Associate Program Officer

Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Quincy (Boston), Massachusetts

OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND ON THE FOUNDATION

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation seeks applications and nominations for the position of Associate Program Officer.

As the largest public charity dedicated to improving academic achievement across underserved communities in New England, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (the Foundation) is in a dynamic period of renewed strategic focus. Reporting to the Vice President for Programs, the Associate Program Officer will work closely and collaboratively to support Program Staff on program priorities consistent with the Foundation’s strategic objectives. Specifically, s/he will perform research and analysis, and prepare reports on issues relevant to the Foundation’s strategic agenda including developments, trends and practices in education and grant making; assist in supporting and monitoring the Foundation’s portfolio of grantees; respond to informational requests; and serve as a liaison across Foundation functions supporting planning, meeting coordination and cross-departmental projects, and providing other forms of assistance to internal colleagues and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the values advanced by the Foundation, will possess impeccable analytical and writing skills, and will have the sophistication, intellectual drive, and knowledge to effectively support the implementation of programmatic strategies relevant to the Foundation’s transformative systems agenda.

MISSION & HISTORY

"A catalyst for dramatic, dynamic, and relevant change and improvement in education.”
 

The Nellie Mae Corporation, a nonprofit education-financing company, first pioneered philanthropy in the student-loan industry in 1990 by creating the Fund for Education. For the next eight years, the Fund for Education provided over $5 million in grants to advance more than 300 education programs throughout New England. In 1999, the Nellie Mae Corporation was purchased by SLM Holding Corporation (Sallie Mae) resulting in the creation of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Today the Foundation is New England’s largest independent principal public charity focused exclusively on education.

The Foundation is grounded in the belief that access to higher education is a right and necessity for all individuals. Dedicated to promoting accessibility, quality and effectiveness of education for the underserved in the six New England States, the Foundation has to date granted $98 million funding education programs and technical assistance to improve academic achievement and access to higher education, and sponsored research and conferences that have advanced knowledge within the educational field and influenced policy at the state, regional and national levels. The Foundation’s historic and primary focus has been on engaged funding of relevant programs within defined strategic areas. Since 2000, the Foundation has focused grantmaking in four strategic initiatives – Adult Literacy, College Prep, Minority High Achievement, and Out-of-School Time Matters. Through these endeavors, the Foundation has improved academic achievement for underserved students throughout New England.

While it will continue to build on established successes, the Foundation seeks to achieve increased, direct impact on education reform by transforming into a catalyst for innovative, multi-dimensional improvement in systems of education. With new leadership and a renewed vision, the Foundation recognizes that today’s learners must achieve across a wider range of domains. Thus, the Foundation is forging a new strategic direction in order to equip learners to actively engage in the global economy through a renewed, dynamic and relevant system of high quality education accessible to all from preschool to adulthood.

Under the visionary and entrepreneurial leadership of President & CEO Nicholas C. Donohue, a pioneer in education policy and educational improvement strategies, the Foundation is exploring a bold new course of reinvention to strengthen, expand, and diversify the variety and quality of educational access and advancement for all learners. To achieve this goal, the Foundation, with a staff of 19, is realigning its programs and investing in a deeper array of innovative and promising practices to acquire impact-driven knowledge to inform future practices and shape public policy. Capitalizing on program investment lessons, the Foundation will be poised to: influence, shape and identify new and refined programmatic strategies; influence public policy; analyze successes and barriers to success in policy innovation and reinvention; and develop and cultivate strategic partnerships with key opinion leaders, policymakers, and constituent networks on local, state and national levels. Through these efforts, the Foundation will increase public understanding and commitment needed to support authentic, sustainable systems of education reform that respond equitably and dynamically to the needs of all learners, and support the high achievement learning needed to thrive in a dynamic economy.

As part of this new focus, in 2008 the Foundation began a transformative shift in the focus of its grant making strategies, including funding for partnerships, programs, research, and intermediary organizations that will support underserved learners and build knowledge to dramatically improve outcomes for them. Emerging program areas include Early Learning, the use of Time in Learning, the examination of new Pathways from Secondary to Postsecondary Education, and Adult Learning with a focus on Postsecondary Opportunities. With renewed vision and an innovative strategic plan, the Foundation is realigning program investments to generate energy and momentum in the outcomes that influence public policy in education reform, and to build the alliances and relationships necessary to disseminate the results within the policy community and to the public at large. The Associate Program Officer will be integral to the successful implementation of the Foundation’s strategic benchmarks supporting the management of programmatic research and analysis, practices, and funding strategies to increase public awareness in education reform
 

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE ASSOCIATE PROGRAM OFFICER

The Associate Program Officer will report directly to the Vice President for Programs. S/he will collaborate with and support Program Staff to integrate and align programs with established strategic benchmarks. By supporting the fostering of strong relationships between the Foundation and grantees, the Associate Program Officer will play an integral role in supporting the management of the Foundation’s program investments and priorities. This important and exciting role will present challenges and opportunities that are each key to the success of the Foundation’s goals and will include, but are not limited to:

Providing general support to Program Staff on grant making and monitoring activities
 

• Assist with the development of Requests for Proposal, review proposals, and participate in grant selection decisions.

• Support grant report and grantee performance monitoring.

• Assist with the development of annual budgets and work plans.

• Attend meetings and prepare notes synthesizing key discussion points and decisions including support, coordination, and maintenance related to program staff meetings.

• Utilize and maintain current and accurate records in the Foundation’s grantee database.

Preparing thoughtful and comprehensive concept papers and research findings

• Perform diligent and thorough research and analysis on educational issues and trends.

• Work to identify potential and innovative approaches and solutions to issues and problems, including risk analysis.

• Recommend creative strategies and theories of change that further the Foundation’s Systems’ Transformation Agenda.

• Prepare high-quality, written work products in support of the grant making and management processes.

Fostering and maintaining vibrant and productive relationships

• Act as liaison to research, policy and communications staff on interdepartmental projects, and cultivate and maintain positive, productive and collaborative relationships with staff across Foundation functions.

• Serve as an articulate and confident advocate of the Foundation and be an effective and productive, contributing team member.

• Develop strong internal and external relationships that promote and drive programmatic success and collaborate with staff, funders and grantees on special projects as needed

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will be an articulate and analytic professional with sophistication, intelligence, drive, and a demonstrable record of success in supporting the programmatic strategies. S/he will minimally hold a bachelor’s degree in education or a related field. An advanced degree is preferred, but is not essential. She will have a minimum of three years of relevant, successful experience in education, non-profit or public policy sectors including foundation and/or grant making experience with demonstrated experience with and sustained commitment to underserved populations. The ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Deep commitment to the Foundation’s mission to promote accessibility, quality and effectiveness of education for the underserved in the six New England States. Ability to understand the Foundation’s goals and objectives, and to apply gained knowledge.

• Experience and substantive knowledge in education, programs, grant making, foundations, and/or public policy issues, including an understanding of the key issues and challenges facing today’s educators, administrators, and learners.

• Excellent writing, editing, analytical, and oral communication skills including the ability to collect, review, synthesize, and present information and findings.

• Strong interpersonal skills, even temperament, maturity and the ability to exercise sound judgment in handling and protecting confidential and proprietary data and information.

• Ability to engage in strategic, intellectual, and conceptual thinking and discourse, and to support programmatic strategy implementation.

• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines within designated timeframes, and demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities.

• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail with the ability to work both independently without close oversight, take initiative, and contribute ideas for enhancing performance.

• The flexibility and willingness to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

• Experience consulting with a diverse staff across all levels of the organization and working collaboratively with grantees and external professionals;

• Active listening skills including the ability to receive integrate and translate others’ ideas and suggestions.

• Demonstrated interest in continuous personal and professional growth including a passion for success within Foundations and/or nonprofit organizations.

• Strong abilities managing and navigating technologies including databases, internet and software.

• Ability and willingness to travel.

• An optimistic outlook and the humor, integrity, and patience necessary to work within a transformative environment.

TO APPLY:

More information about the Nellie Mae Education Foundation may be found at: http://www.nmefdn.org/.

 
Due to the pace of this search nominations and applications will be reviewed as received and should be submitted by May 29, 2009. Screening and interviewing of qualified applicants will begin immediately and interviews will be granted on a rolling basis as interesting candidates are identified. While an offer may be extended before the application deadline, applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. Applications including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), salary history, and where you learned of the position should be sent to: nm-apo@nonprofitprofessionals.com. In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.

 

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
Women and candidates of color are encouraged to apply.