Careers: Manager, Programs (Emerging Areas)

About the Peterson Foundation

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is working to secure a healthy, growing economy by addressing America’s long-term fiscal challenges. The Foundation partners with leading policy experts, elected officials and the public to build support for solutions to put America on a sustainable fiscal path. As a non-partisan organization, the Foundation engages in grant-making, partnerships, and research to educate and involve Americans from a variety of perspectives.

Department Summary

The Programs Team develops and implements strategic programs and initiatives, collaborating across the organization and with external partners and grantee organizations to advance the Foundation’s mission in both traditional and emerging areas of engagement. The team manages grantmaking portfolios and identifies, funds and scales new ideas and approaches to achieve organizational goals.

Position Summary

The Manager, Programs (Emerging Areas) will support the Associate Director and Vice President in the development and execution of ongoing and new strategic initiatives, including research, ideation, strategy, and program design. As initiatives move forward, the Manager will work on program implementation and diligence around new grantees and partners.

These initiatives, currently in varying stages of development, will address a range of traditional and emerging issue areas for the Foundation and other Peterson organization entities, including fiscal sustainability and economic growth, democracy reform, media and information, bipartisanship, and collaborative policymaking. Key responsibilities include:

Research, Landscape Analysis, and Ideation

• Research and synthesize trends, key players and initiatives, gaps and opportunities for engagement and intervention in the above areas, as well as new potential areas of exploration
• Assist in developing program concepts and strategic recommendations
• Create clear, sophisticated deliverables including proposals and presentations around recommendations for new areas of development and growth
• Identify and analyze potential grantees, partners and proposals
• Using management feedback, iterate around initiatives, research areas, and potential programs
• Regularly monitor news, policy developments, prominent projects and funding activity in related areas to identify new opportunities and stay on top of trends
• Assist in relationship management with grantees including connecting with industry experts in research areas

Project Management and Implementation

• Create and implement, as needed, operational plans aligned with programmatic goals
• Manage grant paperwork, contracts with consultants and vendors and internal processes
• Track the status and progress of new projects once they have launched

Requirements

• Six (6) plus years of experience in program or project management, professional services, consulting or related area, preferably including experience with policy, public affairs and/or one or more priority issue areas
• Bachelor’s degree
• Ability to forge productive working relationships with managers and colleagues at all levels
• Ability to synthesize complex information and transform complicated issues into clear summaries, documents, and recommendations
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with exceptional written and presentation skills
• A problem solver with critical, creative and strategic thinking and intellectual curiosity
• Flexibility, adaptability, patience, and comfort with ambiguity
• An interest in fiscal policy, public affairs, and learning about different issue areas connected to the core mission
• This role requires an in-person presence in accordance with the organization’s hybrid schedule of working in the office three days per week (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday)

Salary and Benefits

We anticipate that the starting base salary range for this position will be $95,000 to $110,000, plus eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition, we offer a generous benefits package designed to support employee health and well-being, including comprehensive health insurance, a substantial 401k match, paid time off, a hybrid work schedule and other flexible work policies.

To Apply

To apply, please send a brief letter summarizing your interest and a resume to careers@pgpf.org. Subject header on the e-mail should be: “Manager, Programs (Emerging Areas).”

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply to our organization. We offer a welcoming community that respects each individual and fosters a diverse set of experiences, perspectives, skills and ideas. We are committed to building a workplace in which every team member can thrive personally and professionally and contribute to our mission.