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Senior Impact Assessment & Learning Officer at The James Irvine Foundation

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income workers across California.

By The Sustainability Grid Desk

Location California, United States

Type Full-time

Experience Senior Level

Deadline Not specified

About the Company

Founded in 1937, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.92 billion in grants to organizations throughout California. The Foundation ended 2025 with $3.6 billion in assets and distributed $160.2 million in grants.

Its current mission focuses on building a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically.

The Opportunity

The James Irvine Foundation is seeking a Senior Impact Assessment & Learning Officer to support strategic learning, evaluation, and impact assessment across the organization.

Reporting to the Director of Impact Assessment and Learning, the successful candidate will collaborate with grantmaking teams, foundation leadership, grantees, and external partners to strengthen organizational learning and improve decision making.

The role is designed for an experienced learning strategist who enjoys facilitating collaboration, developing learning frameworks, and translating evidence into practical strategies that strengthen impact.

What You'll Do Strategic Learning and Impact Assessment

Lead and facilitate strategic learning across grantmaking initiatives.

Support assessment and learning activities that strengthen organizational decision making.

Implement learning strategies aligned with the Foundation's Impact Assessment and Learning Framework.

Advising Grantmaking Teams

Serve as a trusted advisor to Initiative Directors and program teams.

Guide program teams throughout evaluation and learning processes.

Recommend appropriate learning tools, methodologies, and resources.

Organizational Learning

Create opportunities for cross-initiative and cross-portfolio learning.

Support institutional learning initiatives that encourage reflection and adaptation.

Identify and communicate emerging insights that can strengthen grantmaking practices.

Facilitation and Stakeholder Engagement

Design and facilitate workshops, convenings, and peer learning sessions.

Collaborate with staff, grantees, consultants, and external partners.

Create environments that encourage dialogue, reflection, and shared learning.

Equity and Inclusion

Ensure that evaluation and learning practices are implemented equitably.

Support approaches that place communities and stakeholders at the center of decision making.

Integrate equity and inclusion principles throughout assessment and evaluation activities.

Requirements Professional Experience

• Experience facilitating workshops, convenings, and peer learning activities.
• Experience developing learning agendas, materials, and knowledge products.
• Experience supporting strategic learning and organizational adaptation.
• Experience managing multiple priorities across teams.
• Previous experience working within complex organizations is highly desirable.

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of learning and evaluation practices.
• Knowledge of systems change and organizational learning.
• Understanding of social movements and institutional change.
• Experience in applied social science is preferred.
• Philanthropic experience is an advantage.

Professional Strengths

• Strong relationship-building skills.
• Excellent facilitation and consultation abilities.
• Comfort working in ambiguous and evolving environments.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Mindset Fit

• Curiosity and creativity.
• Adaptability and flexibility.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion.
• Strong self-management and accountability.

Benefits and Perks

• Opportunity to influence one of California's most established philanthropic organizations.
• Collaboration with nonprofit leaders, researchers, policymakers, and community organizations.
• Exposure to high-impact grantmaking initiatives.
• Opportunity to shape organizational learning and evaluation practices.

Why This Role Matters

Philanthropic organizations are increasingly recognizing that long-term impact depends on continuous learning, adaptation, and evidence-based decision making.

This position sits at the center of those efforts, helping transform knowledge into action while ensuring that equity remains central to the Foundation's mission.