Adaptive Management and Evaluation Officer (Science) and Manager, External Evaluations

The Opportunity

The foundation is seeking a highly collaborative project leader with deep expertise in adaptive management, measurement, evaluation, and learning to join our Adaptive Management and Evaluation department as the Adaptive Management and Evaluation Officer (Science) and Manager, External Evaluations.

The Adaptive Management and Evaluation (AME) department advances the foundation's mission by helping program teams use evidence to set strategy, track progress, learn, and maximize impact. The department provides support in strategy development, measurement, evaluation, and learning; strengthens decision-making through fit-for-purpose data systems and analysis; facilitates program design, monitoring, and review processes; and manages foundation-wide efforts to align key business processes with the foundation's goals.

The Adaptive Management and Evaluation Officer (Science) and Manager, External Evaluations provides technical leadership in adaptive management, measurement, evaluation, and learning for the Science program. Science Program grantmaking spans the natural sciences and the science ecosystem, the latter encompassing informal science learning, evidence-informed decision making, and more. This role is well suited to someone with demonstrated experience in design, planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation who can help teams articulate strategies and pathways to meaningful and measurable results. 

As the AME Officer, you will partner closely with Science program colleagues and partners across and beyond the foundation, including other program and operational teams, consultants, senior leadership, external partners, and grantees. A major focus is the science enterprise: supporting work to understand and measure the conditions that enable discovery, including how policy, funding, and education interact with scientific progress, and helping identify useful signals such as researcher traits, collaboration patterns, and research design features.

As the Manager, External Evaluations, you will develop scopes of work; identify, select, and manage evaluation consultants; partner with consultants and internal stakeholders to produce high-quality deliverables; and provide and coordinate briefings and presentations to the foundation’s Board of Trustees. Success in this role requires sound technical judgment, exceptional project management skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships across a wide range of internal and external partners.

This role reports to the foundation’s Chief Adaptive Management and Evaluation Officer, and is based in Palo Alto, California, at the foundation’s main office. We operate under a hybrid work model that combines flexibility with meaningful in-person collaboration. Staff are required to work and reside within a reasonable driving distance of the Palo Alto office, and this role will work onsite in Palo Alto a minimum of four days each month. Additional on-site presence is required during the weeks of the May, August, and November board meetings and periodically throughout the year as business needs require. A fully remote work arrangement is not available for this position.

What You’ll Do

Support to the Science Program

• Facilitate program design and refinement, including developing theories of change, defining outcomes and indicators, and building monitoring approaches and systems.
• Advise on individual grant outcome plans for clarification on defining outcomes and measurement plans, when requested.
• In collaboration with the MEL Systems Officer and Data Analytics and Visualization Officer, provide technical support to program teams for data collection, analysis, and interpretation to track progress toward outcomes.
• Help plan and support internal strategy reviews, synthesizing evidence and highlighting implications for course correction.
• Identify and lead targeted learning activities that strengthen the Science program’s adaptive management practice.
• Conduct strategic analysis of program work to support implementation of the Science program’s framework and priorities.
• Scan, synthesize, and share analysis and research on emerging best practices in basic science grantmaking.
• In collaboration with the Chief AME Officer, lead work to define and operationalize science outcomes for individual basic science grants and for portfolios of grants/initiatives.
• To support transparent alignment, partner with each initiative, the Chief AME Officer, and the President to conduct an adaptive management diagnosis that identifies strengths and gaps for AME support. Develop a joint work plan to address findings; coordinate related communication among the initiative, AME, and the President; and update the audit annually.

Management of External Evaluations

• Lead the design, planning, and day-to-day management of external evaluations.
• Identify and select external evaluators aligned to each evaluation’s purpose, scope, and methodological needs.
• In collaboration with the relevant program director or officer, identify, recruit, and manage expert panelists for each external evaluation.
• Oversee monitoring system assessments to ensure teams have the measurement, evaluation, and learning systems in place they need to practice adaptive management and evaluations that are supported by reliable information.
• Draft and manage contracts for external evaluations, oversee budgets, and manage related consultants and deliverables.

Other Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and facilitation of foundation-wide adaptive management activities.
• Backstop other AME staff, as needed, to support adaptive management work across programs and functions.

What You Bring

Qualifications 

While we understand that there are multiple paths to developing specific expertise, our ideal candidate will likely have the following: 

• A graduate degree (preferably PhD) in a physical, biological, or social science field.
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience, preferably in project management and/or analysis related to the science enterprise.
• At least 15 years of experience conducting and/or managing external evaluations.
• Demonstrated expertise in project cycle management, adaptive management, impact measurement, and evaluation.
• Extensive experience working in a consulting capacity in support of other teams.
• Knowledge of philanthropy and grantmaking; familiarity with the scientific domains relevant to the foundation’s Science program is preferred.
• Experience working effectively with scientists and scientific teams.

Competencies

• Demonstrate a diplomatic demeanor, strong interpersonal skills, a can-do attitude, and excellent written and verbal communication.
• Maintain a flexible, solutions-oriented approach in a collaborative environment and remain effective amid ambiguity.
• Move with speed and efficiency and ability to pivot quickly between topics.
• Build trusted relationships and effectively motivate, influence, and delegate when appropriate.
• Think critically to identify, frame, and solve problems across varied contexts.
• Develop practical, innovative solutions to real-time challenges.
• Self-manage priorities and goals; coordinate deadlines and deliverables; and apply strong project management discipline.
• Communicate fluently with scientists and be conversant in the concepts and language used in scientific work.
• Work effectively across the Science program’s teams and maintain current knowledge of each team’s activities and priorities.
• Communicate effectively across media and audiences – written and verbal; one-on-one and group settings; and with senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.

Attributes

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following attributes that describe how we at the foundation strive to do our work with each other and our partners.

• Committed to Excellence - We bring our best to all we do.
• Passionate - Inspired by the vision of our founders, we are passionate about our work.
• Collegial - We are part of a team striving toward common goals.
• Open and Honest - We act with integrity, putting the good of the foundation first.
• Humble and Self-Aware - Emulating our founders, we bring a sense of humility to our work.

Compensation and Benefits

The Moore Foundation provides a generous total compensation package that includes a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits to support your life, health, and well-being.

The expected salary range for this position is between $265,000 and $335,000 per year. Our job titles and salary ranges may span more than one career level, and the salary offered to a candidate will be determined based on factors such as the position's scope and responsibilities, job-related knowledge and skill set, depth of experience, certifications and/or degrees, and our practice of upholding salary equity within the foundation.

Our health benefits include employer-paid options for medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents; a mental wellness program; paid parental leave; employer-paid disability and life insurance benefits; and pre-tax flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.

Other benefits include 6 weeks of paid time off per year and 10 paid holidays; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a foundation contribution of up to 10% and a Roth 401(k) option; a matching gifts program for qualifying charitable contributions; hybrid work arrangements and a home office stipend; and a commuter benefits program.

To support you in achieving your career goals, the foundation offers a professional development program to all benefits-eligible employees that includes an annual financial benefit of $5,000 and paid time off to participate in educational programs.

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