Program Officer, Education Grantmaking (Instructional Materials & Strategic Staffing)

WHO WE ARE 

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies (Schusterman) strive for a future in the United States and Israel that lives up to their ideals and achieves more just and inclusive societies. We work to advance racial, gender, and economic equity in the U.S. and foster a more joyful and diverse Jewish community. Our culture is built on a foundation of principles that guide our attitudes, behaviors and interactions in the workplace. We look for people to join our team who are trustworthy, excellent, risk-takers – and who are committed to equity. Learn more about us! 

About the Education Team: The North Star of our Education Grantmaking team is supporting efforts to ensure Black and Latino students from low-income backgrounds can access a high-quality, culturally relevant K12 education that empowers them to achieve social and economic liberation. We focus on improving the instructional core towards ensuring engaging, affirming and meaningful grade-level instruction by funding national non-profits and specific school systems and state efforts. We work deeply with grantees to enhance their individual success as well as sector-wide improvement, and support communities of practice, partnerships and coalitions to foster learning and increase systems-level impact.

JOB SUMMARY

The Program Officer (PO) is a member of the Education Grantmaking team, located in Schusterman’s Oakland, CA, New York City, or Washington, DC, office. The PO will work with across the education team to cultivate and assess potential investment opportunities, track grantee progress and learnings, and provide strategic support to grantees to reach their goals. This role will focus on two specific areas: high quality instructional materials and redesign of educator roles to better support high-quality K-8 literacy instruction, while also taking on additional grantmaking responsibilities as needed. The grantees in these areas include leading school systems and non-profits that are working to dramatically improve outcomes for K-12 students by providing teachers with the high-quality instructional materials, aligned professional development, and supporting the development of underlying systems, including re-envisioned roles, structures and supports to consistently provide engaging, affirming, meaningful, grade-level instruction in literacy. More broadly, the PO will also be an important contributor to the internal culture and overall impact of the Education team. 

Reports to and works with: The PO reports to the Senior Director of the School Systems Partnership portfolio, but will also work closely with the Senior Director of the Instructional Materials Portfolio and other team members across the education portfolios. This role will provide experience with multiple types of organizations and exposure to leaders across these roles. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

This position is a key member of the Education Grantmaking team in the areas of both instructional materials and efforts to reimagine the teacher role, and also supports other areas of grantmaking as needs emerge. Job responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: 

Grantmaking and Grantee Support (60%)

Outcome: Plays a leading role in our due diligence and ongoing grant management efforts by identifying key questions, challenges, and opportunities for current and potential grantees, applying knowledge of literacy instruction, instructional materials, and school talent and other systems and structures, and:

• Builds trusted, collaborative relationships with peers at grantee organizations and other funders.
• Performs qualitative and quantitative analyses, including analysis of funding proposals, financial analyses, analyses of progress and impact;   
• Writes investment recommendations for grant proposals and grant terms, milestones and a strategy for ongoing engagement and support for each grantee.  
• Manages multiple projects and deadlines with strong project plans, good tracking systems and a steady focus on execution and quality.
• Maintains grants systems to ensure grant requirements are fulfilled and key information is shared and stored for relevant audiences.  
• Works with portfolio leaders to prepare for and facilitate external meetings by identifying key questions and priorities rooted in a deep understanding of field-wide and grantee-specific opportunities and challenges.  
• Provides administrative support as needed, including coordination of logistics for calls, meetings, site visits, and convenings with appropriate individuals from grantee organization teams.  

Progress Monitoring and Knowledge Management (30%) 

Outcome: Works collaboratively with portfolio leaders to support the development of strategies and identification of grantmaking opportunities, particularly in the areas of instructional materials and efforts to strengthen the role of educators to advance grade-level, engaging, and affirming education; reviews progress towards goals; and recommends modifications so that we continuously improve.  

• Supports the portfolio leaders in developing, documenting and monitoring progress on portfolio strategies.  
• Helps plan and attend and share learnings from site visits and convenings related to grantee work and/or key strategic questions in portfolio.   
• Communicates clearly and persuasively in writing and conversations with teammates, Schusterman leadership, and leaders of current and potential grantees.  
• Prepares internal reports based on grantee board meeting documents, reports, check-ins, and other key materials. 
• Creates and manages a system to share learnings with colleagues across the Education team.
• Synthesizes and disseminates learning from a range of grantees and other sub-portfolios to deepen the work of the grantees.
• Stays up to date on relevant research and activities in the field and synthesize and connect this information to inform portfolio strategy and grants management.

Contributions to the Broader Team (10%)

Outcome: Will meaningfully contribute to the functioning of a high-performing team

• Builds productive relationships across the education team to facilitate the sharing of learnings and practices.
• Contributes positively to internal team culture by modeling a learning and solutions orientation and supporting the improvement of teamwide processes and systems.
• Advances equitable grantmaking practices and supports the integration of diverse perspectives to inform strategy and systems. 

 COMPETENCIES NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

All team members are expected to demonstrate Schusterman’s values in action through our core competencies:  

• Impact: Takes action and follows through to deliver high-quality work that drives results and long-term impact. 
• Optimism: Learns from both successes and setbacks and envisions possibilities for the future. 
• Equity: Proactively develops and acts on knowledge of self, organization, and systems that drive equity, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Humility: Demonstrates desire to understand and learn and takes action towards ongoing development. 
• Collaboration: Contributes actively to advance shared goals in partnership with others.

Additionally, team members in roles at this level in the organization are also expected to contribute to culture building and organizational impact through the career-level leadership competencies below. 

• Work Planning: Defines goals, associated milestones, and pathway(s) to achievement.
• Self Management: Understands own emotions and reactions and the impact they can have on others and manages behavior towards positive impact on process and people.
• Influence: Gains support for proposed ideas and solutions and advances work through gaining the cooperation of stakeholders.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The following qualifications are representative of the high level of demonstrated skills, maturity, judgment, and ability to work with a wide range of constituencies required of Schusterman employees:

• 6+ years of combined work experience in a school or school system and consulting firm, foundation or other educational organization. 
• A Bachelor’s degree or comparable, relevant professional experience. An advanced degree is preferred. 
• Experience leading change within charter or traditional school systems and/or with systems of support for teachers and school leaders. 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, including the ability to distill key insights from large amounts of data and information and an ability to learn financial and operational analyses. 
• Ability to write and communicate verbally clearly and concisely to summarize key points and recommendations regarding complex issues and decisions. 
• Excellent project management skills and attention to detail while managing multiple priorities. 
• Effective relationship-building skills to develop and maintain productive, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, including grantee staff and other colleagues across the education sector. 
• Flexibility and nimbleness to work across multiple portfolios and focus areas while drawing meaningful connections and managing several bodies of work.
• PC skills (with proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), as well as a thorough knowledge and comfort of basic web skills required. Experience with Fluxx and Salesforce a plus.
• Ability to travel up to 15% domestically.

COMPENSATION

Competitive hiring range of $100,000 - $125,000 based on experience and Schusterman’s commitment to internal equity. A strong benefits package is also included. Schusterman encourages ongoing professional development and supports activities aligned with one’s individual career growth plan. Schusterman does not cover relocation expenses for this position.

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Schusterman promotes diversity and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, disability, genetic information, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.