Performing Arts Program Fellow

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, seeks a Fellow for its Performing Arts Program.  This is a two-year term position.

About the Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Foundation’s assets are currently more than $7.5 billion, with annual awards of grants and gifts totaling over $350 million. A thirteen-member Board of Directors provides overall direction for the Foundation. For more information about the Hewlett Foundation, please visit www.hewlett.org.

About the Performing Arts Program

The Performing Arts Program makes grants to sustain artistic expression and encourage public engagement in the arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bill and Flora Hewlett began with a commitment to support key performing arts organizations in San Francisco. With an annual budget of more than $14 million, the Hewlett Foundation’s diverse Performing Arts Program is now one of the Bay Area’s largest funders of the performing arts. This Program continues our founders’ core belief in the power of art to infuse life with meaning, value, and pleasure.

About the Fellowship

A Hewlett Foundation Fellowship allows an individual to enrich his or her understanding of philanthropy and of specific subject matter by engaging in all phases of grantmaking in the Foundation’s areas of interest. Over a two-year term, Fellows are assigned to one of the Foundation’s four programs or to its Effective Philanthropy Group, which supports strategic grantmaking, giving them the opportunity to learn from staff across the organization and from each other. Fellows work closely with the director, officers, and staff of the program/group to help implement its projects and ongoing grantmaking activities. They may be assigned either to work on a particular initiative or to provide their team with broader support: monitoring activities to ensure alignment with the program/group’s strategic plan and collaborating with team members to maintain the high quality of their work. 

Within the Performing Arts Program, the Fellow will provide support to various projects, grantmaking activities, and research.  Depending on the nature of the assignment, the Fellow will engage with peer funders, Program staff, and grantees. The Fellow will report to the Performing Arts Program Director and also work closely with three Program Officers.

Qualifications

• An undergraduate or advanced degree as appropriate in arts management, business, public policy, public affairs, or related disciplines.
• Intention to pursue further studies/formal training or professional experience that will enhance her/his skills in fields related to the Foundation’s program interests.
• Work experience in one or more of the Foundation’s areas of strategic interest.
• Excellent research and critical thinking skills and the ability to conceptualize, think creatively, and thoughtfully approach assigned projects.
• Demonstrated capability to present complex information in a compelling manner, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent organizational skills, with a demonstrated track record of consistently meeting deadlines.
• Independent initiative, a sense of humor, and a collegial spirit in sharing ideas and receiving feedback.
• Personal integrity, excellent judgment, and flexibility.
• Proficiency with technology tools and applications, including MS Office.

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 position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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

How to Apply

Please email a resume and cover letter explaining how your skills fit this position to the Human Resources Department at employment@hewlett.org (Subject Line: [Your Name] – Fellow, Performing Arts Program).

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search.