Position Description

For

Senior Program Officer, Environmental Programs

Margaret A. Cargill Foundation

www.macfoundation.org

On behalf of our client, The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, KeyStone Search is

conducting a retained search for a Senior Program Officer, Environmental
Programs.

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to providing

meaningful assistance and support to society, the arts, the environment, and all
living things. Margaret A. Cargill was a woman of incredible warmth and
uncommon generosity. The granddaughter of William Cargill, who co-founded
Cargill Inc., one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies, Ms. Cargill
donated a considerable amount of her wealth to causes that were dear to her.
Because her gifts almost always were made anonymously, she never was a
widely known name in philanthropic circles. She died on Aug. 1, 2006, in La
Jolla, Calif., her long-time home. At the time of her death, she was one of
Cargill’s largest shareholders.

Ms. Cargill provided that, upon her death, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation
would use her considerable wealth to continue support for those causes that
were important to her. The Foundation may support a broad range of charitable
purposes that were meaningful to Ms. Cargill, including the environment, the arts,
disaster relief, children, education, teachers, tolerance and conflict resolution,
families, animal care, American Indian culture and education, the elderly, and
health education for young people.
The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation does not currently accept unsolicited
requests for support. The Foundation is responsible for identifying appropriate
charitable organizations and making grants. Total assets for the Margaret A.
Cargill Foundation are approximately $2.1 billion.

The core values of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation:

Our Purpose
We, as stewards of Margaret’s vision, commit to compassion for those within our
organization and those in need who benefit from Margaret’s generosity. We daily
bring to this commitment our personal best to further the mission of the
foundation.

Our Respect and Integrity

We treat our colleagues and grantees with respect and consideration. We value
and welcome differences of opinion and take the time to listen with the intent of
understanding. We empower people to be self-sufficient. When issues arise, we
communicate directly to those who are impacted or who can affect change or
bring influence. We strive to build trust and maintain confidences.

Our Community
We foster a fun and positive work environment which creates team players who
readily gain support and commitment of others. We communicate honestly and
directly which resolves conflicts and allows the team to move forward. We pursue
outcomes that benefit the whole. We actively support organizational decisions.

Our Growth
We strive to stretch our abilities to meet challenging goals. We embrace change
as a means of growth and varying points of view as a learning opportunity. We
are committed to the mentoring and development of our people.

Our Life in Balance

We live full lives and value a balanced approach to work, family, and community
responsibilities.

The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation offices are currently located in Wayzata,

Minnesota but will relocate to Eden Prairie, Minnesota in fall 2010.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Program Officer is responsible for developing and managing one or
more grant-making subprograms of the Foundation’s work in ecosystem
conservation under the supervision of the Environmental Program Director, and
assisting the Environmental Program Director, other Foundation staff, and
trustees in building and managing an effective grant-making program. The
desired impact of the Environmental Program is to enable local communities to
sustain healthy ecosystems that perpetuate biodiversity and the ecosystem
services that support human well-being. The Foundation’s scope of interest is
global, across all habitat types.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Senior Program Officer, Environmental Programs will:

 Develop, evaluate, and refine the Environmental Program’s guidelines,

goals, and strategic plans in coordination with the Program Director.
Serve as the lead manager of one or more subprograms as assigned.
 Work with grantees on all aspects of the grant-making process, including
due diligence review of potential grantee organizations, developing
realistic grant proposals that are within their capacity to deliver and within
the Foundation’s current funding plans, and developing strategies for new
initiatives aimed at Foundation focus areas.
 Oversee active grants, track grantee progress, provide guidance and
assistance to grantees, review and analyze grantee reports. Develop and
use processes and technology to support efficient grant-making.
 Develop methods and systems for analyzing grant impact and
effectiveness for the purposes of accountability and learning by the
Foundation, individual staff members, grantees and peer organizations in
collaboration with the Program Director and the VP for Research and
Evaluation.
 Prepare written materials for Board and management review and prepare
and manage requests for proposals.
 Monitor external issues and trends in assigned focus areas.
 Represent the Program at meetings, forums, and public presentations, as
appropriate.
 Facilitate connections and partnerships across organizations and
institutions working on shared issues, in coordination with the Program
Director.
 Hire, train, and supervise staff as assigned.
 Research relevant topics as determined by the Program Director.
 QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess seven to ten years of relevant experience and a
minimum of five years experience in grant-making, preferably in the conservation
arena, and a demonstrated track-record of effective relationships with grantees
and fellow funders. They will possess strong skills in program development,
management and evaluation.

They will have a demonstrated commitment to the field of ecosystem

conservation and a positive reputation as an effective collaborator with key
stakeholder groups in the US and global conservation communities. Ideal
candidates will have a minimum of five years experience and working knowledge
of conservation work beyond the U.S. and a demonstrated ability to work
effectively in a range of cultural settings.

An undergraduate degree is required with a graduate degree preferred in a

related field. Fluency in one or more languages commonly used in international
conservation-in addition to English-is desirable.

Additional qualifications:

 Solid understanding of the technical and practical issues in one or more of

the Program’s chief interest areas (marine, terrestrial and freshwater
conservation, climate change adaptation, and environmental education).
 Strong project management skills including the ability to effectively
manage time, meet multiple competing deadlines, quickly develop written
materials, maintain a positive attitude under pressure, and manage
budgets.
 Experience as a user of grant-management software and tracking systems
(e.g., GIFTS).
 Strong interpersonal and written and spoken communications skills.
 Professional demeanor with proven ability to build collaborative
relationships.
 Self-motivated and able to work independently.
 Supervisory and program management experience.
 Ability to travel 20-40%, including extended (2-to-3 week trips)
international travel. During field visits, the employee may occasionally be
required to travel and live in wilderness or remote rural conditions, or to
travel by boat or small aircraft in order to access points or people of
interest.

COMPENSATION

The salary and benefits for this position are commensurate with experience and
competitive with similar foundations.
 CONTACT

Lars Leafblad, MBA Rebecca Yanisch, MBA

Principal Principal
Phone: 612-375-8989 Phone : 612-375-8841
Email: larsl@keystonesearch.com Email : rebeccay@keystonesearch.com

KeyStone Search is a prominent Minnesota executive search firm with a special

emphasis on corporate culture fit. www.keystonesearch.com