POSITION: Program Director for Health, Behavioral Health, and Human Services
REPORTS TO: Vice President, Programs and Grants
LOCATION: New York, NY
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
WEBSITE: www.thenytrust.org
START DATE: November/December 2025
ABOUT US
The New York Community Trust is New York’s largest community foundation, serving New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. For more than 100 years, The Trust has brought together the local knowledge and diverse expertise of its team and nonprofit and philanthropic partners to support thriving and equitable communities and help donors champion the causes they love. The Trust makes approximately $200 million in grants each year from its charitable funds set up by individuals, families, foundations, and corporations.
The Trust is a regional philanthropic leader. It established the first donor-advised fund in 1931 and works at the forefront of critical causes, including education, health care, racial and gender equity, immigrant services, affordable housing, and LGBTQ+ rights. The Trust has also played a vital role in our region’s response to crises such as the AIDS epidemic, September 11th, and COVID-19.
Current Trust grantmaking strategies are available on our website.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Trust seeks a Program Director to manage its grantmaking in health, behavioral health, and human services. This Program Director has primary responsibility for systems-focused grants to (1) ensure that New York has an equitable, patient-focused, and cost-effective health and behavioral health care delivery system and (2) mitigate the effects of poverty, increase opportunity through effective services and public benefits, and reduce racial disparities.
In the health and behavioral health care portfolio, the Program Director will be responsible for grantmaking to monitor the effects of health care reform; build the capacity of New York City’s health, behavioral health, and human services sector; reduce health disparities between low-and higher-income neighborhoods; and foster independence of people with mental illness and substance use histories.
In the human services portfolio, the Program Director will be responsible for grantmaking to support research, policy, and programs that direct resources to alleviate hunger, homelessness, and poverty; move individuals to stability and independence; and build the capacity of government agencies and nonprofits serving low-income New Yorkers.
The Program Director is one of 13 members of the program staff responsible for developing and recommending grants to The Trust’s board of directors; each staff member is responsible for a unique set of priorities or geographic region. This position reports to the Vice President for Program and Grants and closely coordinates with other program staff. The individual will co-supervise a Program Associate.
The Program Director will need the skills and knowledge to identify strategic opportunities for short and long-term grant investments and exercise discretion and independent judgment accordingly. The Program Director is responsible not only for reviewing funding proposals from the competitive grants program but also for initiating projects to advance the mission of The Trust, respond to donors’ interests, and explore new areas for Trust involvement.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- maintain expertise on current and emerging issues and policy in New York City’s health, behavioral health, and human services sectors;
- collaborate with Trust staff, outside experts, and a network of professional contacts to develop strategies for grantmaking and initiate special projects;
- analyze and evaluate grant requests, including conducting background research and site visits with potential grantees;
- prepare numerous, succinct written grant recommendations for board meetings five times each year and throughout the year for grants that do not require board approval;
- monitor and track ongoing grants and initiatives, including evaluation and reporting internally and to the board;
- represent The Trust at workshops, public events, and in publications, as appropriate;
- work collaboratively with the donor, philanthropic initiatives, communications, and other departments within The Trust; and
- collaborate with Long Island and Westchester’s Program Directors on health policy issues when evaluating grantmaking opportunities in the eight-county region (New York City, Long Island, and Westchester).
Requirements
- At least 6 years of relevant full-time professional experience in the nonprofit, public, or private sectors and an advanced degree OR 10 years of relevant full-time professional experience and a bachelor’s degree.
- Robust work experience in a direct service and/or policy environment focusing on health, behavioral health, and human services.
- Substantive knowledge of issues affecting New York City’s health, behavioral health, and human services sectors.
COMPETENCIES
- Outstanding writing, organizational, speaking, and language skills.
- Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to meet frequent and competing deadlines.
- Ease in synthesizing and explaining complicated issues and programs.
- Ability to collaborate with staff, nonprofits, government agencies, and other funders.
- Navigate relationships with both successful and unsuccessful grant seekers.
COMPENSATION
The annual starting salary range for this position is $140,000 to $160,000, commensurate with the candidate's experience and education. Compensation market data for similar roles within the philanthropic sector inform this salary range. The Trust is committed to internal equity and transparency in compensation practices, ensuring that salaries are aligned with The Trust’s values and the contributions of each employee.
The position is on-site at our New York City office (Manhattan), and we adhere to a hybrid work model, which includes four days in the office and one remote day per week, as well as seasonal remote weeks and flexible remote days throughout the year. The Trust offers excellent benefits, including a pension plan, an 8% employer contribution to a 403(b)-retirement plan, partially subsidized medical insurance coverage, tiered medical plan offerings, generous paid time off, fully paid family bonding leave, and other benefits.
The Trust is a qualifying nonprofit organization defined by the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ("PSLF") Program. As such, Trust employees may claim their employment time on their PSLF application.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply through The Trust's HRIS platform, Paylocity. Please upload a cover letter and your resume as a single pdf document. After an initial review, candidates under consideration also will be asked for a writing sample. Please submit applications by Monday, September 15, 2025.
Due to the expected volume of applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. To maintain an equitable and transparent review process, Trust board and staff are unable to offer informational interviews or additional one-on-one insights to applicants either into the position or hiring process
The Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its recruitment and employment policies. In addition, The Trust will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities. We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility ("DEIBA") initiatives and identifying qualified candidates to support The Trust's mission, vision, and values.
In compliance with federal law, all individuals hired will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.