About Arcus Foundation

Founded in 2000 by Jon Stryker, the Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking institution dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony with one another and the natural world. Arcus’ work is based on the belief that respect for diversity among people and in nature is essential to a positive future for our planet and all its inhabitants. For more than 20 years, the Social Justice Program at Arcus has been a driving force behind groundbreaking work to ensure equality for LGBTQ people, and the Great Apes & Gibbons Program has provided visionary conservation leadership to protect and enhance the lives of great apes and gibbons. The foundation works globally and has offices in New York City and Cambridge, UK. 

At the Arcus Foundation, we aim to foster a work culture that is rooted in our values:

Demonstrating organizational and individual authenticity rooted in integrity and honesty,
Approaching our work with humility,
Seeking and valuing opportunities for collaboration inside and outside of the foundation,
Ensuring the foundation’s work is strategic and rational, and
Remaining focused on advancing equity for those who are pushed to the margins.

To learn more, visit www.arcusfoundation.org.

What It’s Like to Work at Arcus Foundation

Arcus’ passionate and diverse staff is comprised of dedicated individuals of varying gender identities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We aim to prioritize equity and inclusion throughout the organization and encourage meaningful interactions between colleagues. We promote a flexible working environment that allows for work-life balance, with opportunities for hybrid and flexible work schedules.

Position Description

The Program Officer is an experienced field leader and grantmaker who will form part of the Great Apes & Gibbons Program (GGP) at the Arcus Foundation, with the overall responsibility of managing a portfolio of grants, implementing the GGP strategy and associated monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, and managing key relationships with partners. The Program Officer will report to the Program Director but work in a fully integrated manner with the entire GGP team to implement grantmaking that develops and supports the different strategies toward conserving apes in the wild and ensuring the respect and wellbeing of apes in captivity.

Implementation of the Great Apes & Gibbons Program strategy includes effectively executing the foundation’s three key roles: strategic grantmaking, listening and learning, and leading in a manner consistent with the Arcus values of humility and respect. The Program Officer will also work collaboratively with other departments on projects of mutual concern.

The Great Apes & Gibbons Program has two overarching outcomes that it is working toward:

Resilient populations of all ape species exist in Arcus priority landscapes that are governed in a sustainable, just, and holistic way
All captive apes from Arcus priority landscapes, or in the USA, live in verified/accredited sanctuaries or zoos

To achieve these outcomes, the program has three goals:

Conservation and human well-being are reconciled in all Arcus priority landscapes.
Long-term, holistic, and collaborative efforts that effectively monitor and manage current and emerging threats to apes.
Culturally appropriate respect for the intrinsic value of apes, as individuals, as species, and as part of their ecosystem, improving their conservation and diminishing their exploitation.

The Program Officer will manage the program's grantmaking and leadership initiatives in these areas. This work will be consistent with the program's geographic focus in Africa and Asia.

The Program Officer will engage in consultation, convening, research, and interaction with a wide range of activists, scholars, funders, academics, policy experts, and institutions to maintain the relationships and networks developed for the program. The Program Officer will work with grant seekers, developing new grant prospects, managing and overseeing past grants made, engaging in site visits, reviewing and summarizing grant applications to evaluate proposals for the Board, and otherwise engaging in the full range of programmatic work in this area. The Program Officer will strengthen the knowledge base and capacity of the Foundation, gather data (from grant reports and diverse other sources), build the database and other resources at the Foundation, and otherwise engage with participants in the field to advance the Foundation's mission. The Program Officer will also connect the Arcus Foundation with the broader field of conservation and animal welfare funders and leaders to develop new funding partnerships and to leverage funds for the Arcus-initiated strategy. The Program Officer will occasionally meet with and make presentations to the Arcus Board of Directors and other bodies engaged in these fields.

Responsibilities

Strategic grantmaking: Implementation of Program Strategy through Grantmaking

The Program Officer will cultivate and curate a portfolio of grants and other activities that advance the Program’s strategic goals, managing the full grant cycles and grantee relationships within that portfolio. This includes:

Developing, managing, and supporting relationships with partners and grantees working on ape

conservation and captive care programs in ape range states, as well as on thematic issues impacting apes.

Reviewing, evaluating, and managing grant requests in Fluxx (Arcus’ organization and grants database); producing proposal summaries for the Board; planning and conducting site visits; and building trusting relationships with grantees.
Ensuring Arcus’ continued commitments to its organizational values are reflected in its strategic grantmaking.
Supporting the implementation of the Arcus monitoring and evaluation strategy and gathering data on measures and benchmarks to enable the Foundation to assess the impact of its grantmaking in these areas and ensure grants are achieving intended purposes and are aligned with the Foundation’s goals and outcomes.
Participating in and being an active member of the Arcus Program Team to provide input into the Foundation's overall grantmaking processes, guidelines, and systems.

Listening and Learning: Strategy Advancement through Program Development and Assessment

The Arcus Foundation emphasizes listening and applying learning in its strategies for effective grantmaking. The Program Officer will contribute to the evolution of the Great Apes & Gibbons Program strategies through:

Engaging in deep consultation with leaders in ape conservation, ape welfare, allied movements (including grant seekers and current grantees), and other relevant stakeholders to determine key issues and opportunities for the Arcus Foundation’s work, convening grantees and others, where appropriate.
Supporting the development of strategies via collating and analyzing research and data.
Attending and participating in various meetings, conferences, and gatherings.
Ensuring the information and learning gathered through grantmaking and engagement with various partners is utilized to inform the continued development and implementation of the program’s learning and work.

Leadership: Field Engagement

Where appropriate and needed, and with humility, the foundation also leads in certain domains. The Program Officer will contribute to shaping and promoting the Arcus Foundation as an impactful, values-driven philanthropic partner. The Program Officer will play a role in:

Connecting the Foundation with various relevant sectors of the conservation and allied movements to help build authentic relationships among funders and grantees and promote Arcus’ priorities.
Leveraging additional resources from other donors to support program strategies and to develop creative mechanisms for collaborative grantmaking.
Engaging in speaking, writing, public advocacy, and other leadership strategies to promote the Foundation’s values and goals in relevant forums.

Supporting research, policy analysis, and other projects that deepen the field’s knowledge of conservation and ape welfare issues.

The Program Officer works as a full member of the team across all program work and all departments at the foundation. The Program Officer is a vital part of the Arcus Foundation staff and is expected to participate in all staff activities. These include, among others:

Participating in staff meetings, Board meetings as requested, and organizational retreats.
Providing input into the overall strategy of the Arcus Foundation grantmaking programs.
Participating in cross-functional working groups to contribute to advancing key organizational priorities.
Attending key meetings, conferences, and gatherings to represent Arcus.
Collaborating with Arcus Communications, Grants Management, and Social Justice staff to ensure effective and integrated programmatic communications, shared learning, monitoring & evaluation, and grantee relationship management processes, as well as collegiality across the organization.

Qualifications

Dedication to the Arcus Foundation’s mission and
Experience living and working in one of the countries Arcus prioritizes in its Great Apes & Gibbons
Doctorate or master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in a relevant field.
Minimum of five years of professional and/or research experience, with a minimum of three years’ experience in wildlife conservation, community conservation, social/environmental justice, e.g., Indigenous Peoples’ rights, international development, anthropology, and/or ape welfare/conservation/behavioral Relevant experience from other sectors beyond conservation, e.g., marketing and behavior change, would also be considered.
Experience with field-based conservation and community
Excellent written and verbal communication
Ability to identify challenges and opportunities and address them
Excellent interpersonal skills, characterized by an ability to work effectively with a broad array of people with sensitivity, positive partnership, and compassion; demonstrated ability to work well collaboratively and independently; a sense of humor.
A proactive and self-motivated work style, with close attention to follow-up and detail and the ability to manage several projects simultaneously.
A high degree of professional integrity (i.e., meeting one’s commitments and effective stewardship of foundation resources) and cultural competence (i.e., understanding, sensitivity, and respect for cultural differences and the social experiences of diverse communities).

Ability to take direction and receive both positive and constructive feedback
Possession of a valid passport, and the willingness and ability to participate in extensive international travel.

Location and Travel

The Program Officer position is based out of our Cambridge, UK, office. Arcus staff work on a hybrid schedule of three days in-office (Tuesday–Thursday), with the option of working two days remotely. The general office hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

How to Apply

Please submit a résumé and a cover letter telling us about what you hope to bring to this role and how your background and experience respond to the desired skills and qualities we seek. Applications will be accepted through September 20, and interviews will begin in October 2024. If you have any questions about the role, please email: contact@arcusfoundation.org.

The Arcus Foundation is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws. The Arcus Foundation prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants for employment because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, immigrant, citizenship or non-citizen status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, intersex status, sexual and reproductive health decisions or decision making (of employees or their dependents), disability, marital status, familial status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, pre-employment arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Arcus Foundation also considers for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with federal, state, and local law.

Arcus Foundation

New Jobs

Program Officer