Operations / Administration Project Director
Job Description
About Catalyze
Catalyze is a grant fund created to ensure that all learners, from middle school to early adulthood, have access to transformative career-connected learning experiences that integrate education and career. The fund’s core focus is to benefit historically underserved learners, support solutions led by individuals with proximity to the communities they serve, and work with employers to build and grow talent development practices that expand access to economic opportunity while addressing key business challenges.
With more than $15M raised since its launch in March 2021, Catalyze has granted $10M to 40 groundbreaking solutions through its flagship program, the Catalyze Challenge. Catalyze is poised to grow its fund over the next two years by raising $25M from current and new funders. In addition to grantmaking, Catalyze also invests in continuous learning for grantees and the field, as well as communications and storytelling to support narrative change around the pathways to economic opportunity in the U.S.
Position Overview
Catalyze is hiring a full-time Project Director (PD) to lead critical aspects of the Catalyze fund. The Project Director will promote the strategic vision of Catalyze by managing funder relations and fundraising and overseeing a team of consultants and vendors to deliver on the daily operations, which are reflected across grantmaking, communications, and learning.
The PD will lead Catalyze as its first full-time employee, building on a foundation built over the past two years by a network of operational partners and the founding philanthropic entities who support it. The PD will report to the Catalyze Advisory Board and work closely with the funders of that board and Common Group, the lead operational partner.
The PD is an adept leader who has a track record of building systems and processes; managing multiple work streams, initiatives and stakeholders; and creating culture among a coalition of partners. As a proven problem-solver and passionate external voice of Catalyze, the PD is motivated to grow Catalyze as a key funding vehicle, innovation engine, and movement for preparing young people across the country for long-term career success. This role is fully remote, with the potential need to travel up to 20% of the time.
Core Responsibilities
As our founding Project Director, you will:
- Drive Catalyze’s long-term growth, impact and sustainability via reflection and promotion of Catalyze’s mission and strategic vision
- Translate funders’ vision and priorities into actionable strategies and work plans that meet/exceed goals through 2024 and lay the groundwork to building a sustainable organization
- Provide inspiration and leadership to funders, partners, grantees and the entirety of the Catalyze network
- Lead monthly Advisory Board meetings and strategic decision-making
- Source new opportunities for programmatic investment, research and implementation that align with Catalyze’s mission
- Establish, adopt and ensure adherence to values and ethical standards in all organization functions, with an emphasis on justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging for all
- Lead fundraising efforts to expand the number of institutions and dollars needed to fuel the Catalyze mission and movement
- Manage relationships with existing funders to gain renewals and multi-year commitments
- Engage and cultivate relationships with new funders to join the coalition of Catalyze funders
- Raise additional funds for new and adjacent initiatives as opportunities surface
- Match-make among funders and Catalyze grantees for follow-on funding opportunities
- Manage operational budget and activity
- Oversee a $1.5-2M operational budget and network of learning, communication, strategic planning and challenge execution partners
- Supervise the grantmaking process and building of learning communities
- Identify and contract new operational partners as needs are surfaced
- Manage partners, including contractors and vendors, to meet stated deadlines and challenge timelines
- Represent Catalyze with grantees, the field, and media
- Host events with grantees, funders, and others
- Author communications that unite the Catalyze network
- Act as spokesperson in media, on industry panels, at conferences and other other speaking engagements
Qualifications
Success in this position will require the following skills and experience:
- Excellent project management skills and operational experience in
- Overseeing multiple vendors and contractors simultaneously
- Managing governance structures across multiple funders
- Building, motivating and leading high performing teams and coalitions
- Uniting and mobilizing stakeholders of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to a unified set of goals and path forward
- Creating processes and systems in a fast-paced, growing environment
- Experience leading grantmaking programs
- Demonstrable expertise in setting grantmaking strategy
- Firsthand experience with grantmaking in one or more of the following: K-12 education, career and technical education, post-secondary education and/or workforce development, with priority given to candidates who have grantmaking experience with programs that connect these domains
- Fundraising experience in raising $10M+ annually from foundations and other funding sources
- Experience in managing and influencing other that do not report to you
- Demonstrated excellence in
- Architecting, articulating and generating support for and implementing on long-term, impactful social change strategies
- Establishing and deepening strong relationships and partnerships with leaders within the funding community, field experts, critics and allies, including unlikely ones
- Representing an organization publicly
- Communicating orally and in various written formats, with the ability to express complex ideas clearly and fluently to funders, partners and others
- Experience in one or more of the following environments
- Education advocacy or other relevant grassroots organizing
- Launching a new organization
- Member of leadership role in an entrepreneurial environment
Core Competencies
- Belief in and experience with influencing change to benefit historically underserved learners and communities
- Ability to interface and develop authentic relationships with donors, schools and community leaders, and elected officials of diverse background and viewpoints
- Skilled storyteller and communicator (both verbal and written)
- Skilled facilitator including group decision-making
- Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to thrive in a fast-paced and achievement-oriented environment
- Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic fund committed to a new future for education
Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary for this position is $140,000-$180,000, commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance; 3% automatic contribution and a 3% employer match on 401(k) contributions; pre-tax transportation benefits; and paid holiday, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off.
