Program Officer - Youth Initiative

The Program Officer supports the Foundation’s integrated Youth strategy through strategic grantmaking, portfolio management, grantee partnership, and field learning. Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, this role manages a portfolio of grants focused on improving outcomes for young people facing adversity, including economic mobility, education-to-career pathways, housing stability, mental health supports, and related youth-serving systems. The Program Officer identifies and assesses potential grantees, supports proposal development and due diligence, monitors grant performance, and applies evidence and learning to portfolio decisions. The current Youth Initiative portfolio focuses on Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Mexico City and the role represents the Foundation with grantees, partners, public agencies, funders, and other stakeholders. 

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, proactive professional with experience in youth development and at least one of the Youth strategy’s core issue areas. They bring strong strategic thinking, humility, relationship management, analytical, organizational, and communication skills, along with experience using direct service, systems strengthening, advocacy, or research to advance meaningful outcomes. 

Portfolio Development, Implementation, and Monitoring

• Identify, assess, and cultivate grantees and partners that can advance the Youth Initiative strategy within assigned geographies.
• Manage the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, due diligence, compliance review, recommendations, board materials, monitoring, approved changes, and closeout.
• Partner with grantees to strengthen project design, outcomes, budgets, implementation, organizational capacity and fiscal health. and support effective implementation.
• Document grant activity, portfolio progress, key decisions, field learning and follow-up actions in the Foundation’s grantmaking and knowledge management systems.
• Use data, evaluation findings, youth and community voice, and field insights to recommend portfolio adjustments and future investments.
• Conduct site visits and travel to understand local context, develop relationships, identify opportunities, and monitor grants.

Strategic Support for the Initiative

• Partner with the Senior Program Officer and Youth Initiative team to plan, implement, and adapt the integrated strategy.
• Collaborate with internal teams to track progress, strengthen learning, and support cross-geography coordinates.
• Stay current on relevant research, policy, practice, and funding trends, and apply insights to strategy and portfolio decisions.
• Support convenings, field-engagement, consultants, and other work that strengthens grantee practice and advanced the initiative's goals.

Communications

• Prepare clear board materials, briefings, presentations, grantee communications, and internal updates.
• Synthesize portfolio learning, field insights, and grantee progress for internal and external audiences.
• Represent the Youth strategy with grantees, community partners, public agencies, funders, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• At least seven years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, public, philanthropic, or social-impact sector.
• Spanish language proficiency, with the ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish
• Demonstrated experience in youth development or youth-serving systems supporting young people facing adversity.
• Experience in at least one relevant issue area, such as workforce development, education-to-career pathways, housing stability, mental health, foster youth, or opportunity youth.
• Knowledge of relevant program and policy issues, field dynamics, and funding landscapes.
• Ability to manage a complex portfolio, assess partners and opportunities, set priorities, track progress, and adapt based on evidence and learning.
• Strong relationship-building and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Experience using grantmaking, knowledge management, or data systems to document work and inform decisions.
• Ability to follow the Foundation’s hybrid schedule of three days per week in Westlake Village—Monday through Wednesday—or reside in Mexico City and can travel to headquarters several times per year.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed to support organizational priorities and initiatives.
• Support routine administrative responsibilities as needed.

Preferred

• Experience in priority geography: Mexico City.
• Experience managing grants or philanthropic portfolios, including due diligence, recommendations, monitoring, and portfolio learning.
• Direct experience in a youth-serving nonprofit, public agency, school system, workforce intermediary, housing or mental health organization, or community-based organization.
• Experience working across systems that affect young people, including education, workforce, housing, behavioral health, child welfare, or justice-adjacent systems.
• Experience with employer partnerships, career pathways, or quality-jobs strategies for young people facing employment barriers.
• Candidates with lived experience related to the Youth strategy area are encouraged to apply.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work on-site at least three days each week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) according to the hybrid schedule policy.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Additional information

Founded by international hotelier Conrad N. Hilton in 1944, the Foundation invests in organizations tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, helping people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage. We think big about solutions, working in partnership with local communities to improve lives, strengthen systems, and bring meaningful change. The Foundation partners with organizations worldwide, with a special focus on Africa, South America, and the United States, including our home in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Foundation awards the world’s largest annual humanitarian prize for nonprofits — the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. For 30 years, the Prize has recognized nonprofit organizations setting a global benchmark for excellence and advancing the collective progress of humanity. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest and has awarded grants to date totaling more than $4 billion, with nearly $353 million in 2025. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.