Operations / Administration Chief Operating Officer
Job Description
Chief Operating Officer – Camden Education Fund
Location: Camden, New Jersey (Remote)
ABOUT CAMDEN EDUCATION FUND
Camden Education Fund (CEF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 with the goal of
sustaining and accelerating progress in Camden’s public school system. CEF works with families,
school partners, and community leaders to identify citywide needs in education. CEF then provides grants and develops strategic partnerships with schools, non-profits, and universities to address these citywide needs. CEF fundraises, nationally and locally, to enable these investments in the city. To date, CEF has invested nearly $20 million to support students, families and schools. The organization is poised to continue supporting the city at this scale in the coming years.
Since its founding, CEF has established itself as a key part of Camden’s school system, surfacing
citywide challenges, catalyzing solutions, and investing a broad group of stakeholders in the future of the city’s schools. We work to actualize our vision that Camden will be home to a vibrant public school system that inspires all students and prepares them for success after high school. To achieve this, the Camden Education Fund spearheads initiatives across five focus areas:
- Talent – recruiting, developing, retaining, and appreciating excellent teachers
- Equity – ensuring a great school for every child and services that meet all children’s needs
- Instructional Quality – providing all students with access to high-quality, rigorous, and relevant curricula
- Engagement – creating opportunities for parents and community leaders to shape a system that meets families’ needs
- Post-Secondary Success – developing structured pathways for post-secondary success, including college and career
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and is a key executive leader with both internal and external responsibilities, including grant giving and management, internal communications, external stakeholder relationship management, and board and donor communications. The COO will partner closely with the CEO to realize CEF’s strategic plan and respond to the needs of Camden’s education system. The ideal candidate is a strong big picture, strategic thinker with excellent execution and attention to detail.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
- Grant Giving and Management (35%)
- Coordinate with investments team on grant giving and management to existing CEF grantees (e.g. schools, community nonprofits).
- Create internal systems and operational processes to maintain the CEF portfolio of grants, including drafting and execution of grant agreements, monitoring milestones and performance, and executing grant disbursements.
- Research new potential grantees and investment opportunities.
- Evaluate and enhance the grant-making process on a regular basis.
- Work closely with the accountant to ensure accurate and real-time accounting.
- Organizational Support and Donor Cultivation (35%)
- Support CEO in developing and executing the organization’s strategic plan to advance CEF’s mission and goals.
- Develop and implement strategies to cultivate and steward relationships with current donors and philanthropic organizations, including regular communication, personalized engagement opportunities, and acknowledgment of their support.
- Identify potential fundraising opportunities through donor research and draft initial outreach plans.
- In partnership with CEO, support regular board communication and meeting preparation, including all information necessary for the board to function properly and make informed decisions.
- In partnership with CEO, support all levels of the organization (including consultants, vendors) to deliver outstanding work on a wide range of projects.
- Partner with CEO in internal leadership activities (strategic planning, donor coordination, administration, and human resources).
- External Affairs and Communications (30%)
- Manage all external communications, including press releases, statements, policy briefs, newsletters, and op-eds in partnership with the communications consultant.
- Develop branding materials and talking points that effectively convey CEF’s mission, values, and impact to various stakeholders.
- Represent CEF in public meetings and events to advocate for our mission and goals.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, public school leaders, elected officials, and CEF partners.
- In partnership with CEF’s partners, research and stay updated on the education policy developments in the state’s legislature and in Camden.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate should demonstrate a passion for driving continued progress in Camden’s public schools with proven experience managing high-impact projects.
A successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree with at least 10 years of experience in a business or executive management role.
We are looking for candidates with:
- Passion and commitment to the mission of improving education for all Camden students
- Must be a Camden/greater Philadelphia area resident or willing to immediately relocate
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and interpersonal skills
- Success in roles requiring execution of multiple tasks while responding to multiple priorities
- Ability to think strategically, critically, and creatively
- Proven ability to develop successful collaborative working relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
- Enjoy working hard, seeking challenges, and finding solutions
- Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required such as:
- Traveling to offsite meetings – valid driver’s license and/or access to transportation when necessary
- Functioning in office space — reaching file cabinets, filing, scanning, coping, typing, mailing, making phone calls
- Must be able to sit for up to two hours looking at a computer monitor, using a keyboard/mouse and typing
- Previous or current experience working in Camden and/or K-12 education field is a plus
- Grant writing and management experience a plus
- Direct management experience a plus
COMPENSATION
Compensation is commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $185,000 with a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, 401k match at 5%, and unlimited PTO.
Camden Education Fund is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and has a strong commitment to building a diverse and inclusive team. As such, it is the continuing policy of CEF to consider all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. As part of our mission, we believe it is important to build a team that is inclusive of the voices and perspectives of people of color, first-generation college graduates, and individuals from low-income backgrounds, who share similar experiences with the students, families, and communities our organization has the privilege to serve.
