Scholarship Program Manager
The Thoma Foundation is seeking a Scholarship Program Manager to oversee all aspects of the
Thoma Scholarship program.
Program Brief
Through the Thoma Scholarship Program, the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation desires to
strengthen access to higher education for students from under-resourced areas within the Oklahoma
Panhandle, Texas Panhandle, and Eastern New Mexico. The program will award scholarships to
exceptional students to study at partner universities who need financial assistance to pay for their
tuition and educational expenses. The four-year scholarship provides students a path to higher
education degrees and promising futures. Beyond financial support, the scholarship aims to help
students succeed in higher education through mentorship, educational support, and leadership
training.
Position Description
The Scholarship Program Manager plays a crucial role in managing the scholarship program through
close interaction with partner universities to ensure adherence to scholarship guidelines. Additionally,
the manager will ensure scholarship applicants and current scholars receive the support they need
throughout the scholarship process.
To succeed in this role, you must understand the unique challenges that students face in rural
communities. The statement below should personally resonate with you:
“Students from rural areas face many obstacles to success in higher education. The Thoma Foundation removes those barriers and invests in student success the way our parents did in ours. Our education programs recognize the integrity and grit of the people in the rural greater Texas Panhandle region. We are supporting the next generation of leaders.”
—Carl Thoma
- Serves as the primary point of contact with university scholarship departments to provide support as needed throughout the process.
- Leads the outreach and promotion of the program through various channels – local schools, community organizations, social media, newsletters, and scholarship websites.
- Ensures universities are compliant with the program requirements.
- Regulates consistent application of policies, procedures, and processes among partner universities.
- Reviews reports submitted by Thoma Scholarship recipients and actively advocates for student needs with partner universities.
- Provides reporting to founders on the status of applications and progress of scholarship recipients.
- Negotiates the terms and conditions of the scholarship program with new partner universities.
- Minimum 5 years of scholarship management experience.
- Passion for higher education with a drive to stay informed on the latest in the field.
- Analytical and reporting skills with a sharp eye for accuracy and detail.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to independently coordinate and lead projects.
- Confidence to ask pertinent questions and grasp concepts quickly.
- Initiative to think beyond assigned tasks.
- Interpersonal skills to efficiently navigate personalities and power dynamics in higher education and philanthropy.
- Ability to travel on a monthly basis.
- Familiarity with the experiences of rural, low-income, and first-generation students is preferred.
- Understanding of foundation-specific regulations and policies preferred but not required.
- Must come from a rural background, ideally Oklahoma or Texas, or have prior professional first-hand experience with rural first-generation students.
Health, dental and vision insurance
403(b)
PTO
Parental Leave
Please send a cover letter, resume or CV, and writing sample of no more than five pages to
[email protected].
Location
Thoma Foundation Headquarters
1925 Cedar Springs Road
Dallas, TX 75201
For more information about Carl and Marilynn Thoma, Thoma Foundation philanthropic initiatives,
and the Thoma Scholarship Program, visit thomafoundation.org.