Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Walton Family Foundation: Environment Program Associate

Job Description

The Walton Family Foundation, based in Bentonville, Arkansas is seeking a skilled individual to join the Environment Program as a Program Associate. The new Associate will be located in the Foundation’s Washington D.C. office.

About the Walton Family Foundation

Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation was founded by Sam M. Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and his wife Helen R. Walton. Their purpose in establishing the Foundation was to focus the Family’s philanthropic efforts to assure that their charitable giving would have the most positive impact. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations for systemic K-12 education reform, community development in the Northwest Region of Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta Region of Arkansas and Mississippi, for marine and freshwater conservation and other areas of special interest. A family-based Board of Trustees provides overall direction for the program areas. A staff/consultant base of approximately thirty conducts the day-to-day operations. More information about the current areas of focus for the Foundation can be found at www.wffhome.com <http://www.wffhome.com>.

Walton Family Belief: “Evaluation, accountability, and measurement will be a high priority. The Foundation will attempt to work with organizations which set clear goals, include measurable objectives and benchmarks, and have strategies based on sound logic connected to their goals.

Responsibilities:

The Program Associate will work with other foundation staff, under the supervision of the Environment Program Director, to assist with the management of grants made by the program and with the evaluation of grantee performance and progress under our grants.


Specific duties will include the following:

* Working with the Environment Program Director and foundation staff
to produce information useful to the continued development and
ongoing execution of the Environment Program Strategic Plan;
* Working with foundation staff to solicit proposals consistent with
the Environment Program’s Strategic Plan and to review proposals
received;
* Working with foundation staff to prepare and process internal
grant-related documents, including grant write-ups, grant letters,
and grant and budget tracking sheets;
* Working with foundation staff, grantees and others to evaluate
progress under Environment Program grants through the review of
grant reports, related research, data collection and analyses, and
field visits.
* Working with foundation staff on the continued development of
systems for grant evaluation
* Assisting individual Board members with charitable programs of
special interest related to the environment.
* Representing the Foundation at professional meetings and before
the broader conservation community

Qualifications and Experience

The position calls for an understanding of issues related to the conservation of marine and freshwater systems, and familiarity with the use of market-based tools for conservation. The role requires self-direction and decisiveness combined with flexibility and a capacity to give and receive feedback graciously. The Foundation seeks to recruit an individual with superior interpersonal skills, a respectful attitude for the work of grantees, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team. The Program Officer should ideally possess the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

* At least 3 years experience in natural resource management, policy or advocacy, ideally with experience in grant or project management and evaluation.
* Graduate degree in a related field.
* Excellent written and oral communication skills
* Proven skills at organization and time management
* Demonstrated capacity to work in a team as well as independently.
* Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think critically,
and understand emerging issues that are directly relevant to
programmatic funding areas.
* Unquestionable ethics and personal integrity.



Compensation and Benefits

The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and a resume to:


Cheryl McFarland
919 18th Street NW
Suite 650
Washington, D.C. 20006

Or by e-mail to: cmcfarland@wffmail.com

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