POSITION:
Senior Program Officer – Education
ORGANIZATION:
Established in 1980, and now with over $700 million in assets, The Leon Levine Foundation (TLLF) supports nonprofits in North and South Carolina that specialize in education, healthcare, human services, and Jewish values. Based in Charlotte, NC, TLLF invests in nonprofits with strong leadership, a track record of success, and a plan for financial sustainability. Through its investments, TLLF intends to create pathways to self-sufficiency, champion strategies for permanent change, and facilitate opportunities for growth.
Across the Carolinas, TLLF team members meet with leading thinkers and doers, working to create opportunities within the mission areas. Through the grantmaking process, the team evaluates and empowers successful nonprofits and leaders. Working with TLLF will advance your connections and expertise while growing your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Working primarily in TLLF’s education mission area, you will have an opportunity to ensure all youth from historically marginalized communities and low-income families are prepared, supported, and motivated to learn by providing access to the resources required for academic achievement, post-secondary attainment, and life-long success. Working collaboratively with teammates in the fields of human services and healthcare, you will help create pathways to permanent self-sufficiency. Last year, TLLF made over $32 million in grants to nonprofits across the Carolinas, including over $7 million to education-focused organizations.
OPPORTUNITY:
Every day, you will be surrounded by smart, motivated, collaborative teammates with varied life experiences who have been successful in other industries, yet decided to dedicate their working years to lifting up others. Come join some of the most dedicated philanthropists in the region in a traditional yet dynamic setting. After celebrating TLLF’s first 40 years of giving, join the team as TLLF looks forward to many more decades of impact at one of the largest private grantmaking foundations in the Mid-Atlantic.
TLLF seeks employees from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and life experiences to join the team. It is critical to TLLF’s success that this diversity is celebrated and can truly flourish. TLLF continues to work to create an equitable workplace where all good ideas rise to the top.
For more information, please visit www.leonlevinefoundation.org.
REPORTS/RELATIONSHIPS:
This position will report directly to the Senior Vice President and leads a team including program officer(s), program assistant(s), research and evaluation professionals, and impact investment professionals.
BASIC FUNCTIONS:
The individual who occupies this position will lead all facets of TLLF’s education mission area, including its strategic plan, operational execution, grantmaking and program-specific evaluation, and management of department staff and resources.
Specific duties will include, but not necessarily be limited to:
- Spearhead the cultivation and identification of potential grantees through research, networking, and community involvement by building strong, authentic relationships across North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Drive the strategies and priorities of the education program in all aspects of the grantmaking process, including the review, improvement, and implementation of policies, practices, and procedures.
- Lead the recruitment, retention, and development of all departmental staff; conduct regular and professional performance management in partnership with TLLF talent practices.
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of the mission, vision, and values of TLLF and represent them internally, to potential grantees, and to the public.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with key leadership and staff members across the organization, including other mission areas, support functions, and investment team members.
- Manage key performance metrics of the department for effective reporting and measurement of mission-specific impact.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 15+ years of professional experience in the education field, although non-discipline-specific business experience may substitute if combined with appropriate personal experience or academic degree.
- Demonstrated history of possessing and applying comprehensive knowledge in the education sector, specifically related to (1) equitable access to educational opportunity and excellence for students from birth to 12th grade, (2) early childhood initiatives, (3) student stability supports, social capital and mentoring, and/or (4) post-secondary success for first-generation and/or students in need.
- Knowledge of North Carolina and South Carolina education history, systems, organizations, leaders, and communities preferred.
- Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach, manage, and develop high-performance teams and set and achieve strategic objectives.
- Bachelor’s degree in education or related field required; master’s degree preferred.
RELEVANT TRAITS:
- Strong internal drive for achievement in all endeavors, typically supported by adaptability to changing circumstances and the resiliency to overcome setbacks.
- Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach, manage, and develop high-performance teams, and set and achieve strategic objectives.
- Objective and logical decision-maker with an ability to find creative and impactful solutions to challenging problems.
- High degree of personal integrity, along with curiosity and humility to learn about and from others.
- High commitment to service and a passion for driving the mission of TLLF.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
COMPENSATION:
Compensation will be commensurate with experience, including a competitive base salary, bonus opportunity, and competitive benefits package.
