Program Officer, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

About the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a private philanthropy and family foundation based in Flint, Michigan. Through programs focused on Civil Society, the Environment, Youth Engagement, and its home town of Flint, the Foundation supports non\-profit organisations and projects that promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society. In 2025, the Foundation made gifts totalling more than $165 million, and had year\-end assets of over $4 billion.

The Foundation recently completed a comprehensive Program Plan to mark the occasion of its centennial year, and is in the process of developing a coördinated evaluation and strategy framework to guide implementation and reporting of an anticipated \~$2B in grant\-making through 2035\.

About the Civil Society Program

The Civil Society program's mission is to foster engaged, empowered, and equitable communities worldwide. Its grantmaking is global in reach, and reflects a sustained presence and particular interest in North America, Latin America, and Africa. The program is currently organized around three initiatives, the first two of which may be directly relevant for this role:

1\) The Common Ground Initiative helps community foundations bring people together across differences to work on shared community challenges. The initiative is based on the theory that local communities can be both divided and best placed to solve local problems, that building common ground is both possible and necessary where division and problems persist, and that community foundations can play a leadership role in that work. Grant funding supports the development and dissemination of capacity\-building tools and measurement frameworks by, with, and for community foundations, intermediaries, field builders, and community initiatives.

2\) The Protection of the Sector Initiative seeks to strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem and support civil society defenders. The initiative is based on the theory that a resilient philanthropic sector and empowered civil society organizations are essential infrastructure for communities to shape and to safeguard their own futures; along with the recognition that both face growing threats ranging from authoritarianism to artificial intelligence. Grant funding supports the development and application of research, technologies, policies, and other interventions that enable and empower nonprofits, foundations, and other organizations and individuals working to defend and strengthen civic space.

The Civil Society Program's third initiative, Access to Justice, seeks to help individuals understand, use, and shape the law to protect their rights and improve their lives.

Altogether, the Civil Society program awarded grants totaling over $22 million in 2025, and expects to award a total of $190M through these three grantmaking initiatives over the next ten years.

The Opportunity

The Program Officer will lead and manage a Civil Society Program portfolio spanning elements of its Common Ground or Protection of the Sector initiatives, or potentially of both. The Foundation is particularly interested in candidates with a record and interest in strengthening community foundations or the philanthropic ecosystem, or in protecting civil society defenders within the United States. Experience in Latin America might also be favourably considered. A relevant portfolio will be defined in context of the successful candidate's specific background and experience.

The Program Officer will join the Civil Society Program at a moment of strategic renewal, as the Foundation translates an ambitious centennial Program Plan into action, and works to deploy an anticipated $190M through its three Civil Society initiatives over the next decade, supported by a new coördinated evaluation and strategy framework.

The position reports to the director of the Civil Society Program. This is a full\-time position located in Flint, Michigan, and it requires frequent international and domestic travel.

Responsibilities

The Program Officer will have responsibilities in three areas:

Portfolio Management

• Design and execute effective multi\-year grantmaking strategies within the Common Ground or Protection of the Sector Initiatives, with fidelity to approved goals and frameworks, adaptability and creativity in context of changing conditions, and in collaboration with Initiative and Program colleagues;
• Manage the full grant\-making life\-cycle with technical precision and attention to detail, including investigation of grant requests, development of funding recommendations, and processing, administering, and monitoring active grants and clusters of grants according to Foundation policies and procedures;
• Maintain and build supportive and respectful working relationships with current and potential grantees; assist grantees with access to networks, funding, data, and other resources and opportunities to enhance their relevant capacities and capabilities, including their ability to provide quantitative and qualitative data related to the theory of change guiding the portfolio and the Program.

External Partnerships and Relationships

• Maintain and build effective working relationships with policy\-makers, researchers, non\-governmental organizations, and other grantmakers; identify and act on opportunities to align, mobilise, and share resources for improved portfolio and Program outcomes;
• Attend and host meetings, conferences, and convenings to learn, share information, and especially, to build and promote networks through which to enhance and leverage the Portfolio's and the Program's intended impact.

Foundation Culture and Success

• Collaborate with five fellow Civil Society Program officers and with POs in other Foundation program areas to identify and develop emerging and potential opportunities for portfolio alignment, integration, and impact;
• Participate in strategy, evaluation, and other foundation building processes and exercises, including the collection and analysis of data to inform strategy, and the preparation of reports and other materials for the Foundation's management and Board of Trustees.

Qualifications

The Mott Foundation welcomes expressions of interest from candidates with the expertise and ability to deliver against the above responsibilities, and has identified the following characteristics as indicative of the abilities, aptitudes, and dispositions that will make for success in this role:

• At least eight years of professional experience working on civic space, civic engagement, civil society infrastructure, community philanthropy or related topics
• At least three years of experience working in a decision\-making and problem\-solving position within a large complex organisation such as a foundation, a university, a governmental agency, or an NGO
• Conversant with contemporary issues in civil society, including one or more that relate to the Foundation's Civil Society portfolio; broadly familiar with relevant histories, models, and trends
• Experienced and comfortable operating 'up and down' the scale from concept development to data entry
• Experience contributing to organizational strategy, learning, and evaluation
• Ability to speak, write, and communicate effectively with the wide variety of people the PO will encounter, cultivate, and engage, including peers, experts, officials, grantees, and community members from many different organisational and cultural contexts
• Ability and willingness to work full time from the Foundation's offices in Flint, Michigan, and to travel extensively both within the US and internationally (approximately 60 days per year).
• Familiarity with grant\-making or other forms of resource allocation for social or environmental outcomes is preferred.
• Spanish language proficiency may be an asset.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $125,000\-$150,000\.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and their families, paid at 100% for most plans; 15 paid holidays and three weeks of vacation in the first year, increasing to four weeks the second year; and both a 401(k) and pension plan. The Foundation also provides employees with a 3:1 match for their personal charitable contributions.

How to Apply, and What to Expect

The Mott Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages diversity of thinking, background and perspective among its staff. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

The Foundation is committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all applicants. Individuals with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to complete an application or participate in the interview process are encouraged to contact MottPO@oeconsulting.com.

The Foundation has retained OE Consulting to support this search. In order to apply, please submit a current CV and a thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest and outlines your relevant skills and experience.

Applications will be accepted through May 29th, 2026\. Semi\-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews with the search committee during the week of June 15th, 2026\. Finalists will be invited to interviews at the Foundation's offices in Flint, Michigan, during the week of July 6th, 2026\. The Foundation expects to extend and finalize an offer of employment by July, 2026\.

Please refrain from contacting the Foundation directly; all inquiries should be directed to OE Consulting at MottPO@oeconsulting.com.