Program Associate, Early Childhood Education at Reinvestment Fund

Description

ABOUT REINVESTMENT FUND:

At Reinvestment Fund, we are dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of underserved individuals and communities. Our mission is to create opportunity for underserved people and places through partnerships. We marshal the capital, analytics, and expertise necessary to build strong, healthy, and more equitable communities.

As a federally certified community development financial institution (CDFI), our job is to make finance an agent of positive change and equitable growth. We provide loans, grants and technical assistance to businesses and nonprofits. Our borrowers and grantees educate students, support local economies, and create jobs. They build affordable housing and provide community goods and services that include access to nutritious food, hunger relief, physical and mental health care, and other social services.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
Reinvestment Fund is seeking a Program Associate to support the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programs team. The ECE team works to design and implement responsive and inclusive programs to help ECE providers invest in their facilities and businesses, working towards a world where every child has access to high quality ECE. The Associate will help guide ECE providers through the grant life cycle, and support access to child care facility resources and business coaching. They will primarily support the Fund for Quality (FFQ) and Accessing Child Care Expansion and Sustainability Supports (ACCESS) programs in Philadelphia, along with the multi-state WeVision Early Ed Alignment Fund. This is a great opportunity for a mission-driven professional passionate about expanding access to quality early childhood education through hands-on grant support and project management.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Grant Project Support – Grantee/Applicant/Client Guidance 

· Guide ECE providers (childcare business owners and leadership) through all stages of the grant life cycle — from application to reporting — providing responsive and supportive technical assistance.

· Develop user-friendly resources (e.g., one-pagers, instructional videos, FAQs) to help grantees understand requirements and navigate the online grant system (SmartSimple).

· Review and score grant applications, analyzing content, organizational and financial documents for eligibility, completeness, and project alignment.

· Evaluate financial statements, budgets, and operating projections to support project assessment and funding and TA decisions.

· Support grantees with collecting documentation for the submission of payment requests; compile and submit payment requests for approval; track grant budgets and ensure accuracy of individual grant statuses in the grant system in coordination with Program Operations staff.

· Coordinate with construction monitor for inspections and payment applications on construction-related projects and assist grantees with planning and predevelopment documentation (architectural plans, bids, permits, etc.).

· Draft grant agreements using approved templates for Director review.

· Monitor grant compliance and performance during and after the grant period, reviewing progress reports and maintaining accurate project files.

· Collaborate with partners to ensure smooth project communication and online platform use.

· Perform additional duties as assigned.

Grants Program Management

· Support the Program Director in strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation to achieve program goals within scope, budget, and timeline.

· Collect, analyze, and interpret program and grant outcome data; prepare summaries and reports to communicate results, lessons learned, and impact.

· Develop and manage program communications, including web content, newsletters, success stories, and presentations.

· Plan and coordinate meetings, webinars, and other program events.

· Provide cross-team assistance on ECE grant programs as needed.

· Occasional weekend and evening activities with grantees and partners (estimated at 4 per year).

Requirements

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree preferred, and/or at least 3 years of relevant experience working in early childhood education or youth programs, financial analysis, grants management, and/or program management. 

· Demonstrated strong project management skills, including organization, time management, defining and setting priorities, and problem-solving.

· Demonstrated interest in or experience with early childhood education.

· Familiarity with financial analysis, business support/technical assistance, business or real estate financing, community development, or willingness to receive training on the job.

· Exceptional attention to detail.

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Ability to work productively with diverse individuals, communities, and groups.

· Proficient in MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint. 

Preferred Qualifications:

· Experience with SmartSimple or other grant platforms a plus but not required. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to complete SmartSimple user training and manage grant projects in an online system, if hired.

· Experience with Project Management Tools (e.g. Smartsheet, Asana) 

· Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.
 

WORK LOCATION:

For this position, we will consider employees in the Philadelphia, PA area. Reinvestment Fund provides a flexible work arrangement of two days onsite and three days remote allowing for face-to-face interactions.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Reinvestment Fund offers a competitive salary based on experience and skills, as well as an excellent benefits package including employer-paid health, disability, and life insurance, 401(k) savings plan with employer match, flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care and transportation), tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and EAP program.

The salary range for this position at commencement of employment is between $60,000 and $70,000/year.

If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Reinvestment Fund uses E-Verify to validate all new hires' ability to legally work in the United States and all new hires may be subject to a background check.

Reinvestment Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment practices based on race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, non-job-related disability, or status as a veteran. Reinvestment Fund is committed to belonging, culture and engagement throughout our organization and in our external investment practices.

Reinvestment Fund, Inc. has an affiliate, RF Impact Advisers, Inc. (“RFIA”) that is a state-registered investment adviser. In order to advance compliance with and prevent violations of federal and state securities laws and to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, RFIA has adopted a Code of Ethics to govern certain conduct of its staff, including certain staff of Reinvestment Fund because Reinvestment Fund is an advisory affiliate of RFIA. As part of this Code of Ethics, there are specific personal reporting and other requirements and disclosures of personal financial and/or securities transactions information for certain individuals, and this reporting may extend to your household members.