Job Description
A little bit about us…
The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) is a public/private partnership initiated by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care. Its mission is to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. During its 34 years of service, VHCF’s nimble approach and results-oriented initiatives have enabled more than 900,000 Virginians to obtain needed health care.
A little bit about the role!
VHCF is seeking two Program Officers to lead portfolios of grants focusing on Medicaid/FAMIS outreach and enrollment (Program Officer, Health Coverage Initiatives) and mental health access (Program Officer, Health Access). VHCF Program Officers (PO) are the key staff on the grantmaking team. Each PO is responsible for managing an assigned portfolio of grants, providing technical assistance to support grantees’ success, exploring new opportunities, and elevating health care services and coverage throughout the Commonwealth. The Program Officer, Health Access reports to VHCF’s Chief Impact and Program Officer.
The Health Access team practices venture philanthropy, ensuring that it invests in well-designed initiatives that increase access to primary medical, dental, and mental health services, and demonstrate long-term financial viability. This team manages a semi-annual grant cycle and periodic special initiatives.
What’s unique about the role of Program Officer- Health Access?
- A core focus of the portfolio is leadership of the It Takes a Village ( ITAV) maternal mental health initiative, a collaborative effort to provide perinatal counseling and improve maternal mental health outcomes across the Commonwealth.
- The work invites curiosity and analytical rigor, requiring the Program Officer to explore complex issues, ask thoughtful questions, and develop a deep understanding of proposed initiatives and the challenges facing health access organizations, applicants, and grantees.
- The PO, Health Access will also manage a portion of the Foundation’s broader Health Access grant portfolio, initially focused on mental health-related initiatives.
- Strong persuasive writing skills and comfort with iterative editing are essential to this role, including the ability to distill complex ideas into clear, compelling analysis and refine written work through collaborative feedback.
All VHCF Program Officers are responsible for:
Management of an Assigned Grant Portfolio
- Reviewing grant proposals and requests for continuation funding submitted to the Foundation and conducting necessary follow-up to assess soundness of program design and alignment with key criteria.
- Providing support and technical assistance to grantees, through regular site visits, phone calls, and emails (including monitoring a listserv).
- Designing and conducting regular grantee meetings, workshops, and orientations.
- Reviewing grantee progress reports, including budget and outcome data.
- Preparing and presenting funding recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Training and Technical Assistance
- Designing and leading workshops, trainings, and Roundtables.
- Developing relevant and valuable content for, and distributing, a quarterly newsletter.
Stakeholder Relationships and Collaboration
- Preparing and submitting grant-related reports to VHCF funders, as appropriate.
- Working with Fund Development staff to prepare proposals, social media content, and reports, and identify funding needs and/or opportunities.
- Actively and continually scanning the field with the goal of understanding challenges and opportunities.
- Seeking opportunities to highlight and promote the work of VHCF’s grantees and their positive impact on the individuals and communities they serve.
- Identifying potential partners, opportunities for collaboration, and possible synergies with organizations, experts, and other stakeholders.
Organizational and Project Support
- Supporting negotiation, development, and implementation of grant agreements and budgets.
- Participating in Program Officer meetings, VHCF staff meetings, and activities.
- Participating in and providing support for VHCF special initiatives and events.
- Special projects, as appropriate.
We are excited about you because you…
- Bring at least three years of relevant experience in health service administration or delivery, public policy, public health, human services, or nonprofit operations.
- You hold a Bachelor’s degree. Bonus points for an advanced degree in public health, public administration, public policy, health administration, or social work.
- Have strong analytic and communication skills, and the ability to write clearly and succinctly under time pressure and to make well-organized verbal presentations.
- Enjoy the human elements of collaboration: building trust and rapport, navigating grantee relationships and challenges, and strengthening working relationships over time.
- Can think creatively and strategically about the broad goals of the Foundation, while remaining focused on detail-oriented work and follow-through.
- Are mission-driven, intellectually curious, and a proactive seeker of solutions.
- Take initiative and do not accept the status quo.
- Are willing to travel throughout the state on day trips (5-10) and overnights (1-4) for yearly site visits and annual conferences that align with the position’s area of focus.
- Are a self-starter who thrives in a hybrid work environment.
This role might not be a fit if…
- You prefer execution-focused work with defined, predictable task lists.
- You have a strong preference for working “in the weeds” or only big picture, and dislike toggling between the two.
- You prefer heads-down work with minimal interpersonal interaction.
- You want to solve straightforward problems with clear answers – often this work requires sustained effort or multiple approaches.
Reasons it pays to work for VHCF (in addition to the pay itself)…
- A collegial and engaging workplace with talented, mission-driven colleagues
- Comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and disability insurance
- 403(b) retirement contribution
- Paid parental leave
- Generous paid time off and 13 paid holidays
- Hybrid work environment
Don’t meet every single requirement? At VHCF, we are dedicated to recruiting, developing, and retaining talented individuals from a broad candidate pool, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with 100% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to still apply. Our hiring philosophy looks to weed people INTO our process, not weed them out! Who knows, you may be just the right candidate for a future role at VHCF. Just go for it… submit your resume!
