Program Associate, Education (GHR)

GHR Foundation - Minneapolis, MN; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

GHR Foundation in Minneapolis, MN seeks a Program Associate to provide high-quality grants management, program administration, and learning practice support for the Catholic Schools and Higher Education teams. You will manage grant life-cycle activities, assist with knowledge management, and help develop tools for data tracking and insights.

The role emphasizes collaboration within a matrixed team, delivering detailed work plans, budgets, and communications to stakeholders while maintaining

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years’ experience in relevant field required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook software required, with experience generating clear, concise reports and presentations using this software
• Cross cultural understanding and commitment to racial equity required.
• Strong organization and project management skills including the ability to anticipate workflow, handle multiple projects simultaneously, create/request clarity on multiple priorities, take initiative within a collegial work team and accomplish tasks under a deadline
• Strong analytical skills. Ability to mine data from proposals/reports and show correlation to strategy.
• Ability to manage projects and attend to multiple details.
• Embodies the values of GHR Foundation
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively work with, and relate to colleagues, grantees/ perspective grantees and community members at large
• Experience handling highly confidential matters in an appropriate manner
• Strong communications skills; ability to write clearly and concisely
• Experience with Microsoft PowerBI and grant-tracking software (e.g., GivingData) preferred but not required
• Program development or grant proposal review experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Grants management: facilitate and monitor the completion of grantee proposals, reporting and amendments, data capture, and internal program reporting requirements
• Perform initial review of grant proposals for compliance and completeness; ensure accurate grant records including coding and monitoring & assessment module
• Inform the structure and documentation of grants, funding guidelines, and application and reporting tools
• Manage grant data for assigned areas including data collection, reporting, and packaging for multiple audiences; support development of tools for data tracking and analysis
• Support and oversee initiative team use of technology and tools to ensure effective grants and knowledge management
• Support grantees as needed to improve grant execution and resolve questions or problems

Skills

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Cross-cultural understanding

Organization & project management

Analytical skills

Communications skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

PowerBI

Grant-tracking software (GivingData)

Job description

GHR Foundation is a private philanthropy of service to people and their limitless potential for good. Alongside our partners around the world, we re-imagine what’s possible when pursuing impact on issues related to Children in Families, Education, Alzheimer’s Disease and more.

For more than 50 years, the pioneering design-build legacy of Opus Group founders Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst (GHR) has guided our optimistic and transformational philanthropic approach. We exist to be of service to people and their limitless potential for good. To achieve GHR’s purpose, we are guided by shared values calling us to lead with love, reimagine what’s possible, partner boldly, navigate and adapt. In this way, our external impact extends beyond programmatic funding to influential leadership within philanthropy and across the social sector. Internally, we nurture an inclusive organizational culture centered around curiosity, courage, and trust that values both the individual and team.

Position Summary

The program associate provides high-quality grants management, program administration and learning practice contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of the program department in achieving its impact goals. Program associates are part of a core grants management and learning team and deployed to specific initiatives and projects,both programmatic and operational.The program associate manages multiple projects and deadlines across different teams exhibiting critical thinking, effective communication, sound judgment, and seamless planning and execution. The associate's work is primarily internal with occasional interaction with grantees and partners.

This position will join the Catholic Schools and Higher Education teams specifically and contribute to other cross-cutting projects.

Reporting and Collaborative Relationships

The program associate has a direct reporting line to the Senior Director, and dotted line to program area lead for Education. The position is highly matrixed and is also expected to take direction from and collaborate with other team members.

Primary Responsibilities

The program associate is responsible for processing and monitoring a portfolio of grants throughout the life cycle from application to closure; managing knowledge and data for assigned initiatives to generate insights in support of strategic review and refinement; providing high-level administrative management of annual work plans and activities for assigned initiatives; and,contributing to strategy, learning, and continuous improvement efforts. Responsibilities generally include:

Grants management

• Facilitate and monitor thecompletion of grantee proposals, reporting and amendments, quantitative and qualitative data capture, and any internal program reporting requirements
• Perform initial review of grant proposals for compliance and completeness; ensure accurate and complete initial grant record including coding and monitoring & assessment module
• Inform the structure and documentation of grants, funding guidelines, and application and reporting tools
• Manage grant data for assigned areas including data collection, reporting, and packaging for multiple audiences; and supporting the development and implementation of tools for data tracking and analysis, both internal and with grantees as appropriate
• Support and oversee initiative team use of technology and tools to ensure effective and efficient grants and knowledge management
• Support grantees as needed to improve grant execution, and to resolve questions or potential problems that arise

Program administration

• Draft and monitor initiative work plans and budgets
• Initiate regular team meetings in assigned areas and generate agenda to review status of portfolio, coding and compliance, scenario planning, work plans and budget
• Prepare and coordinate production of materials including draft memos, spreadsheets, reports and presentations; liaise with other team members on assignments; produce high-quality materials with consistent formatting and editing; copy and distribute materials as appropriate
• Plan, coordinate and manage grantee/stakeholder meetings and events including calendaring, scheduling, logistics, travel and associated communication; manage all pre- and post-event activities to ensure well-coordinated and seamless execution; use technology effectively
• Monitor and reconcilegrant and administrative budgets for assigned areas
• Support team use of technology and tools through training

Learning practice

• Draft funding recommendations, and initial review and summary of grantee reports for senior program officer review
• Conductinitial assessment of proposals identifying strategic alignment, primary learning questions and areas for knowledge sharing for senior program officer review
• Initiate team meetings and generate agenda to reflect on initiative portfolio, including grant and portfolio review, data and analysis on hand, lessons learned from activities to date, all to generate insights in support of continuous learning and improvements to strategy and process; capture lessons and next steps and incorporate into forward work plans
• Foster opportunities to gather team, grantee, partner and broader stakeholder feedback; capture and share learning across teams

Qualifications

The program associate has an active curiosity and passion for philanthropy, and a genuine commitment to support a team to ensure customer focus and the achievement of high-quality work.

• Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years’ experience in relevant field required;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook software required, with experience generating clear, concise reports and presentations using this software
• Cross cultural understanding and commitment to racial equity required.
• Strong organization and project management skills including the ability to anticipate workflow, handle multiple projects simultaneously, create/request clarity on multiple priorities, take initiative within a collegial work team and accomplish tasks under a deadline
• Strong analytical skills. Ability to mine data from proposals/reports and show correlation to strategy.
• Ability to manage projects and attend to multiple details.
• Embodies the values of GHR Foundation
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively work with, and relate to colleagues, grantees/ perspective grantees and community members at large
• Experience handling highly confidential matters in an appropriate manner
• Strong communications skills; ability to write clearly and concisely
• Experience with Microsoft PowerBI and grant-tracking software (e.g., GivingData) preferred but not required
• Program development or grant proposal review experience preferred

Working Conditions

This is a typical office environment in which employees use office equipment like personal computers, , copiers, telephones; stand or sit at a desk for long periods of time (2-3) hours; may need to lift and move documents and supplies (not to exceed 25 lbs.); and bend to file or retrieve documents. Occasional local and domestic travel may be required.

GHR is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or any other status protected by state or local law for an individual who falls within the jurisdiction of such law.

We respect and seek to empower each individual and support the diverse cultures, perspectives, skills and experiences within our workforce.