CAREER OPPORTUNITY – Program Associate

Please submit cover letter and resume to careers@jbmcclatchyfoundation.org

Open Until Filled | Full-time Exempt

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The James B. McClatchy Foundation

Founded by Susan and the late James B. McClatchy in 1994, the James B. McClatchy Foundation (JBMF) has a noble mission:

We stand with the people of the Central Valley by investing in education and active civic participation in our democracy.

Toward this end, the Foundation (JBMF) is organized to advance Multilingual Learner students, promote First Amendment speech and expression, and the protection of a free press, and to improve life in one of the country’s most diverse, culturally rich, and economically viable regions, California’s Central Valley.

Despite these assets, the Central Valley faces many critical challenges requiring significant resources. The pressing nature of these challenges is compelling: they should be addressed sooner rather than later. In response to this reality, the Board of Directors has decided to increase its annual grantmaking, with plans to invest all JBMF’s assets in the next decade or so. This decision reflects a commitment to Multilingual Learners in our communities and to the First Amendment. As such, the Foundation is entering an exciting time in its life-cycle and is looking for dedicated and qualified people with integrity to honor this vision and join the Foundation on this journey.

Program Associate – Job Description

The Program Associate (PA) provides support to the program and executive team to deliver on the promise of the Foundation’s grantmaking strategies in California’s Central Valley. In short, this is a critical position to the successful execution of the Foundation’s impact. The Foundation is seeking a dynamic team player and resourceful implementer who can work collaboratively with staff, grantee-partners, key community stakeholders, and volunteers to maximize the Foundation’s impact.

The ideal candidate will have similar experiences working in program development and planning, community engagement with diverse stakeholders, is familiar working collaboratively on a project in a support role and has successfully done this at either a foundation, a community-based or like organization. The candidate will:

• • uphold the utmost of professionalism
  • respect community ownership, organizational, and interpersonal transactions, decisions, and communications

Through its work, JBMF lifts community voices by honoring diversity, equity, and inclusion, improves education access, and ensures all people, especially children, have pathways to a fulfilling life in California’s Central Valley – these institutional qualities are core to the Foundation’s values. This position will represent the Foundation and will reflect the diverse backgrounds and talents of the people and communities JBMF serves.  A successful candidate will demonstrate a passion for JBMF work; a spirit of accountability and collaboration; and, a commitment to co-creating powerful stories of the impact of this work that are grounded in rigor and data.

JBMF is an equal opportunity employer and fosters a workplace without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic. JBMF also follows and adheres to the latest COVID safety measure per federal, state, and local county guidelines. We are currently operating in a hybrid workplace model where staff work both in the office and at home, until further notice.

Pay starting at $60-70K with excellent benefits provided to qualified candidates who meet the minimum requirements. Please submit cover letter and resume to careers@jbmcclatchyfoundation.org. This posting will remain open until the position is filled. No phone calls and no recruiters please.

Title: Program Associate (PA)

Reports to: Chief Impact Officer

Classification Full-time exempt

Responsibilities

The PA works collaboratively with a dedicated team to provide administrative and project support for the execution of grant programs and initiatives. The Program Associate will hold the following three responsibilities under supervision of the Chief Impact Officer:

Program Administration

• • Assist program and executive staff in the research and analysis of subject matter information related to grant programs, which may include philanthropic scans, demographic data, and grantee information
  • Assist with coordination and presentation of formal and informal evaluations, and impact narratives of grantmaking initiatives
  • Draft reports, board dockets, correspondence/emails, and other documents as necessary
  • Coordinate external consultants and vendors under the guidance of the Chief Impact Officer or Senior Program Manager
  • Support the team in assessing and addressing the capacity building needs and progress of grantees
  • Maintain a visual grantee map and experiment with specific GIS/mapping projects
  • Engage with community stakeholders for upcoming grant and program opportunities

Communications

• • Serve as primary internal communications liaison with marketing and communications vendors; prepare meeting agendas and track tasks related to communications and marketing
  • Responsible for planning, development, and updating of content for the website and other communications such as email newsletters, social media, blogs, reports, and announcements
  • Responsible for social media content and engagement aligned with strategic goals
  • Monitor social media posts for engagement and partner content. Collaborate with staff and the JBMF communications vendor to curate social and engagement content for communications teams to disseminate
  • Develop and coordinate a public-facing grantee database with up-to-date information
  • Curate and manage the Foundation’s myriad content databases
  • Monitor and respond to the Foundation’s general email accounts

Community Engagement

• • Organize applicant and grantee site visits
  • Coordinate learning convenings with grantees and other stakeholders
  • Collaborate with grantee partners in execution of partnered community events
  • Support the JBMF team in Foundation-wide events, including Board meetings
  • Bring their own perspectives, relationship-building skills, and lived experiences to the growing team and culture of the Foundation

Other Responsibilities

• • Ability to execute special projects as assigned
  • Serve as back up support for Grants Manager. Become proficient in the Foundation’s data and grants management system
  • Coordinate meeting logistics when necessary

Desired Qualifications

• • Possesses a continual, fearless, and team-oriented growth mindset
  • Experience supporting and working collaboratively with program, operations and executive staff in a small team environment
  • Experience with nonprofit communications tools including web site CMS, CRM, email newsletter platforms, social media and online analytics tools
  • Strong project support and administrative experience, with excellent writing and verbal communications skills
  • Ability to oversee and prioritize multiple projects and effectively manage workflow to meet deadlines
  • Demonstrated ability to act as a critical resource to others by providing support, sharing information, and possessing high standards in rigor and quality
  • Proven track record of success in understanding community impact and communicating it to external audiences
  • Comprehension of and facility with data and numbers
  • Thoughtful understanding of diverse community communications needs and access
  • Understands value of diversity and equity with proven capacity to respectfully work in a multicultural and inclusive workforce and environment
  • Works productively in a fast-paced environment with multiple tasks and projects, with great attention to detail and completion deadlines
  • Values collaboration and partnership but also is self-directed and can work without daily supervision
  • Shares information, provides and receives feedback and guidance to and from others respectfully and skillfully
  • Able to adapt quickly in changing digital environments and be an early adopter to emerging systems
  • Knowledge of GIS or mapping skills, or willingness to learn

Required Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university or college
  • At least 3-5 years of work experience
  • Familiarity with technology and online platforms,
  • Familiarity with communications platforms and social media suite of tools
  • Fluent in using a computer and a variety of applications (MS Office suite, Mac/Apple products, Googlesuite)
  • Experience with cloud-based Content Management Systems (CMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Project Management tools (Asana) and internal communications (Slack)
  • Capability to travel within California’s Central Valley, including occasional overnight site visits, state, and national conferences, and evening meetings
  • Possess a valid California Driver’s License