As a member of the K-12 Team, the Associate Program Officer will support a discrete grant portfolio and/or research and analysis work associated with strategy development, measurement and evaluation, stakeholder coordination, project management, and communications and advocacy in service of high quality implementation of the K-12 strategy.
- Assist with the management of a portfolio of grants and program-related investments including: pipeline development, portfolio progress, documentation, budget information and reporting.
- Facilitate, coordinate and manage a range of projects and activities related to evaluating, developing, preparing, and monitoring specific grants, and/or other team activities.
- Support the shaping of the team measurement, learning and evaluation strategy. Help design and operationalize processes and systems which will feed data and analysis from grants, research and external sources back into key strategy and portfolio review and management decisions.
- Provide ongoing research, background information, and analytical support for program management and to further the team’s understanding of the availability, needs, opportunities, and trends in the marketplace for the team’s priority solution areas.
- Capture data coming in from grants, contracts and partners. Analyze data in excel and other programs. Use data to interrogate team hypotheses and support better decision making.
- Effectively project manage convenings, key external meetings and events from initial design through to follow up actions, keeping stakeholders informed of progress as appropriate.
- Participate in meetings, coordinate programmatic input and write and review briefs to prepare Foundation Leadership for high-profile events.
- Draft sections of key documents, reports, and presentations in PowerPoint for a variety of purposes and audiences, summarizing developments and recommendations for program areas and external partners.
- Help develop and maintain routines and infrastructure related to team meetings, learning, and processes in partnership with Knowledge Management team.
- Manage special projects as needed. May manage a small number of grants under the guidance of senior program staff.
- This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field – includes senior level individuals.
CORE KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
Demonstrated knowledge in relevant education-related topics, including one or more of the following areas: development and distribution of curriculum, assessments and instructional tools; social emotional learning supports; high school to postsecondary transition supports; education technology; education policy; education research and evaluation; education business sector.
- Works independently, demonstrates initiative to solve unstructured problems with little oversight, highly organized and efficient, manages multiple priorities and tight timelines. Strong background in data analysis, statistical analysis skills and is an effective written and oral communicator. Demonstrated knowledge in relevant technical areas. Provide attention to detail in writing and proofing material, tracking and managing projects and grants. Creative, broad knowledge and out-of-the-box thinking. Able to maintain positive grantee, partner and stakeholder relationships during challenging times.
- Work on problems of diverse scope in which analysis of data requires evaluation of disparate sources. Exercise judgment within generally defined practices and policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Exercise judgment in unclear situations with changing dynamics among key stakeholders.
- Manage day to day relationship with grantees, vendors and/or partners, including senior level individuals. Identify and develop external and internal relationships in support of program work. Represent the Foundation to key program-related constituencies, including presentations, conferences and meetings.
- Problems range from somewhat complex requiring research and careful review of options to highly complex where decisions are made only after extensive research and consultation with others.
Example: Determining what priority metrics should be monitored to track progress in coverage and impact of various interventions. This required extensive research and review of metrics used by a complex landscape of implementing and funding partners. Careful review of the available metrics and data source availability; discussions with a key grantee and internal staff; as well as review of recommendations from technical experts led to the proposal of a sub-set of indicators to be tracked.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s Degree with at least 3-5 years of relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: development and distribution of curriculum, assessments and instructional tools; social emotional learning supports; high school to postsecondary transition supports; education technology; education policy; education research and evaluation; education business sector.
- Experience working in or closely with a school district, state education agency, charter management organization, or education-related company is preferred.
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.