Job Description

The GitLab Foundation is supporting people to grow their lifetime earnings through education, training, access to employment, and systems change on a global scale. Through our investments, we support people who live below a living wage to significantly grow their income; our North Star goal is to maximize increases in lifetime earnings for every dollar we invest. Our vision is of a world in which one million more people can afford a better life. The GitLab Foundation is an independent private foundation affiliated with GitLab, Inc. Funding for the foundation is provided by GitLab, Inc., its CEO, Sytse ‘Sid’ Sijbrandij, and by select institutional donors. This year, we anticipate deploying a minimum of $20M in philanthropic grantmaking and impact investing. You can learn more about us by viewing our website and public handbook.

Our Team

We are building a talented, diverse group of leaders working in a highly collaborative start-up environment as we develop an innovative foundation and a portfolio of global investments. We believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences will help us create the strongest team possible and that our team should include members from philanthropy, front-line nonprofits, the private sector, research institutions, and beyond. We strive to build a culture of respect, curiosity, transparency, compassion, experimentation, debate, rigor, and a bias for action through our organizational values.

Your Role

The Program Officer will manage a diverse portfolio of grants, working closely with nonprofit organizations, community groups, peer funders, and other stakeholders to foster partnerships and collaborations that maximize program outcomes. This role involves a blend of strategic thinking and operational execution, requiring the individual to oversee the grant lifecycle and engage in active field research, strategic planning, and design of funding partner collaboratives. Flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves to support in ways big and small will make you an ideal candidate. The Program Officer will report to the Sr. Program Officer.

Key Responsibilities

Solicit, shape, vet, recommend, and monitor investments 

• Build strong, authentic relationships with potential and current grantees, ensuring understanding of GitLab Foundation program direction, goals, and expectations
• Partner closely with potential grantees to solicit, co-design, and shape investments for maximum impact towards our North Star
• Ensure appropriate due diligence of potential grantees, including compliance, capacity, and capability vetting
• Manage administration of grants, including grant agreements, interim reporting, and grant close-out activities
• In partnership with the Impact Measurement and Analytics team, ensure appropriate impact monitoring and evaluation of investments, balancing the Foundation’s desire for rigor and sharing of learnings with the administrative burden to grantees
• Advance proposals to executive leadership in alignment with portfolio strategy; create reports and presentations for the leadership team and GitLab Foundation Board, as needed

Design effective grantmaking strategies

• Contribute to the overall strategic direction of GitLab Foundation and any assigned core portfolio(s)
• Develop evidence-based, integrated, and collaborative strategies to support increases in lifetime earnings
• Stay abreast of research, trends, and advancements in economic mobility across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors; distill and translate market research findings to inform and influence stakeholders and strategy
• Contribute lessons learned and insights to the GitLab Foundation Handbook, to inform the broader community on our achievements, failures, and learnings

Build and nurture relationships to extend our influence and impact

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with peer funders and key decision makers; uncover areas of shared interest with the goal of designing or participating in co-investment activities 
• Actively solicit and gain insights from grantees, to ensure the Foundation remains attuned to end-user problems and lived experience to inform our priorities and shape our investments

• Facilitate connections and collaborations between grantees, partners, and other actors in the ecosystem to leverage resources, share learnings, and amplify impact
• Represent the foundation at key events and public forums, articulating the Foundation’s vision, program strategies, and impact
• Advance proposals to executive leadership in alignment with portfolio strategy; create reports and presentations for the GitLab Foundation Board, as needed

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Personal Attributes

• 8+ years of experience in a similar foundation, frontline nonprofit, or private sector role, including staff management experience
• Demonstrated mission- and impact-orientation
• Strong relationship-building and consultation skills
• Subject matter expertise related to economic mobility, workforce development, adult upskilling, job placement and career pathing, or other relevant areas
• Strong research and quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, including the ability to translate insights to non-experts
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable with giving and receiving feedback for improvement
• Experience with human-centric design and agile ways of working is a plus
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment and take the initiative on tasks and challenges when presented 
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence, integrity, humility, and a commitment to transparency and active listening

Requirements, Compensation, and Benefits*

• Fully remote (must be based in one of the Foundation’s geographic markets: US, Colombia, or Kenya)
• Full-time exempt position (subject to country-specific guidelines)
• Salary Range: $100,000 to $140,000 annually, depending on experience, geographic location, and other considerations (performance-based).
• Health, dental, and vision benefits (100% of premium covered for team members, their spouses, and dependents)
• 401k: 10% of salary (employer contribution)
• Unlimited vacation time, sick time, and other paid time off 
• Additional benefits offered to team members, including professional development resources
• Anticipated travel: up to 10-15% of the time 

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample related to the role requirements (1 to 2 pages) to demonstrate your ability to write clearly and succinctly. Submit all three documents in one PDF, Google Doc, or Word document to [email protected] by EOD May 2, 2024. 

Candidates may learn more about the GitLab Foundation’s hiring process here. Please note that due to the volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every candidate. Candidates selected for an initial interview will be contacted by Elicia Wilson, Director of Operations, by May 15, 2024.

The GitLab Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to sustaining a diverse team with a work environment that is welcoming, respectful and encouraging to all. 

*The salary range and benefits published in this job posting are for US-based locations only. Non-US-based candidates selected for an initial interview will receive a country-specific salary range and benefits before the interview.