The PS Transformation Team is accountable for a portfolio of investments designed to understand how colleges and universities transform themselves to dramatically improve their performance and eliminate student success gaps and translate that understanding into useful tools, methods, and resources. The Transformation Team works closely with other PS teams on integrated strategies that will help hundreds of colleges benefit millions more students by scaling institutional transformation through intermediaries and other partners.
We are seeking an exceptional candidate for Program Officer, Transformation Tools to work across the Postsecondary Success strategy to execute and manage a portfolio of investments related to tools, methods, and resources that facilitate institutional transformation for equitable student success. These tools, methods, and resources may already be in use by the field, or they may emerge from the foundation’s existing investments. While this individual reports to the Deputy Director, Institutional Transformation, this skilled collaborator will partner with other Program Officers from across the PS strategy responsible for investments to develop, test, and deliver transformation tools, methods, and resources at scale. In addition, this individual will work to understand how these tools, methods, and resources are being developed, tested, and used in the field; their effectiveness and impacts; and ways to improve them through a continuous improvement cycle.
- Work collaboratively with Program Officers from the Solutions, Transformation, and Delivery teams to improve availability, awareness, adoption, and efficacy of institutional transformation tools, methods, and resources.
- Manage existing investments related to institutional transformation tools, methods, and resources such as the Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA) and develop and execute an investment strategy for developing, testing, and delivering other institutional transformation tools, methods, and resources at scale.
- Leverage basic, applied, qualitative, and quantitative research approaches to inform investment strategies so that transformation tools, methods, and resources continuously improve and have greater impact and efficacy.
- In collaboration with other Program Officers on the PS Solutions, Transformation, and Delivery teams, you will prospect, develop, and execute high impact and strategic investment opportunities that strengthen transformation tools, methods, and resources (often complex, multi-stakeholder investments including RFPs and potential program related investments (PRIs)) to further the PS strategy’s impact.
- Carry out research and literature reviews, landscape analyses, and other analytical and technical reviews on a regular basis to understand how institutional tools, methods, and resources are used by the field and improved upon.
- Provide written analysis and presentations and summaries of key topics for foundation leadership and external partner audiences.
- Provide guidance, consultation, and support to grantees and external stakeholders to achieve desired impact of grants; organize and conduct site visits when appropriate, provide technical guidance, lead and convene meetings (internal and external) and apply and evaluate milestone-based performance objectives to achieve successful outcomes.
- Nurture and optimize lasting and high impact relationships with key partners and grantees.
- Manage internal processes and portfolio progress while ensuring appropriate documentation, grant budgeting and reporting. Improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Knowledge and firsthand experience in product design, development, launch, refinement, and management—you will have played a key role in the development, launch, and improvement of products (commercial, technology, or education sector preferred).
- Knowledge of tools, methods, and resources used in U.S. higher education.
- Disciplined, enthusiastic, and effective collaborator; people relish an opportunity to work with you.
- Strategic thinker and doer—you can wrestle with complex and multi-dimensional problems. Ability to lead complex projects, manage multiple internal and external stakeholders, and to bring complex ideas to fruitful execution and implementation.
- Demonstrated ability to work as an effective member of a high performing team and contribute to the foundation’s broader collective success and improving both the PS strategy and the Solution team’s performance.
- Growth mindset and ability to adapt in a dynamic and feedback rich environment.
- Excellent quantitative, analytical, writing, and verbal skills essential for communicating progress and stewardship with a diverse audience including internal foundation leadership as well as external market leaders such as college and university leadership, investors, solution and education entrepreneurs, learning science and evaluation researchers, philanthropic partners.
- Required: Higher education experience, knowledge or closely related background
- Preferred: Design thinking and/or detailed product engineering or product development experience in higher education markets
- Experience working across a matrix organization structure, often as evidenced by consulting and related prior experience