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Vice
President of Programs
Nellie
Mae Foundation
Quincy
(Boston), MA
OVERVIEW
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation seeks applications and nominations for the position of Vice President of Programs.
As the largest public charity dedicated to improving academic achievement across underserved communities in New England, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (the Foundation) is embarking on a dynamic period of renewed strategic focus aligning program investments with a refreshed vision. The Vice President of Programs (Vice President) will lead the Foundation’s programming efforts, working closely and collaboratively with the President & CEO, senior managers and program staff to create a dynamic and innovative system of programs that enhances the impact of the Foundation at local, state and national levels. The Vice President will provide strategic programming expertise needed to develop, implement and supervise a system of integrated, value-added programs; identify and invest in promising program opportunities and practices; evaluate and monitor program progress outcomes; and maintain program accountability to the Foundation’s strategic benchmarks. Additionally, the Vice President will develop sustained, collaborative relationships and partnerships to promote the Foundation. The ideal candidate will support and demonstrate the values advanced by the Foundation, will have significant program expertise, and will have the sophistication, entrepreneurial spirit, and intellectual drive to effectively implement and manage program strategy and systems, and build relationships that support the Foundation’s mission.
MISSION & HISTORY
“A catalyst for dramatic, dynamic, and relevant change and improvement in education.”
The Nellie Mae Corporation, a nonprofit education-financing company, first pioneered philanthropy in the student-loan industry in 1990 by creating the Fund for Education. For the next eight years, the Fund for Education provided over $5 million in grants to advance more than 300 education programs throughout New England. In 1999, the Nellie Mae Corporation was purchased by SLM Holding Corporation (Sallie Mae) resulting in the creation of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Today the Foundation is New England’s largest independent principal public charity focused exclusively on education.
The Foundation is grounded in the belief that access to higher education is a right and necessity for all individuals. Dedicated to promoting accessibility, quality and effectiveness of education for the underserved in the six New England States, the Foundation has to date granted $83 million funding education programs and technical assistance to improve academic achievement and access to higher education, and sponsored research and conferences that have advanced knowledge within the educational field and influenced policy at the state, regional and national levels. The Foundation’s historic and primary focus has been on engaged funding of relevant programs within defined strategic areas. Since 2000, the Foundation has focused grantmaking in four strategic initiatives – Adult Literacy, College Prep, Minority High Achievement, and Out-of-School Time Matters. Through these endeavors, the Foundation has improved academic achievement for underserved students throughout New
England.
While it will continue to build on established successes, the Foundation seeks to achieve increased, direct impact on education reform by transforming into a catalyst for innovative, multi-dimensional improvement in systems of education. With new leadership and a renewed vision, the Foundation recognizes that today’s learners must achieve across a wider range of domains. Thus, the Foundation is reexamining its historical focus and forging a new strategic direction in order to equip learners to actively engage in the global economy through a renewed, dynamic and relevant system of high quality education accessible to all from preschool to adulthood.
Under the forward thinking leadership of President & CEO Nicholas C. Donohue, the Foundation has charted a bold course to explore reinvention to strengthen, expand, and diversify the variety and quality of educational access and advancement for every student. To achieve this goal, the Foundation, with a staff of 13, is realigning its programs and investing in a deeper array of innovative and promising practices to acquire impact-driven knowledge to inform future practices and shape public policy. Capitalizing on program investment lessons, the Foundation will be poised to: influence, shape and identify new and refined programmatic strategies; influence public policy; analyze successes and barriers to success in policy innovation and reinvention; and develop and cultivate strategic partnerships with key opinion leaders, policymakers, and constituent networks on local, state and national levels. Through these efforts, the Foundation will increase public understanding and commitment needed to support authentic, sustainable systems of education reform that respond equitably and dynamically to the needs of all learners, and support the high achievement learning needed to thrive in a dynamic economy.
Beginning in 2008, the Foundation will focus its grantmaking on strategies, including funding for partnerships, programs, research, and intermediary organizations, that will support underserved learners and build knowledge to dramatically improve outcomes for them. Emerging program areas include early learning, the use of time in learning, the examination of the pathways involved between secondary and postsecondary education, and adult learning with a focus on postsecondary opportunities. With renewed vision and an innovative strategic plan, the Foundation is realigning program investments to generate energy and momentum in outcomes that influence public policy in education reform, and to build the alliances and relationships necessary to disseminate the results within the policy community and to the public at large. The Director will play an integral role in the Foundation’s learning process, in informing public policy, and in growing public support for authentic, sustainable action in education reform. The Director will be integral to the successful implementation of the Foundation’s strategic benchmarks, leading and managing critical facets of the Foundation’s core functions that impact and shape public policy and awareness in education reform, and that increase the visibility of the Foundation.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS
The Vice President of Programs will assume primary responsibility for directing the Foundation’s program activities. S/he will advance this mission by developing an integrated and outcome-driven program system and providing thoughtful and creative analysis of and accountability for outcomes as measured against benchmarks. S/he will be an integral member of the Foundation’s leadership team, and a hands-on, team-oriented leader and manager. This important and exciting role will present challenges and opportunities for the new Vice President that are each key to the success of the Foundation’s goals. These will include, but not be limited to:
Leading and managing a program infrastructure that supports the Foundation’s vision, mission and strategic objectives;
The Vice President will serve as a strategic thought partner to the President & CEO, successfully translating and implementing the Foundation’s vision and strategy across the organization. The Vice President will work collaboratively with senior leaders, managers, and staff to plan, develop, and implement programs ensuring that the Foundation is a catalyst for systemic education reform. The Vice President will be a strategic thinker who understands the interrelationship of Foundation functions and the intersection of its programs, and will effectively bridge and integrate programs and functions for increased impact. S/he will serve as a learning leader, implementing and linking the organization’s learning plan to its evolving program portfolio, and will oversee continuing advancement of the organization’s programs by partnering in the development of individual staff learning plans. S/he will supervise the senior program staff, and provide fiscal leadership and oversight in supervising and directing program resources. In addition, the Vice President will be responsible for establishing effective policies and procedures, ensuring compliance in the quality and management of programs, and will direct day-to-day program activities including grant making, special projects and other programs operated by the Foundation.
Implementing and managing a comprehensive and innovative program structure to enhance, diversify, and expand the Foundation’s programmatic impact;
The Vice President will capitalize on and collaboratively leverage the skills and expertise of the program staff to develop, implement and manage a comprehensive program system in order to align, diversify and broaden the Foundation’s program scope, projects and investments. S/he will effectively assess the current program portfolio, identifying areas of common focus, and supervise and manage opportunities for cross-program integration and alignment. S/he will identify and make recommendations for new investment and program approaches, will develop new program directions aligned with strategic goals and objectives, and will determine new areas of promise in program knowledge and practice. The Vice President will be an effective decision-maker with the skills to collaborate and quantitatively and qualitatively assess options.
Partnering in the development and implementation of a superior evaluation process to advance outcome measurement and expand programmatic impact;
The Vice President will develop and implement processes and systems to effectively monitor and evaluate program progress. S/he will proactively manage a system of evaluation, analyzing and interpreting data and information in order to align program based outcomes with strategy. The Vice President will continually monitor performance and progress in program investment and resource effectiveness, and will make recommendations and decisions based on thorough and thoughtful analysis, learning and reflection. S/he will establish and manage accountability measures against organizational benchmarks to drive superior performance and achievement in program outcomes.
As a representative of the organization, foster and steward relationships with external organizations, agencies, and communities to promote its impact locally, regionally and nationally;
The Vice President will be an articulate, credible, and compelling advocate of the Foundation capable of carrying the vision, mission, visibility, and importance of the Foundation’s programming efforts. S/he will maintain a close-working relationship with and leverage the time of the President & CEO by participating in visioning, brainstorming and idea cultivation sessions. S/he will develop and maintain vibrant, collaborative relationships with constituent organizations, agencies, institutions, policymakers, key opinion leaders, state and regional networks, and the public at large. S/he will proactively seek to advance the Foundation’s work externally, will become an active member of relevant associations, and build collaborations by networking with appropriate institutions, agencies, organizations, foundations, and policymakers.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will be an established and articulate leader with sophistication, intelligence, drive, and a demonstrable record of success in developing, implementing and managing all aspects of programs, program portfolios, and activities in the field of education, and in supervising and managing program staff. S/he will hold a master’s degree in education or a related field or have an equivalent combination of formal education and
direct research and organizational experience. S/he will also have a proven leadership track record with a minimum of ten years of successful experience in program development, leadership and management. Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
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A demonstrable record of success and experience in leading, implementing and managing organizational and programmatic strategies including experience working with diverse audiences;
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A deep commitment to the mission of the Foundation to promote accessibility, quality and effectiveness of education for the underserved in the six New England States and a substantive knowledge of education reform, issues of equity and diversity, and social and political dynamics of local, regional, and national
governments;
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A proven track record communicating complex policy agendas to wide-ranging audiences in methods that take advantage of traditional media and newer technologies;
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Experience with public policy, public awareness, and public interest issues in education;
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Superior oral and written communications skills in one-on-one settings and in large group meetings with the ability to advocate and drive attention and generate interest in the Foundation;
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Entrepreneurial experience, and the ability to engage in intellectually rigorous conceptual and theoretical discourse and brainstorming to aid organizational learning and to collaboratively support and provide service to program staff;
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An eagerness to be a dynamic and compelling ambassador to all audiences;
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The superior management techniques of a seasoned, collaborative and energetic manager, a consultative and hands-on management style, and the ability to lead, motivate, support and manage the expertise of talented and committed staff;
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Intelligence and the ability to work collaboratively combined with the independence and self-confidence to act decisively;
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Ability to practically and creatively bridge vision and implementation, and to receive, integrate and translate others’ ideas and suggestions;
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Ability to effectively delegate and consult with staff at all levels of organization;
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The flexibility to work in a collaborative, team-oriented, and productive environment, and the ability to envision large systems of change while understanding the impact of individual learners;
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Innovative, strategic, opportunistic and creative thinking skills combined with strong leadership, impeccable management and organizational skills, and exceptional attention to detail;
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A passion for and proven leadership and management success within Foundations and/or nonprofit organizations is desirable along with knowledge of grant making and grant management;
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An optimistic outlook and the humor, integrity, compassion, and patience necessary to address the practicalities and desires of an entrepreneurial nonprofit.
TO
APPLY:
More information about the Nellie Mae Education Foundation may be found at:
http://www.nmefdn.org/
Nominations and applications will be considered as received. Due to the pace of
the search, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications
including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your
resume (in Word format), salary history, and where you learned of the position
should be sent to:
nm-vpp@nonprofitprofessionals.com.
In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
Women and candidates of color are encouraged to apply.
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