Education Program Officer (SFF)

The Stolte Family Foundation - Seattle, WA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% medical and dental coverage

401K match

Flex Spending Account

Charitable matching grants

Job summary

The Stolte Family Foundation seeks an experienced Education Program Officer in Seattle, WA, to lead its education grantmaking, focusing on community engagement and educational equity. The role involves managing a $6.8 million grant portfolio and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to implement strategic initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes.

The ideal candidate should have strong project management skills, experience in the education sector, and a commitment to racial and social justice initiatives. A supportive work environment that values diverse perspectives is offered, along with a competitive benefits package including full medical coverage and 401K matching.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to narrowing the opportunity and achievement gaps.
• Understanding of community-based approaches and collaborative learning.
• Experience in advancing racial equity and social justice.

Responsibilities

• Steward a three-year, $6.8 million grant portfolio.
• Partner with communities of color and stakeholders.
• Develop and manage SFF’s education strategic initiatives.
• Monitor local and national education needs and trends.

Skills

Relationship management

Project management

Cultural competence

Writing skills

Communication skills

Community engagement

Education

8–10 years of relevant experience in education

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Education Program Officer

Our vision for this position

We are looking for an experienced education leader and relationship builder who demonstrates a personal and professional commitment to community change and education equity. The candidate understands the importance of building community relationships, demonstrates compassion and openness, and is excited to implement SFF’s new education strategy focused on family engagement, home visiting, and family advocacy. We want to bring an experienced voice to education tables of influence in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. A strong candidate brings credibility and experience working with communities of color, community organizations, and other key stakeholders across systems of education in Washington State (policy makers, education funders, school district leaders, etc.). Given our commitment to diversity and racial equity, the candidate must also be committed to advancing this work and possess knowledge, skills, and expertise that would enhance our work. The candidate must be able to thrive in a small team, working collaboratively as well as independently, demonstrating nimbleness in work environments.

The program officer, working under the guidance of the Executive Director and closely with foundation co‑founders, will be responsible for implementing our new education strategy and the administration of SFF’s education grantmaking process and investments. In addition, the program officer will assist with the development, management, and evaluation of SFF’s strategic initiatives, with an eye to new opportunities to make a meaningful impact at a systems level. The new team member will spend regular time working alongside a foundation co‑founder, as a thought partner and advisor. The ideal candidate should thrive in co‑learning environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary officer of the SFF education portfolio. Steward a three‑year, $6.8 million grant portfolio through implementation, relationship building, and evaluation.
• Partner with intermediaries, communities of color, and People of Color (POC)-led organizations, along with other community stakeholders to implement and strengthen our role in our education partnerships.
• Consider initiatives and innovative ways to serve the needs of the community. Develop a robust learning agenda and work with the SFF team to develop strategies for new initiatives and consider additional funding opportunities.
• Work with grantees on all aspects of the grant‑making process, including mid‑year and annual impact meetings, community engagement opportunities, reviewing new potential grantee organizations, developing realistic grant proposals that are within an organization’s capacity to deliver and within SFF’s current funding plans.
• Provide day‑to‑day management of grants, including reviewing letters of inquiry and applications, conducting due diligence, facilitating on‑site visits, and monitoring the status of grants. Also, contribute to ongoing maintenance of the grants database, grant files, and other grant‑related records.
• Identify education funding measures of success and regularly assess progress. Prepare briefs and impact reports for the SFF team focused on organizational impact.
• Attend, support, and lead learning on education topics at quarterly team meetings and retreats. Distill relevant information on a regular basis to keep the SFF team informed on key issues. Research relevant topics as determined by foundation leadership.
• Represent SFF goals and values at local collaborative funding circles, community events and convenings, meetings, forums, and public presentations. Attend regional and national learning opportunities, as appropriate, and speak on behalf of SFF at public events, when invited.
• Advance SFF as a leader in grantmaking with racial equity and social justice lens that narrows the opportunity and achievement gap.
• Leverage insights from community leaders, researchers, educators, funders, students, and families to inform SFF program outcomes and drive positive results.
• Monitor local, regional, and national needs and trends. Stay current on public policies and new research and maintain a knowledge base for relevant education program areas.
• Identify and facilitate partnership and co‑funding opportunities to advance SFF’s strategies.
• Participate in the general administration of SFF. Assist with writing, editing, and proofreading a variety of materials. Attend team meetings as needed or requested. Participate in SFF special events or projects as needed or requested.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to the field of education, including work to narrow the opportunity and achievement gaps.
• Understanding of community‑based and community‑led approaches to direct service and a positive reputation as an effective collaborator with key stakeholder groups in this field.
• An authentic commitment to collaborative learning and philanthropic advising.
• Experience with complex systems and different sectors, translating research into practice and a passion for including the perspectives of students, families, and practitioners throughout the work.
• Experience in advancing racial equity and social justice in an organization or communities.
• Solid understanding of service delivery, funding, advocacy, and system‑wide issues in the interest areas of the SFF education programs.
• Experience in equitable evaluation and measures of impact that align with success signals identified by community organizations.
• Experience or skills related to building strategy, tracking data, and short‑ and long‑term visioning for education results.
• Established relationships with the local education community, including service providers, funders, leaders, and key public policy employees positioned as decision‑makers for education improvement.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to effectively manage time, meet multiple competing deadlines, develop thoughtfully written materials, maintain a positive attitude under pressure, and manage budgets. Experience as a user of grant‑management or customer service software and tracking systems is a plus.

Skills and Strengths

• A commitment and skillset aligned with facilitative and shared learning. Able to utilize different approaches and tools to advance the foundation team’s education knowledge and engagement in the community.
• Ability to work effectively in a start‑up culture with a small and collaborative team. Self‑motivated and able to work independently.
• Professional yet approachable demeanor with strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills that effectively lead to building rapport and trust.
• Ability to work collaboratively with partner organizations and build a network of advisors and relationships to inform SFF.
• Ability to “think big” at the strategic level while also being able to focus and prioritize tactical goals.
• Ability to analyze, research, and review grant proposals, impact reports, and initiatives with creativity and mature judgment. Ability to synthesize research findings and identify implications for SFF’s strategy, as well as the broader education field.
• Open, flexible, and culturally competent when working with POC‑led community‑based organizations.
• Strong writing and oral presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively with diverse stakeholders such as practitioners, nonprofit organizations, teachers, researchers, and the foundation team.
• Highly experienced computer skills: proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Unwavering commitment to confidentiality.

Education and Experience

• Demonstrated skills, commitment, and track record in relationship management.
• Preferably 8–10 years of relevant experience, and a minimum of 5 years of experience in program design & management, strategy, and evaluation with multiple stakeholders from different disciplines preferably in the education arena.
• Previous grantmaking experience is not required, but valued, along with a demonstrated track‑record of effective relationships with POC‑led community organizations and local funders.

Field Work

With the recent completion of our education strategy, we are shifting to an implementation phase. As such, we expect that 30–40% of the Education Program Officer’s time will be spent in the field. Candidate must have access to reliable transportation for field work; mileage will be reimbursed. Because attendance at nonprofit fundraising and community events is an important part of relationship building, the Candidate must be willing and able to work occasional evenings and weekends (primarily during the Fall & Spring event seasons).

Compensation

Salary range is $110,000 - $140,000 (1.0 FTE), at .80 FTE the range is $88,000–$112,000. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits package is highly competitive with other private foundations and includes 100% Regence medical and dental coverage for employee and dependent children, a 401K match, Flex Spending Account for medical and dependent care, and employee charitable matching grants. Target start date is mid‑January 2020. Employees are required to sign a confidentiality and arbitration agreement.

The Stolte Family Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value and encourage a culture of diversity and celebrate our employees’ differences in age, color, race and ethnicity, gender identity or expression, language, physical ability, religion, sexual orientation, socio‑economic status, and veteran status. We strongly encourage candidates of color and other underrepresented groups to apply.