Menlo Park, CA

The Organization

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, is seeking an Organizational Development Officer.

About the Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation helps people build measurably better lives.  The Foundation concentrates its resources on programs in education, environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, as well as grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About the Human Resources Department

The Human Resources team supports the Foundation’s work by providing strategic vision for the organization’s HR goals, leading efforts to sustain and evolve the organizational culture, and developing and overseeing policies, programs, and services that support organizational and employee objectives. HR serves as a consultant to senior management and all other employees. Beginning with the recruitment process, our goal is to see that employees are challenged with meaningful work; that they have access to ongoing professional development and learning; and that they thrive in and contribute to a collegial and engaging organizational culture.

Position Overview

The Organizational Development Officer reports to the Director of Human Resources and will be primarily responsible for supporting the ongoing development of individuals and strengthening the organization’s overall culture.  This includes identifying training and development priorities for staff, developing a multi-year plan, and assessing progress along the way.  Areas of staff development include leadership, management, and other professional training.  This position will work closely with the HR team, other administrative departments, and the Foundation’s organizational learning officer, whose role focuses on learning specific to grant making. It will also take the lead for other initiatives and programs, such as the alumni network, Foundation fellows program, and performance management. The Organizational Development Officer is expected to stay current with developments and successful practices in HR and technology, and be comfortable operating at both a strategic and hands-on level.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with the Human Resources team and other colleagues to sustain and strengthen a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
• Build strong and thoughtful relationships with all staff to better understand and support the Foundation’s needs.
• Identify needs for leadership, management, and other professional development; design, develop, and deliver programs to meet those needs. Monitor and continually improve the effectiveness of these programs to ensure overall impact and value.
• Oversee content and delivery methods for training and development, whether provided in-house or through external resources; serve as facilitator when appropriate.
• Provide ongoing resources and support for staff, connecting them to external or internal learning opportunities.
• Stay current on developments in leadership, management and organizational development; serve as resource to the HR team.
• Work with HR and others to ensure the performance management strategy and process supports organizational objectives.
• Use identified development needs to inform training and learning priorities.
• Develop and oversee the Foundation’s alumni program; identify opportunities to connect with and learn from former employees, particularly term-limited program staff.
• Serve as HR advisor to the Fellows program.
• Contribute to the success of the Human Resources department by handling other projects as needed.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree in organizational development preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in organizational development or talent management or HR generalist with broad experience in subject matter and methods of organizational development and change management.
• Knowledge of trends and successful practices and applications in organizational development and learning.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with high social and emotional intelligence.  Ability to listen well and build strong relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Appreciation of and ability to work effectively across diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience successfully planning and managing projects and associated communication within a highly collaborative environment.
• Experienced meeting facilitator and designer of effective learning sessions and meetings.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with strong presentation and training skills.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to work through solutions when there is no obvious path. Optimism in the face of challenging problems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and other presentation applications.
• Strong organizational skills. Proficiency in prioritizing assignments, handling multiple complex assignments, and setting and meeting deadlines with an orientation toward results and resolution.
• Personal integrity, excellent judgment, and flexibility.
• Ability to think strategically and work independently; strong initiative to implement change.
• Willingness and inclination to receive feedback and incorporate it into better performance and work product.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to spend extended hours at the computer. This position requires moderate levels of domestic travel.