Program Officer

Pritzker Group • Full-time • Chicago, IL, US • $120k - $130k / year • 2m ago

The J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation (“Pritzker Family Foundation” or “the Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by J.B. and M.K. Pritzker and committed to furthering its charitable mission through advancing social and economic justice and equity. Each area of focus was selected in response to significant inequities in those systems and reflects the Foundation’s deep desire to foster more just and equitable outcomes. In alignment with its charitable mission, the Foundation’s grantmaking supports three core areas: early childhood, community health, and civil and human rights.

Illinois Initiative Focus Areas – Summary

The Illinois Initiative of the Pritzker Family Foundation, headquartered in Chicago, furthers its charitable purpose by advancing community health and civil and human rights across the state. The Illinois Initiative seeks to address disparities, expand access to essential services, and foster long-term systemic change in historically marginalized communities. The Foundation works to promote justice, dignity, and well-being for all.

The Pritzker Community Health Initiative focuses on improving health outcomes for Illinois residents by addressing critical gaps in care through four key strategies:

Health and Housing: Creating systems of care for individuals experiencing homelessness with high needs that frequently interface with healthcare and justice systems by increasing housing units, deploying clinical and behavioral services, and supporting community-driven solutions.
HIV/AIDS: Supporting the Getting to Zero Illinois plan to eliminate new HIV infections by 2030, with a focus on expanding healthcare and housing services for at-risk populations, including LGBTQ+ youth and transgender individuals.
Public Benefit Access: Improve family economic security and reduce poverty by increasing enrollment in key public benefit programs and facilitating multi-benefit access.
Birth Equity: Strengthening reproductive health access, with a focus on equitable maternal and child health outcomes.

The Pritzker Civil and Human Rights Initiative works to advance justice and equity through two main efforts:

Women’s Justice: Reducing the women’s prison population in Illinois by 50% by 2030 through gender responsive programming that diverts women from incarceration, reduces harm during incarceration, and reduces recidivism.
Immigration: Promoting universal legal representation for individuals in removal proceedings in the Chicago Immigration Court, aiming to reduce deportations and family separations by 50% by 2030.

The Opportunity

The Pritzker Family Foundation is seeking a mission-driven, strategic, and results-oriented Program Officer to lead and implement key strategies within the Foundation’s Illinois Initiative. Aligned with the Foundation’s charitable purpose, the Program Officer will advance:

The Getting to Zero Illinois plan to eliminate new HIV infections by 2030, focusing on at-risk populations like LGBTQ+ youth and transgender individuals.
Universal legal representation in the Chicago Immigration Court to reduce deportations and family separations.
Public benefits to reduce poverty and improve economic security.

The ideal candidate is a systems thinker who can drive integrated strategies across multiple focus areas. While experience in immigration and public benefits is valuable, the Foundation is particularly seeking a Program Officer with deep expertise in LGBTQ+ health and policy, including issues related to HIV/AIDS, as this knowledge will be critical to advancing the Getting to Zero Illinois plan and other key initiatives.

Additionally, the candidate should have firsthand experience and a nuanced understanding of communities across Illinois, including Chicago, Cook County, and/or central and downstate regions. This regional awareness will be essential for building strong partnerships and driving impact statewide.

The Program Officer will collaborate with stakeholders, partners, and community leaders to develop, implement, and refine strategies that drive systemic change. The Program Officer will represent the Foundation in diverse settings, requiring expertise in relationship building and strategic thinking. They need strong oral and written communication skills to effectively reach diverse audiences and present information clearly.

The Program Officer will develop and manage a portfolio of grants, support partner organizations, and ensure that these partnerships effectively advance the Foundation’s strategies. They will also track progress, evaluate the impact of initiatives, and contribute to ongoing strategy refinement to align with the Foundation’s mission and goals.

Reporting to the Director of Illinois Initiatives, the Program Officer will be part of a 3-member team and work closely with the Foundation President, Director of Communications and Community Initiatives, and Grants Manager.

Candidate Profile

The Program Officer will possess a strong blend of strategic thinking, results-oriented execution, entrepreneurial spirit, and collaborative partnership-building skills. In alignment with the Foundation’s charitable purpose, they will bring expertise in one or more of its core focus areas—eliminating HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ health and policy, public benefits, or immigration—while demonstrating a deep commitment to advancing justice and equity. They will have experience developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that drive meaningful change, working across the nonprofit, private, and public sectors. Experience in Chicago, Cook County, and/or central and downstate regions is preferred, as the Program Officer will engage with stakeholders and partners across these communities.

Mission-Driven & Strategic Leader

The Program Officer will be motivated by the Foundation’s charitable mission to advance social and economic justice and equity and bring a systems-change mindset to address structural inequities and expand access to critical resources for historically marginalized communities. With expertise in community health, LGBTQ+ health and policy, immigration, and/or public benefits, they will navigate complex policy landscapes to drive sustainable impact. A strategic and analytical thinker, the Program Officer will support grantees and partners in achieving measurable outcomes while working with the Director of Illinois Initiatives to refine strategies as needed. They will navigate challenges with a solutions-oriented approach and build trust-based relationships with stakeholders to advance the Foundation’s mission.

Entrepreneurial and Results-Oriented

The Program Officer will bring an entrepreneurial mindset and a strong focus on measurable outcomes. They will manage complex large-scale projects by aligning program development, service delivery, and policy processes for lasting impact. Highly organized and resourceful, they will approach challenges with creativity, sound judgment, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Using data-driven analysis, they will track progress, assess performance, and inform decision-making. In partnership with the Illinois Initiatives Director, they will refine strategies to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s charitable purpose and goals.

Collaboration and Partnership-Building

The Program Officer will have a proven track record of building successful, value-added collaborations with a diverse range of stakeholders, including nonprofit organizations, community and system leaders, and policy advocates. They will excel at building strong, authentic partnerships, guiding those partners to develop and implement creative, collaborative strategies. The Program Officer will demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team, exhibiting flexibility and a collaborative approach that extends both within the Foundation and externally with partners and stakeholders. Their capacity to foster cross-sector collaboration and build consensus will be critical in driving the Foundation’s charitable mission forward.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Illinois Initiatives Director to develop, refine, and implement grant-making strategies aligned with the Foundation’s goals.
Proactively identify and assess grant opportunities that advance Illinois Initiatives' strategic priorities.
Conduct due diligence on potential grantees – reviewing proposals, financials, and organizational capacity.
Draft, review, and edit grant-related documents, including investment recommendations, memos, and reports.
Coordinate with Grants Managers to process agreements and payments, ensuring compliance and timeliness with the support of legal and finance teams.
Contribute to the development and refinement of evaluation criteria to assess grant effectiveness and impact.
Share accountability for meeting annual grant-making and investment targets, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s mission.
Build and maintain relationships with peer grant-makers, nonprofit leaders, and public/private sector partners to foster collaboration.
Participate in board and staff meetings, as well as relevant convenings, providing insights on grant-making activities.
Other duties as assigned. Regular on-site attendance is required.

Compensation

$120,000-$130,000, depending on relevant experience. We offer a base and bonus program, alongside comprehensive benefits.

All qualified candidates should apply with a cover letter describing their interest and a copy of their resume to recruiting@pritzkergroup.com

Pritzker Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Unsolicited resumes will become the property of Pritzker Group. No phone calls, please. Pritzker Family Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, political affiliation, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.