovation, championed reproductive health and rights, conserved and restored our natural world, and invested in the well-being of children and families. The Foundation’s goals are to:

• Build Just Societies: support a strong civil society and inclusive institutions and governance to build just and equitable societies for all people.
• Protect and Restore Our Natural World: champion bold climate solutions, an ocean that sustains us, and scientific innovation and discovery to secure the health and future of people and planet.
• Invest in Families and Communities: prioritize the importance of children having a healthy start and promoting resilient and vibrant communities where children and families thrive, so they have the power to shape their lives.

To achieve lasting change, the Foundation also strives to address root causes of longstanding problems, including building a thriving, resilient U.S. democracy; advancing racial justice in the United States and gender equity globally; and supporting a strong civil society around the globe.

Inclusive collaboration is the heart of the Foundation’s approach, with the belief that actively listening to and learning from people with a wide range of views is the best way to create solutions that match the scale and urgency of the challenges we face. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting community-based solutions shaped by the knowledge and experience of the people whose lives are most affected and informed by data, recognizing that meaningful solutions require patience, urgency, and supporting the conditions for transformational change. The Foundation is committed to addressing complex issues over the long term while making tangible progress today.

The Foundation’s Vision, Mission and Values are as follows:

• Vision: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.
• Mission: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.
• Values: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness.

CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE OVERVIEW

Since its inception, the Foundation has sought to ensure that the promise and possibility of California is attainable for all. Today, the California Communities Initiative (CCI) team works to achieve the Foundation’s three goals, with a particular focus on the goal of investing in families and communities. CCI supports partners working in six counties (Fresno, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo) and at a statewide level to promote resilient and vibrant communities where families thrive and can build the lives they want.

Reflecting community priorities, CCI focuses on ensuring that:

• Families have stable, affordable housing, so they can put down roots and be active in their communities;
• Everyone, regardless of income or zip code, has access to clean air and water and safe green spaces for recreation, so they can be healthier and build resilience to the effects of climate change; and
• Individuals and families have trusted local organizations they can turn to for support, resources, and a sense of community.

CCI seeks to connect communities to Sacramento to scale community-led solutions and ensure policies reflect the experiences of people and families across our state.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Vice President for Families and Communities and working in close partnership with the Director of the Children and Families initiative, the California Communities Initiative Director (Director) will lead a team of eight to implement effective grantmaking within the Board-approved California Communities initiative, and support teamwork within the Foundation and with external stakeholders.

Manage an Experienced Team. As one of their most critical responsibilities, the Director will inspire and engage the team, build trust, and facilitate thought partnership in support of program goals. The Director will be comfortable exercising discernment about when to lead from the front and when to elevate their team’s expertise. They will support the professional growth of all team members. They will cultivate a positive, productive, innovative, highly collaborative, and feedback-rich team culture.

Represent the Work. Building on the CCI’s team’s expertise, the Director will have the opportunity to shape cohesiveness of strategy and its impact on the broader mission of the Foundation. The Director will be comfortable representing the team within Leadership and the Board, building alliances within the Foundation, and elevating the work of CCI.

Provide Strategic Direction with California Expertise. The Director will bring a clear and current understanding of California to effectively navigate the state’s public and private sector, and state, county and local-level infrastructures. They will monitor the changing landscape, trends, and developments to ensure that the Foundation is selecting objectives and deploying resources as effectively as possible to achieve CCI’s goals.

Connect and Collaborate. The Director will have the opportunity to build systems that invite and formalize cross-initiative thought partnership, co-funding, and broader collaboration between CCI and the rest of the Foundation. They will have the emotional intelligence to navigate interpersonal dynamics and complex systems to open new doors and create opportunities both within and outside of the Foundation. The role will partner with peer initiative Directors and actively participate in the People Manager Cohort and the Goal Leadership Team. They will also work closely with the Grants and Data Operations team and General Counsels’ Office to ensure accuracy and adherence to grantmaking policies, procedures, processes and timeline. The Director will build upon current grantmaking, incorporating input from the President, Trustees, and colleagues across the Foundation to successfully develop and implement this initiative.

Direct Change Management. The Director will build and sustain strategic clarity in the midst of changes in the operating environment. They will need to possess the foresight to anticipate and prepare for changing variables and the ability to recognize how to respond to unexpected challenges that may emerge.