[Remote] Program Officer, Youth Initiative

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation invests in organizations addressing poverty and disadvantage through community partnerships, systems strengthening, and grantmaking. The Program Officer supports the Youth Initiative by managing grants, developing and monitoring a portfolio focused on young people facing adversity, cultivating grantee relationships, and applying evidence and field learning to strategy and investment decisions.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, and cultivate grantees and partners that can advance the Youth Initiative strategy within assigned geographies
• Manage the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, due diligence, compliance review, recommendations, board materials, monitoring, approved changes, and closeout
• Partner with grantees to strengthen project design, outcomes, budgets, implementation, organizational capacity and fiscal health. and support effective implementation
• Document grant activity, portfolio progress, key decisions, field learning and follow-up actions in the Foundation’s grantmaking and knowledge management systems
• Use data, evaluation findings, youth and community voice, and field insights to recommend portfolio adjustments and future investments
• Conduct site visits and travel to understand local context, develop relationships, identify opportunities, and monitor grants
• Partner with the Senior Program Officer and Youth Initiative team to plan, implement, and adapt the integrated strategy
• Collaborate with internal teams to track progress, strengthen learning, and support cross-geography coordinates
• Stay current on relevant research, policy, practice, and funding trends, and apply insights to strategy and portfolio decisions
• Support convenings, field-engagement, consultants, and other work that strengthens grantee practice and advanced the initiative's goals
• Prepare clear board materials, briefings, presentations, grantee communications, and internal updates
• Synthesize portfolio learning, field insights, and grantee progress for internal and external audiences
• Represent the Youth strategy with grantees, community partners, public agencies, funders, and other stakeholders
• Support routine administrative responsibilities as needed
• Ability to work on-site at least three days each week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) according to the hybrid schedule policy
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times

Skills

• The ideal candidate is a collaborative, proactive professional with experience in youth development and at least one of the Youth strategy's core issue areas
• They bring strong strategic thinking, humility, relationship management, analytical, organizational, and communication skills, along with experience using direct service, systems strengthening, advocacy, or research to advance meaningful outcomes
• Bachelor's degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• At least seven years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, public, philanthropic, or social-impact sector
• Demonstrated experience in youth development or youth-serving systems supporting young people facing adversity
• Experience in at least one relevant issue area, such as workforce development, education-to-career pathways, housing stability, mental health, foster youth, or opportunity youth
• Knowledge of relevant program and policy issues, field dynamics, and funding landscapes
• Ability to manage a complex portfolio, assess partners and opportunities, set priorities, track progress, and adapt based on evidence and learning
• Strong relationship-building and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, analytical, and organizational skills
• Experience using grantmaking, knowledge management, or data systems to document work and inform decisions
• Experience in priority geography: Mexico City
• Experience managing grants or philanthropic portfolios, including due diligence, recommendations, monitoring, and portfolio learning
• Direct experience in a youth-serving nonprofit, public agency, school system, workforce intermediary, housing or mental health organization, or community-based organization
• Experience working across systems that affect young people, including education, workforce, housing, behavioral health, child welfare, or justice-adjacent systems
• Experience with employer partnerships, career pathways, or quality-jobs strategies for young people facing employment barriers
• Candidates with lived experience related to the Youth strategy area are encouraged to apply
• Spanish language proficiency, with the ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish

Company Overview

• The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is a family foundation established in 1944 by the man who started Hilton Hotels. It was founded in 1944, and is headquartered in Westlake Village, California, US, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is http://www.hiltonfoundation.org.