Program Officer (Local Jewish Community)

Job Overview

The Program Officer - Local Jewish Community plays a key role in advancing the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias mission by supporting and managing grantmaking programs that strengthen Jewish education engagement and social services across Greater Philadelphia. Reporting to the Director of Strategy & Impact this position helps identify implement and evaluate funded initiatives that respond to community needs and align with the Federations strategic priorities.

The Program Officer works collaboratively within the Strategy & Impact department and across the organization to build strong relationships with partner agencies support impact measurement and ensure the effective stewardship of philanthropic investments in the local Jewish community.

Key Responsibilities

Grantmaking & Portfolio Support:

Manage day-to-day aspects of assigned grant portfolios serving the local Jewish community including tracking grant activity maintaining accurate records and coordinating with the Project Manager to ensure grant processes are current timely and compliant throughout the grant lifecycle.

Community Knowledge & Internal Collaboration:

Serve as a liaison between Strategy & Impact and other Federation departments by sharing insights about partner organizations community trends and funded initiatives to promote organization-wide understanding of local investments.

Stakeholder Engagement & Research:

Support strategic decision-making by researching and compiling information about community organizations relationships and initiatives. Conduct literature reviews and gather field intelligencethrough conversations with peer foundations and Federationsto identify best practices in grantmaking and scholarship administration.

Site Visits & Relationship Building:

Coordinate and participate in site visits and meetings with partner organizations across the five-county Greater Philadelphia area. Prepare briefing materials document outcomes and track follow-up actions to strengthen relationships and inform grant oversight.

Reporting Evaluation & Data Management:

Review qualitative and quantitative data from funded organizations and prepare clear summaries and reports for internal and external audiences. Regularly brief the Local Director of Strategy & Impact on portfolio developments and ensure accurate tracking of grant information in the database.

Continuous Improvement:

Stay informed about emerging best practices in philanthropy program evaluation and community engagement and contribute ideas to improve grant processes data collection and impact reporting.

• Education: Bachelors degree or equivalent & relevant experience required; advanced coursework or a Masters degree in a related field preferred but not required.
• Experience: 35 years of progressively responsible experience in philanthropy grantmaking nonprofit program management or a related field.
• Skills: Strong analytical organizational and writing skills with the ability to translate complex information into clear actionable insights.
• Judgment & Independence: Demonstrated ability to manage projects and priorities with limited supervision and sound professional judgment.
• Interpersonal Skills: Proven ability to build productive relationships with diverse stakeholders and navigate complex organizational environments.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite required and experience with grant management systems preferred.
• Knowledge: Familiarity with Jewish communal organizations values and the nonprofit ecosystem strongly preferred. Knowledge of Jewish customs and traditions required.

Work Conditions & Environment

• This position requires working in the Philadelphia office two days per week and collaborating with colleagues located in Philadelphia and Israel.
• The role involves local travel for site visits and meetings across the five-county Greater Philadelphia area as well as occasional domestic travel for conferences. Flexibility to attend some night and/or weekend events and programming required.

Overview

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including a hybrid work schedule medical dental vision prescription drug program life insurance generous paid time off and 403b retirement savings program.

Our Mission

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes financial and volunteer resources to address the communities most critical priorities locally in Israel and around the world.

Commitment to Diversity

We deeply value the diversity of insight perspective and experience brought by people from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Jewish institutions. This includes Black Latinx and Asian people Black Jews Jews of Color lesbian gay bisexual trans and gender non-conforming people and people with disabilities. We also welcome applications from people of diverse religious spiritual and cultural backgrounds.

About the Organization:

Since 1901 the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has served as the hub of the regions Jewish communities providing an infrastructure of support for Jewish people and organizations in need. Through grants emergency funding restricted gifts endowments and our partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools we care for those in need combat antisemitism and global crisis and strengthen Jewish identity.

Benefits

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including a hybrid work schedule medical dental vision prescription drug program life insurance generous paid time off and 403b retirement savings program.