Jacobs Program Officer for American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good

The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Program Officer is responsible for launching and ensuring the success of the Local Knowledge Initiative (LKI), a new initiative focused on the role of local knowledge and experts in building thriving local communities. The LKI seeks to uplift a broader conception and expertise and support a ground up approach to reinvigorate American’s trust in public life and each other. For its initial two-year phase, the Local Knowledge Initiative will recognize and connect multiple forms of experts, foster new collaborations, and share stories that reflect America as it is defined and experienced at the local level with a strong emphasis on partnerships and collaboration. Working with the Academy President, American Institutions program area, and other internal and external stakeholders, the Program Officer will develop work plans and processes for the project, develop relationships with key partners, and oversee successful implementation of the Local Knowledge Initiative inaugural year of programming.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

• Collaborate with Academy leadership, staff, members, host organizations and other partners to successfully launch and oversee inaugural year of the Local Knowledge Initiative.
• Build and maintain partnerships with local experts and stakeholders across diverse U.S communities, supporting scoping conversations, and expanding the Academy’s presence in academic, policy, and professional spaces.
• Collaborate with leadership to explore and develop funding opportunities, including grant writing and fundraising.
• Develop outreach and communications plans for the project and develop strategy to successfully implement the project’s storytelling objectives.
• Advise the Academy President and staff on matters related to the project.
• Research, draft, and edit materials for internal and external audiences, including reports, briefings, and publications. Coordinate information flow among stakeholders.
• May supervise permanent or temporary Academy staff in tasks related to their project and encourage staff development.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and adapt strategies in a dynamic, start-up-like initiative.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree and at least five years of professional work experience or equivalent experience. 7 years of experience or PhD in any field of study with a connection to local knowledge plus two years of experience can be substituted.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to synthesize research, analyze data, and present findings clearly to diverse audiences.
• Deep commitment to interdisciplinary thinking and working across multiple sectors and disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience working with community-based organizations, nonprofits, or local businesses, experience with higher education institutions a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in, or leading partnerships with, place-based civic organizations a plus.
• Expertise in American politics, society, and/or public policy, including current scholarship and policy issues; political economy knowledge preferred.
• Ability to foster an inclusive and collaborative team environment, leveraging diverse perspectives of staff and committee members, and facilitate meaningful engagement with stakeholders across the ideological spectrum.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively engage with a wide variety of internal and external groups including funders, academic, policy, and research institutions, and other potential partners.
• Successful grant writing experience and familiarity with private foundations and other funding sources a plus.
• Experience managing complex projects under tight deadlines, with demonstrated creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word); and social media tools.
• Regular domestic travel may be required.

Location and Work Environment

This hybrid role will be based Cambridge, MA or Washington D.C. Regular travel and some evening or weekend hours may be needed.

Application

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a brief cover letter and resume.