Associate Director, Institutional & Federal Grants

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

EL Education is a national nonprofit focused on making lasting change in our K-12 public schools. We partner with schools and districts in urban and rural communities across America to provide a transformative educational experience—steeped in challenge, leadership, and contribution—that prepares students from every background for success in college, careers, and life. Our unique approach of joining character to scholarship, inspiring students to work together to make positive change, has yielded groundbreaking results. Our approach centers on an expanded view of student success—one that integrates growth in the mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality student work, and is informed by the latest science of how students learn and develop. It is the foundation of our highly rated K-8 Language Arts Curriculum and school design model, both of which have proven through rigorous external research to significantly improve teacher practice and student outcomes.

EL Education has developed a four-year strategic plan, Advancing Equity in K-12 Education, to guide our work over the next four years. We are setting our sights on disrupting education inequities by realizing the full potential of our approach across school systems. We aim to reach 2.5M students by 2025.
EL Education was born out of a collaboration between The Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound nearly thirty years ago: founded as a break-the-mold model of school design with character and academics at the pinnacle. Our mission is to create classrooms where teachers can fulfill their highest aspirations and students achieve more than they think possible, becoming active contributors to building a better world.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

EL Education seeks an accomplished development professional to support and strengthen the organization’s institutional and federal giving strategies as part of its four-year strategic plan, Advancing Equity in K-12 Education. EL Education aims to raise $50M in support over four years to achieve its goals for impact. The Associate Director, Institutional & Federal Grants is the department’s lead project manager and writer, responsible for developing and submitting compelling grant proposals. The Associate Director will also play a critical role in the design and implementation of a federal grants strategy for the organization.

Responsibilities & Essential Functions:

• Serve as lead grant writer and project manager for major proposals and reports to foundations and other grant makers
• Partner with the Senior Director of Development and other staff to design and implement a comprehensive federal grants strategy, positioning the organization to increase efficiencies, communications and ultimately success in pursuing federal grants
• Monitor federal grant sites and identify RFPs for the organization to consider; gather and synthesize relevant information regarding the RFP and share with leadership and other stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to co-create and successfully capture
• Engage closely with EL senior staff and funder representatives as required to complete proposals and support funder cultivation efforts
• Input, track, and communicate information relevant to funders and proposals through the organization’s funder database (CRM - Salesforce)
• Conduct prospect and other funder related research and communicate findings with key internal stakeholders
• Participate in weekly development team meetings
• Support and occasionally oversee funder communications initiatives
• Attend occasional funder convenings, meetings, site visits, and networking events proposal outcomes, deliverables, and budgets

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree a plus
• 7+ years of professional experience requiring external written communication, strong analytical skills, and leadership of complex, group-based projects with concrete deliverables
• 5+ years of grant writing experience in a nonprofit organization, focused on institutional (corporate, foundation, government) giving Adept at synthesizing info from various sources into a compelling and persuasive narrative
• Thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Quick study; self-reflective and strive for continuous improvement
• Ability to think at both a big-picture and detailed level
• Work independently with minimal supervision
• Motivate a group to remain schedule-driven
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and oral
• Exceptional interpersonal skills that inspire confidence from a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including funders, client partners, and colleagues
• Ability to create and refine a program/project budget in Microsoft Excel, and help design budget modifications and tradeoffs when necessary
• Ability to multitask, especially in managing multiple proposals simultaneously; outstanding time-management skills
• Strong proficiency in both Microsoft Office and Google Suite
• Familiarity and experience using CRM databases (preferably Salesforce and/or Raiser’s Edge)
• Experience in the K-12 education sector a strong plus

Location: Remote
EL Education is a national organization with offices in Amherst, MA and New York, NY. This position can be remote. Minimal travel required.

COMPENSATION

Competitive compensation and benefits package commensurate with experience.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Please submit your resume and one page cover letter online (link to EL’s Career Page) in MS Word or PDF format. In your cover letter, identify the position you are applying for and how you heard of the job opening and EL Education.
No phone calls please. EL will respond only to finalist candidates.

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AND COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

EL Education provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and prohibits discrimination with respect to the hiring or promotion of individuals, conditions of employment, disciplinary and discharge practices, or any other aspect of employment on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or citizenship status, age, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy and parental status, HIV status, gender identity and expression, status with regard to public assistance, status as a veteran, or physical or mental disability or any other factor which cannot lawfully be used as a basis for an employment decision. EOE

VEVRAA Federal Contractor