Position: Development and Operations Manager
24 School Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02108 ● empowerschools.org Position: Development and Operations Manager Position Summary Reporting to our President and working closely with other members of the Empower Schools team, your time will be spent approximately as follows: fundraising efforts for Empower Schools (50%), general operations of our organization (30%), and other projects as needed (20%). This includes (1) identifying and cultivating prospective donors with the capacity to support the work of Empower Schools with investments of $25,000+ (2) preparing and tracking grant proposals and supporting documents, as well as ongoing grant reporting (3) managing internal processes such as budgeting, expense reporting, and general operations. Who We Are Building on our work as the design and launch partner for the Lawrence Public Schools turnaround effort, Empower Schools partners with communities to help them get the schools they want with the results students need. We focus on Powerful Schools that have the flexibilities they need to effectively prepare students, and the educators with the skills to use those freedoms well. We work with policymakers and education system leaders to adopt Open Systems that allow for schools of all types, including both traditional district schools and schools led by proven and promising independent leaders. We capture and share the most promising practices to inform and shape the national conversation on education reform. We have received financial support from one of the nation’s largest foundations and are driving Open Systems forward in Salem and Springfield. For example, we partnered with DESE to create the state’s first Empowerment Zone to support eight chronically underperforming middle schools in Springfield that are at risk for state takeover. This new governance structure allows individual schools and leaders to make decisions about hiring, scheduling, budgeting, and curriculum in order to best meet the needs of their students. Collectively, these schools educate 4,400 6th, 7th and 8th graders – over 80% of all middle school students in Springfield. We are pioneering this work, from designing the structure to creating and implementing the strategic plan to dramatically improve outcomes for students in these schools. Who You Are You are committed to working to improve educational outcomes, particularly for underserved students, and are motivated by big ideas and challenges. You are eager to apply your experience as a professional fundraiser to accelerate the pace of education reform in the United States. You have a track record of owning the full cycle of major funding proposals to foundations, corporations, and individuals, and are looking to apply your successes in the broader realm of organizational management and development. Your initiative, attention to detail, and administrative skills allow you to develop and implement complex projects involving multiple stakeholders. You enjoy working individually and as part of a team, with a sense of humor to keep the work in perspective. In short, you thrive in a high-stakes, deadlinedriven entrepreneurial environment with rapidly-evolving conditions. A background in education will enhance your ability to execute toward our mission. 1 24 School Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02108 ● empowerschools.org How You’ll Help Identify, cultivate, and develop solicitation strategies for prospective funders Write, edit, and present compelling proposals, concept papers, and letters of interest for five- to seven-figure grants Manage, track, and prepare all required reports for foundation grants Maintain system for organizing, managing, and reporting on fundraising activity Work with the President to create and implement an annual development plan as part of a multi-year development strategy Work with the President to grow and support our advisory and governing boards Support our communications plan to broaden awareness of our work Provide organizational and project budgeting support, manage external relationships with vendors such as finance, bookkeeping, technology, payroll, and human resources Provide support to Empower Schools on other initiatives as needed What You’ve Done 3-5 years of work experience in development, preferably with foundation and corporate giving Demonstrated interest in education reform and strong mission alignment Must be articulate, tactful, and able to successfully manage relationships with external organizations, vendors, and community leaders An entrepreneurial mindset (i.e. flexible, resourceful, and creative) and deep motivation to drive toward high-quality outcomes Excellent written and oral communications skills, including the ability to translate ideas into clear, compelling documents (e.g. in PowerPoint and Word formats) Strong organizational skills and the ability to set priorities, handle multiple tasks in a deadline-driven environment, be comfortable with some ambiguity, and complete all tasks with attention to detail, accuracy, and quality BA/BS required, advanced degree preferred Salary and Benefits Commensurate with experience. Application Interested and qualified applicants should send a cover letter and resume [email protected]. Please note the job title in the subject matter of your e-mail. We support equal opportunity for all people and we strongly encourage people of color to apply for positions in our organization. 2 to
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