Program Officer - Early Childhood

Organizational Background

A national leader in rural philanthropy, The Ford Family Foundation is a private foundation benefiting communities in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, Calif. In 1957, Kenneth W. Ford & Hallie E. Ford established a then-modest foundation to give back to the timber communities of southwest Oregon. It grew in size, scope and geography to become The Ford Family Foundation in 1996, with its main office in Roseburg, Oregon. One of the three largest grantmaking foundations in Oregon, The Ford Family Foundation has assets of $1.2 billion, an annual budget of approximately $55 million, an eight-member Board of Directors and 59 employees located in two office locations and in rural communities throughout Oregon and Siskiyou. 

Purpose/The Opportunity

The Ford Family Foundation knows that kids with strong support systems and opportunities grow up ready to succeed and contribute to the well-being of their communities. Yet these essential systems and opportunities are often less available for kids and families in rural areas. We are committed to closing these gaps. Through grantmaking, scholarships, research, convening, collaboration, grassroots power building and a focus on systems change, we work to ensure that rural kids grow up in thriving communities with strong starts and bright futures.

The aim of the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Department is to increase the number of children in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County who are thriving, supported and prepared to transition successfully to adulthood. The Department focuses on: 

• Supporting rural families to provide children with a nurturing, safe and stable foundation; 
• Kindergarten readiness and early education; and 
• K-12 experiences that prepare youth to transition successfully beyond high school.

We work to ensure that local and state policies and systems respond to the needs of rural communities, recognizing supported families and communities are key to children’s success. We proudly embrace our role as a rural advocate, bringing statewide attention to issues impacting rural people and places and supporting rural leaders to advance systems change.

The Program Officer will support the CYF Department and the Foundation with early care and education expertise and a strong understanding of the systems that shape outcomes for young children — birth through transition to K-12. Our early childhood education strategies focus on family stabilization, balancing community-driven innovations and systems-level improvements. We specifically focus on: 

• Financially resilient, early education programs that families can afford; 
• State and local early education policies and investments that reflect the priorities and needs of rural families; and 
• Making sure educators, rural early education programs and workforce are strong, growing and thriving. 

This work contributes to rural children being ready for kindergarten which, in turn, supports a thriving rural economy and vibrant communities. The portfolio includes both responsive and proactive grantmaking/field-building approaches, with a targeted focus on quality early care and education. The Program Officer reports directly to the Director of Children, Youth and Families.

This is an exempt position and the annual wage is $103,000 - $116,000, depending on experience. Our excellent benefit package includes paid time off and holidays, health and dental insurance, a health savings account, a generous retirement plan, a matching gifts program, access to an employee assistance program, professional development opportunities, rejuvenation leave and more. Performance and compensation are reviewed at least annually.    

Position Location Options & Preferences

This position has the potential to be structured in one of the following ways. Preference will be given to candidates located in or willing to relocate to Roseburg, OR.

Hybrid (within 40 miles of Roseburg, OR) 

• Minimum of three days per week in the Roseburg office
• Residency within 40 miles of Roseburg is required
• Relocation assistance is available

Field-Based (rural Oregon)

• Regular in-office attendance at Roseburg office is required, averaging at least 20% of scheduled work time
• Rural Oregon includes the small towns and unincorporated places outside the state’s major urban centers (Portland, Salem, Corvallis-Albany, Eugene-Springfield, Bend and Medford).

Additional Details:

• This role requires regular travel within Oregon and Siskiyou County, Calif.
• Occasional national travel for conferences and meetings is anticipated  

Deadline to submit applications, along with a thoughtful and engaging letter of interest, is Friday, August 7th, 2026 @ 5:00 PM PDT.  Please note that the application deadline is subject to change. The position may close sooner than the deadline listed based on the number of applicants.

The letter of interest should include:

Location Preference (please indicate which option you are applying for)

• Option 1: Hybrid within 40 miles of Roseburg, Oregon (minimum of three days per week in the Roseburg office; relocation assistance available).
• Option 2: Field-based in rural Oregon (regular in-office attendance required; 20% minimum).

Experience

• Please describe your experience in early childhood education and early care systems, including any work supporting children from birth through age five and their families. Share how you gained this experience and your understanding of rural contexts, opportunities and challenges affecting young children, families and early learning systems. 

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.      
 

Employee Profile
The successful Children, Youth and Families Program Officer candidate will be a strategic, mission-driven professional with deep expertise in early care and education systems and a strong track record of advancing initiatives that support young children and families. They will bring experience addressing complex community challenges — particularly in rural settings — and a commitment to advancing equitable outcomes for children.

This role requires a thoughtful collaborator who can help shape and implement the Foundation’s early education strategies. The ideal candidate will understand the intersections between family systems, early learning and K–12 systems. They will build relationships with community partners and grantees while managing a portfolio that includes responsive and proactive grantmaking and field-building efforts with rigor and humility.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong systems thinking, cultural humility and a deep respect for community-led solutions. Grounding in quality early care and education that meets families’ needs and preferences will be helpful, while understanding the context of early care and education as a critical economic aspect in a thriving community. This highly collaborative role requires adaptability, emotional intelligence and a commitment to teamwork, continuous learning and supporting rural children and families.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy

• Strategically deploy philanthropic resources — including grants, convening, research, technical support and policy engagement — to advance outcomes for children birth to five in rural communities. 
• Serve as a lead contributor to strategy development, including work plans, initiatives and budgets aligned with early education priorities. 
• Provide leadership for cross-foundation efforts supporting early care and education.
• Maintain deep knowledge of early childhood research, policy and best practices, with a focus on rural contexts. 
• Champion early childhood development and systems-level investment in rural communities at state and national levels.

Relationship Building and Collaboration

• Build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with grantees, partners and community leaders. 
• Engage with regional, state and national partners, including regional Early Learning Hubs, the Department of Early Learning and Care and a variety of early care and key education partners. 
• Strengthen connections across public, private, nonprofit and community systems impacting early education.
• Represent the Foundation in communities and forums statewide as a champion of early care and education and systems improvement. 
• Contribute and collaborate across Foundation departments to more deeply integrate and align efforts.

 Grant Development and Management  

• Build and manage a portfolio of grants.  
• Prepare grant recommendations for review at the appropriate staff, committee or board level.  
• Coordinate complex projects and develop, implement, manage and evaluate strategic community programs; and
• Partner with evaluation experts to design a method for monitoring, checking and adjusting the effectiveness of the Foundation’s investments; create and maintain systems to track progress and ensure that timelines and benchmarks are met. 

Required Competencies and Skills

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the field of early care and education. 
• A bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree in early childhood, education or other relevant field preferred. 
• Strong knowledge of early care and education systems. 
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: early childhood development (birth to five), childcare, preschool and other care and education support settings.
• Experience in public policy related to early childhood is a plus; desire and commitment to learning required if new to policy work. 
• Experience in building and maintaining relationships with early educators, parents, community, technical experts and advocacy organizations.
• Commitment to rural issues and community-based efforts; familiarity with or direct experience in the rural communities of Oregon or Northern California would be an advantage.  
• Outstanding interpersonal skills are key; we are a foundation that highly values an approachable style, humility, compassion for the children and families being served, empathetic listening skills and the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders.  
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, collegial and team-oriented environment where a willingness to “roll up your sleeves” to get the job done is central to the culture. 
• Comfort with ambiguity and the challenge of forging a path forward when information is imperfect and milestones may not be clear.  
• Exceptional project management skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a confident presence across social media, radio and conference engagements. 
• Skilled in crafting and delivering concise, impactful content that makes complex ideas accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
• Good judgment and discretion, especially in external-facing roles. 
• Skillful handling of multiple relationships is critical.  

Physical Demands of Job Duties and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk and hear. This position is fairly active and requires long periods of standing, sitting, keyboarding and occasional driving. The employee would rarely lift or move items over 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. While performing duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a normal office environment with some exposure to the outside environment. This position is rarely exposed to dust, odors, water, fumes and noise. Work is always performed in a safety-conscious manner. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals to perform essential functions.

It is the policy of The Ford Family Foundation to treat applicants and employees without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.