Education Program Officer; SFF

Education Program Officer

Our vision for this position

We are looking for an experienced education leader and relationship builder who demonstrates a personal and professional commitment to community change and education equity. The candidate understands the importance of building community relationships, demonstrates compassion and openness, and is excited to implement SFF’s new education strategy focused on family engagement, home visiting, and family advocacy. We want to bring an experienced voice to education tables of influence in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.

A strong candidate brings credibility and experience working with communities of color, community organizations, and other key stakeholders across systems of education in Washington State (policy makers, education funders, school district leaders, etc.). Given our commitment to diversity and racial equity, the candidate must also be committed to advancing this work and possess knowledge, skills, and expertise that would enhance our work.

The candidate must be able to thrive in a small team, working collaboratively as well as independently, demonstrating nimbleness in work environments.

The program officer, working under the guidance of the Executive Director and closely with foundation co‑founders, will be responsible for implementing our new education strategy and the administration of SFF’s education grantmaking process and investments. In addition, the program officer will assist with the development, management, and evaluation of SFF’s strategic initiatives, with an eye to new opportunities to make a meaningful impact at a systems level.

The new team member will spend regular time working alongside a foundation co‑founder, as a thought partner and advisor. The ideal candidate should thrive in co‑learning environments.

• Serve as the primary officer of the SFF education portfolio. Steward a three‑year, $6.8 million grant portfolio through implementation, relationship building, and evaluation.
• Partner with intermediaries, communities of color, and People of Color (POC)-led organizations, along with other community stakeholders to implement and strengthen our role in our education partnerships.
• Consider initiatives and innovative ways to serve the needs of the community. Develop a robust learning agenda and work with the SFF team to develop strategies for new initiatives and consider additional funding opportunities.
• Work with grantees on all aspects of the grant‑making process, including mid‑year and annual impact meetings, community engagement opportunities, reviewing new potential grantee organizations, developing realistic grant proposals that are within an organization’s capacity to deliver and within SFF’s current funding plans.
• Provide day‑to‑day management of grants, including reviewing letters of inquiry and applications, conducting due diligence, facilitating on‑site visits, and monitoring the status of grants. Also, contribute to ongoing maintenance of the grants database, grant files, and other grant‑related records.
• Identify education funding measures of success and regularly assess progress. Prepare briefs and impact reports for the SFF team focused on organizational impact.
• Attend, support, and lead learning on education topics at quarterly team meetings and retreats. Distill relevant information on a regular basis to keep the SFF team informed on key issues. Research relevant topics as determined by foundation leadership.
• Represent SFF goals and values at local collaborative funding circles, community events and convenings, meetings, forums, and public presentations. Attend regional and national learning opportunities, as appropriate, and speak on behalf of SFF at public events, when invited.
• Advance SFF as a leader in grantmaking with racial equity and social justice lens that narrows the opportunity and achievement gap.
• Leverage insights from community leaders, researchers, educators, funders, students, and families to inform SFF program outcomes and drive positive results.
• Monitor local, regional, and national needs and trends. Stay current on public policies and new research and maintain a knowledge…