Edtech.com's Summary

The Joyce Foundation is hiring a Program Officer, Education & Economic Mobility: Post Secondary Success. This role involves managing the Foundation's grantmaking portfolio focused on advancing postsecondary success through state and federal policy, particularly benefiting students of color and those from historically marginalized backgrounds. The Program Officer develops strategic priorities, oversees grant proposals and monitoring, and convenes stakeholders to drive systemic change in higher education.

Highlights

Manage postsecondary success grantmaking within the Education & Economic Mobility Program.
Develop and execute strategic priorities aligned with the Foundation's racial equity and economic mobility goals.
Evaluate and oversee grant proposals, ensuring compliance and high-quality project outcomes.
Build and maintain partnerships with grantees, policymakers, and funders to advance postsecondary policy and student success.
Communicate impact and provide thought leadership through written materials and presentations.
Engage in external convening and ecosystem strengthening activities to influence the field.
Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and at least five years in postsecondary education policy, advocacy, or grantmaking.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to adopt new software tools.
No supervisory responsibilities; works as part of a four-person Education & Economic Mobility team.
Comprehensive benefits offered including healthcare, retirement plans with employer matching, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

Program Officer, Education & Economic Mobility: Post Secondary Success Full Description

Program Officer, Education & Economic Mobility: Post Secondary Success

Education & Economic Mobility - Chicago, Illinois (Hybrid)

FOUNDATION OVERVIEW

The Joyce Foundation is a private, nonpartisan philanthropy that invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. We support policy research, development, and advocacy in six program areas: Culture, Democracy, Education & Economic Mobility, Environment, Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform, and Journalism. We focus our grant making primarily in the region, while also exploring promising, evidence-informed policy solutions nationally and at the federal level. The Joyce Foundation makes charitable distributions of approximately $50 million annually from assets exceeding $1 billion.

The Foundation’s commitment to racial equity and economic mobility is reflected in our strategic grant-making priorities, which aim to improve outcomes for all young people, with a focus on young people of color who disproportionately face structural barriers to social and economic progress. Our work on this front is ongoing. We are committed to aligning our policies, practices, and resources to foster equitable opportunity for all. The Foundation has a staff of 35 and is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Joyce Foundation seeks a strategic and collaborative Program Officer with postsecondary expertise to manage its postsecondary success grantmaking within the Education & Economic Mobility Program. This is an exciting opportunity to help oversee the Foundation’s investments in state/federal policy to advance postsecondary success, especially for students of color and students from historically marginalized backgrounds. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in higher education policy, a collaborative spirit, and a track record of forward-thinking leadership. This role requires someone who not only understands the technical aspects of policy but can also engage diverse partners, build consensus, and provide thought leadership to move the field forward. The Program Officer will have the opportunity to deepen support for state-level postsecondary policy within the Foundation’s priority states in the Great Lakes region and at the federal level. The Foundation also is a leading convener of local, state, and national thought leaders and higher education experts. The Program Officer will be a critical member of the Foundation’s four-person Education & Economic Mobility Team.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Joyce Foundation is committed to advancing evidence-based policies that help close race- and income-disparities in post-secondary attainment. The Education & Economic Mobility Program, with a current annual grant making budget of $14.3 million, is divided across three areas: effective educators, college and career readiness, and postsecondary success. The postsecondary success portfolio seeks to advance public policies and systems change that help young people, especially young people of color and those from historically marginalized backgrounds, earn an affordable postsecondary credential with labor market value. The Program is setting a new strategy for 2027-2029 and the Postsecondary Success Program Officer will work closely with the rest of the team to help develop and execute that strategy.

The Education & Economic Mobility Program is led by a Program Director and has two program officers, and a program assistant, who supports the grantmaking. The postsecondary success Program Officer works especially close with the college-and-career readiness Program Officer on strategies that smooth pathways from high school into postsecondary.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The Program Officer will have broad responsibility for overseeing the Foundation’s higher education and student success portfolio to support these objectives through the following activities:

Strategy development & execution

The Program Officer will work with the Education & Economic Mobility team to develop strategic priorities aligned to the Foundation’s priorities and ensure the strategy is executed. Over time, the Program Officer will monitor progress toward benchmarks measuring the program impacts.

Proposal cultivation and evaluation

A significant percentage of the Program Officer’s time will be spent seeking new funding opportunities and reviewing grant renewal requests. The Program Officer will shepherd funding requests through a multifaceted review process, assessing them on their own terms and with respect to the Foundation’s priorities.

Grant management and oversight

The Program Officer will monitor funded projects, working closely with grant recipients to ensure work is of the highest quality and complies with all legal requirements. The PO also will support grantees to carry out projects, including participating in/hosting meetings, reviewing drafts of project outputs, and connecting them with other funders, policymakers, and the media.

Internal knowledge sharing and collaboration

The Joyce Foundation is a learning organization, and the Program Officer will extract lessons from funded projects and see that they are used to inform future Foundation decisions that maximize the impact of its resources and, as appropriate, shared among other grantees whose work would benefit from them. The Program Officer also will prepare high-quality written materials and oral presentations to communicate grant recommendations and assessments of progress toward goals to the Foundation’s management team and Board of Directors.

External convening and ecosystem strengthening

The Program Officer is expected to deepen knowledge of the post-secondary success field and play a leadership role in relevant philanthropic and non-profit networks, leveraging the Foundation’s convening ability to bring together groups of grantees, funding colleagues, policymakers, and others at pivotal moments. The Program Officer will work with the Foundation’s communications team to develop and disseminate messages that advance the EEM Program’s goals.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree or experiential learning equivalent required. An advanced degree is a plus but not required.

EXPERIENCE

Five or more years of professional work experience in a relevant content field, such as postsecondary education policy making, advocacy, or grantmaking.
Depth, sophistication, and a nuanced understanding of the ways in which public policies are created, shaped, and changed at the local, state, and federal level.
Passion for the mission-driven sector and the role philanthropy can have in addressing some of society’s most challenging problems. Prior grantmaking or nonprofit experience preferred.
Demonstrated effectiveness in developing networks and productive working relationships with diverse constituencies, internally & externally.

SKILLS

Openness to new ideas and the ability to innovate and take risks in pursuit of high-impact solutions. Flexibility and a good sense of humor.
Proven analytical and strategic capabilities: the capacity to understand complex issues and organizations, and the ability to conceptualize, evaluate, manage, and implement strategies and projects.
Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to compose compelling internal and external documents for both experts and general audiences.
Ability to consistently follow directions, plan and organize one’s own work and manage the planning and organizing of the work of executive-level team member
The ability to work creatively with grant applicants, recipients, and colleagues in the Foundation and in the field to foster innovative program ideas and grant requests, as well as the ability to take risks in the pursuit of high-impact solutions.
Ability to interact professionally, cordially and confidently in a variety of business contexts with internal and external stakeholders, including internal staff, board members, other funders, potential and current grant recipients
Highly communicator with demonstrated ability to communication clearly, concisely and with accuracy under varying timelines.
Excellent time management skills, ability to prioritize and manage multiple and varied projects and tasks simultaneously and successfully, ensuring strict deadlines are met
Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting
Maintain high level of interpersonal skills and confidentiality

COMPUTER & TECHNICAL SKILLS

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
Ability to develop proficiency using applicable software applications

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

None

REQUIRED HOURS

40 hours per week; Occasional early mornings and evening work are required. Normal business hours for the Joyce Foundation are Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to walk and stand occasionally and sit for extended periods of time
Ability to view and read information on screen and paper for extended periods of time

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a typical office environment. The Foundation has implemented a flexible work policy where staff are required to work three days in the office each week. Employees must have adequate internet access to work from home. This schedule can be subject to change at any time.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Regular travel, both locally and to neighboring states such as Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio, as well as Washington, D.C. will be necessary to attend meetings, forums, events, and site visits. This includes scheduling visits with grantees and local funding partners. Additionally, attendance at conferences and meetings with other funders may require occasional travel.

BENEFITS

The Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being of our team. Benefits include high-quality medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans, Employer Matching Program with a generous 2-to-1 match; and robust paid time off policies. Employees also have access to pre-tax savings accounts for FSA health, dependent care, transit, and parking, as well as employer-paid life and disability insurance. Additional offerings include a Healthy Lifestyle Reimbursement Program, access to an on-site fitness center, and an Employee Assistance Program. The Foundation is committed to continuous learning and professional development opportunities.

The Foundation is committed to building a strong and inclusive workforce that is able to reach the communities we serve. The Foundation strongly encourages applications from individuals who have a proven record of effectiveness with and commitment to the communities we serve.

We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting employment discrimination. It is our policy to take all employment actions and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, citizenship status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability, military status, status as a disabled or other protected veteran or any other protected status under applicable law. Consistent with our obligations under applicable laws, we will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Original Job Description