Posted on August 28, 2012

print

Program Officer, Education

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF), based in Oakland, CA, seeks a program officer to manage and strategically expand a grant-making portfolio of direct-service providers in Oakland. The program officer will also act as the liaison between KRF and the Rogers Family Foundation and serve as the Communications Coordinator for the Oakland Reads 2020 collective impact initiative. This position reports to the President of the Foundation and will work collaboratively with the Oakland Reads 2020 staff.

The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that Oakland’s students are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. To achieve this goal, KRF focuses its energy on three critical literacy development capacities in the Oakland community: Literacy Support, Pre-School Learning, and Summer Learning. The education grant-making capacity is expected grow to $5 million by 2016 – more than quadrupling our current giving amount.

Oakland Reads 2020

Oakland Reads 2020, a collective impact initiative, is dramatically increasing the number of Oakland students who are reading successfully by the end of third grade. Recognizing that no one organization can accomplish this goal alone, Oakland Reads brings together people, their ideas, and resources, to support a common goal that 85% of Oakland third graders will read successfully by the end of 2020.

Oakland Reads 2020 is spearheaded by the Rogers Family Foundation through the Oakland Literacy Coalition. KRF’s partnership with the Rogers Family Foundation is integral to our collective and effective impact in Oakland. KRF’s education program officer will serve as the Communications Coordinator for Oakland Reads 2020. Some travel is required. This position is based in Oakland, CA.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide vision, oversight, and leadership for KRF education programs
• Develop program budget and produce quarterly budget report
• Monitor programs and grants
• Design and implement new initiatives for pre-school and summer learning
• Create impact through collaboration with the Rogers Family Foundation and Oakland Reads 2020
• Represent the Foundation

Essential Duties

Program Administration:

• Execute current grant-making program
• Evaluate and assess prospective grantees through in-depth analysis of each organization’s measures of success and financial health
• Screen prospective grantees’ proposals and work with applicants to refine strategy, metrics, and budgets
• Prepare oral and written summaries of grantees’ activities for KRF leadership and Board review
• Provide ongoing strategy guidance for KRF education grantees
• Manage external communications and social media for KRF education programs
• Drive relationships with key stakeholders committed to early childhood literacy in Oakland
• Identify and connect with funders in the Bay Area with aligned missions
• Identify and maintain a database of research on the local and national early childhood education landscape including indicators of school readiness and success, early literacy best practices, summer learning, and parent engagement among other topics
• Update and maintain database of local service providers committed to early childhood education
• Identify and attend relevant local meetings and national conferences related to early childhood literacy

Developing and Expanding Other Initiatives:

Pre-School Initiative

• Create and drive strategy for KRF pre-school initiatives
• Identify issues that are specific to success for Oakland children
• Research and develop relationships with impactful pre-school service providers in Oakland
• Identify qualified service providers and invite them to submit applications for funding

Summer Learning

• Create long-term strategy for KRF summer learning initiatives
• Leverage Oakland Reads 2020’s and the National Campaign for Grade Level Reading’s commitment to Summer Learning to inform and drive KRF’s summer learning initiatives

Serving on the staff of Oakland Reads 2020 Collective Impact Initiative:

• Serve as the Communications Coordinator of Oakland Reads 2020
• Create copy for and drive communications with Oakland Reads 2020’s key stakeholders: Coordinating Council and Oakland Literacy Coalition members, Sponsors, Funders, and local public sector leadership
• Manage an array of communications platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and websites
• Demonstrate thought-leadership by connecting the work of Oakland Reads 2020 to current events and other initiatives/organizations
• Advise Oakland Reads 2020 staff and partners on communications strategies and best practices, providing technical assistance when necessary
• Work with Rogers Family Foundation to develop a common measurement tool to evaluate service providers

Experience and Qualifications

• BA/BS required; advanced degree and 5+ years of experience is expected
• Demonstrated success in strategic planning and project management
• Communications or nonprofit external relations experience preferred
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with the ability to synthesize information succinctly
• A collaborative work style and demonstrated ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously
• Programmatic experience in and knowledge of early childhood education preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as strong relationship building capacity
• A community organizer with an ability to relate to people from multiple levels in an organization and from different fields of work with cultural competency
• Strong commitment to the philanthropic goals of the Foundation
• Flexibility and a sense of humor
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite required
• Self-motivated

Compensation

This is a full-time position with benefits. The salary range for this position is commensurate with relevant skills and experience.

Application Instructions

How to Apply:

Please submit cover letter, resume and salary history to: pat.curcio@krfoundation.org by August 31, 2012.