Senior Learning and Impact Officer

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascendium Education Group in Madison, Wisconsin is seeking a Senior Learning and Impact Officer to lead a portfolio of research and evaluation grants within the Planning, Learning, and Impact team.

You will apply your research and evaluation expertise to strengthen grantmaking and inform investments across Education Philanthropy, with a focus on workforce development and related areas. This role offers a hybrid schedule with in-office and remote work, travel 6–10 times yearly.

Qualifications

• Expertise in workforce development, apprenticeships, or sectoral training programs.
• Experience leading research and evaluation grants.
• Ability to translate findings into actionable learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of research and evaluation grants to inform strategy.
• Shape how Ascendium learns from investments across Education Philanthropy.
• Collaborate with teams and grant partners to understand what works and under what conditions.

Skills

Research & evaluation

Grant portfolio management

Learning analytics

Job description

Strong grantmaking requires more than investing in promising ideas. It requires asking the right questions, building evidence, and applying what we learn. As a Senior Learning and Impact Officer with thePlanning, Learning, and Impact team , you’ll put your research and evaluation expertise to work within Ascendium’sExpand Opportunity strategy , working alongside colleagues and grant partners to understand what works, for whom, and under what conditions. Your work will help strengthen our grantmaking and advance approaches that create more pathways to upward mobility for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Reporting to the Director of Learning and Impact, you’ll lead a portfolio of research and evaluation grants and help shape how we learn from our investments. Your expertise in workforce development, apprenticeships, sectoral training programs, or related areas will help inform investments in approaches that create more options for learners to access postsecondary education and workforce training that lead to living-wage employment in high-growth, high-demand fields. You’ll also collaborate across strategies and contribute to broader learning priorities throughout Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy.

The salary range for this position is $115,000 to $160,000.

This position is based in Madison, Wisconsin, where Ascendium Education Group is headquartered. Madison-based employees have a hybrid schedule, working three days in the office and two days remotely, which provides the opportunity for valuable in-person collaboration. While preference will be given to candidates based in Madison, a remote hire may be considered if no qualified Madison-based candidates can be identified.

Approximately half of the Education Philanthropy team works remotely from locations across the U.S. Not all locations are eligible for remote hire; eligibility depends on local and state tax and employment laws. Qualified candidates who are not based in Madison or able to relocate may apply and indicate as such but should be aware that preference will be given to Madison residency.

This position is expected to travel six to 10 times per year to conferences, grant partner events, site visits, home weeks, and other mission-aligned convenings.