Associate Program Officer presso James S. McDonnell Foundation

Description

Job Title:                    Associate Program Officer  

Reports To:                Director of Grants and Impact Investments

Location:                    St. Louis, MO office; currently 3+2 hybrid schedule

Position Type:           Full Time, Exempt

Travel Required:       None

Compensation:         Salary range: $60,000-$85,000.  Benefits paid in full, including generous employer-paid premiums for health, dental, vision, and disability insurance.  Additional benefits include professional development assistance, tuition assistance, student loan repayment assistance, paid company holidays, paid time off, paid parental leave, and a retirement plan with employer contribution

About the James S. McDonnell Foundation 

The James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) envisions a thriving St. Louis region where inclusive economic growth drives shared prosperity and enhances the quality of life for all. Guided by its mission to advance economic mobility for St. Louisans facing the starkest disparities, JSMF invests in four areas essential to the region’s long-term success: workforce, small and mid-size businesses, wealth building, and the civic infrastructure needed to design and implement lasting economic solutions. Founded in St. Louis in 1950 by aerospace pioneer James S. McDonnell, JSMF has awarded more than $600 million in grants to date. For more information about JSMF’s mission and the work of its funded partners, visit jsmf.org.

Position Summary

The Associate Program Officer will be a key contributor to the Foundation's annual grantmaking and impact investment process. This position is accountable for managing a portfolio of grants and impact investments. In particular, this position will be primarily responsible for cultivating and maintaining strong grantee relationships and providing ongoing monitoring and management of grantee and investment performance for a portion of the Foundation’s portfolio. The Associate Program Officer will work collaboratively across the Foundation team on various administrative tasks of the grant and investment process, including identification, due diligence, vetting of grant and impact investment proposals, and post-award management of grantee partnerships.

The Associate Program Officer will report directly to the Director of Grants and Impact Investments. The Associate Program Officer’s primary responsibility is to monitor and manage a portion of the Foundation’s investee portfolio with a focus on enhancing grantee performance. JSMF’s monitoring and management approach includes (1) strong relationship management with organizations, (2) management of an internal grant performance dashboard and reporting to the wider JSMF team on a quarterly basis, (3) offering of organizational capacity building where appropriate, and (4) networking events to build community among JSMF-funded organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and manage a portion of the grant portfolio with the aim of reaching foundation goals on investee performance.
• Foster and maintain strong relationships with the Foundation’s grantees and investees to promote successful outcomes.
• Prepare regular progress reports on existing grants and investment portfolios.
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Grants and Impact Investments throughout the due diligence, vetting, grants management, and investment processes as needed. 
• Organize new grantee partner orientations by liaising not only with the new grantee but also coordinating with various JSMF team members participating in orientations; this may include scheduling, preparing documents, note-taking, and managing follow-ups.
• Respond to ad-hoc grantee inquiries in a timely fashion, and, when necessary, “triage” those requests by connecting grantees to the appropriate JSMF team member.
• Partner with the Principal Program Officer in running an efficient and high-quality quarterly grantee check-in process, from preparation for meetings and site visits, including analysis of prior reports and gathering agenda items from across the JSMF team, to analyzing and documenting notes from meetings.
• Partner with the Principal Program Officer to create and monitor progress on action plans for any investments that face implementation challenges.
• Maintain an internal grantee performance status dashboard in real time and partner with the Principal Program Officer in conducting the quarterly grantee status report meeting
• Collaborate with other JSMF team members on the grantmaking process and respond to requests for information on or connections to grantees that may arise from the JSMF team
• Partner with the JSMF Administrative Services Manager with logistics related to any grantee-focused meetings and events, such as the grantee organizational development program and grantee networking events.

Qualifications And Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree required  
• 2 years of relevant experience in grantmaking, investment management, or impact advisory roles preferred but not required.
• Entrepreneurial self-starter with the ability to take initiative and focus on execution

• A collaborative, creative, and pro-active approach to problem-solving
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills with a service mindset
• Strong project management, time management, and prioritization skills
• Cultural competency and ability to liaise with a wide variety of stakeholders
• Team player willing to “pitch in” to support the wider JSMF team