About Us:

The Sobrato Family is committed to building a strong and vibrant Silicon Valley community through business and philanthropic leadership. To support these efforts, the Sobrato Family Foundation (SFF) operates as a place-based grantmaker that invests in organizations serving those most in need in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Southern Alameda counties.  SFF utilizes both real estate and cash assets to achieve maximum impact, providing in-kind office and meeting space at its three nonprofit centers located in Redwood Shores, San Jose and Milpitas; providing multi-year cash grants for general operating support to an array of non-profit service providers; and funding two strategic grantmaking programs, 21^st Century Education and Pathways for Success, that seek to strategically shift the structures of opportunity for low-income families in the region. SFF also operates the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model,under the goals of the 21st Century Education program, and has formally partnered with 68 public schools across 12 districts to implement the model.

About the Position:

The Program Associate (PA) is an integral part of the team that advances all of SFF’s grantmaking activities. The position formally reports to the Senior Program Officer (SPO), and also works under the Program Officer (PO) as a close colleague. We are seeking a candidate that will contribute to our efforts to build and maintain strong relationships with more than 100 grantee partners, peer funders, and field-leaders in key educational and community-based organizations. Working collectively, the grantmaking team of SPO, PO and PA are expected to manage and execute upon a grants budget of nearly $13M for 2016.

Candidates should possess previous experience in the nonprofit sector and serving low-income communities, and will draw from that background in understanding the context and strategies of the programs. Ideally, candidates will have existing knowledge in education or economic development initially - with an expectation that the PA will develop insight into both areas over time. Prior grantmaking experience is preferred but not required.

The position will handle a wide range of program support responsibilities and tasks, and must be able to work independently - with little or no supervision, insome cases. The role requires analytical and communication skills to appropriately prioritize duties and engage with the SPO and PO in a proactive and positive style, and to produce results on-time with meticulous attention to detail.

The PA must be exceedingly well organized, and also enjoy the challenges of a growing organization, while juggling multiple tasks and deadlines. Additionally,the person must have the ability to interact with colleagues and the community in a fast paced environment, sometimes under pressure, remaining flexible, resourceful and efficient, with a high level of professionalism and enthusiasm.

Key Responsibilities:

Grantmaking Activities

• Serve as an initial point of contact for grantseekers, addressing inquiries knowledgably and punctually, and assisting the SPO and PO in responding to requests from current partners.
• Participate in the cultivation, review and preparation of proposals for strategic and responsive grants.
• Conduct due diligence on grant applicants, prepare correspondence, coordinate and participate in site visits, and handle other administrative and duties related to the review process for the General Operating Support grant cycles.
• Assist with monitoring grantee performance against established grant terms and agreements, and format reported data of milestones and outcomes for internal program reports or dashboards.
• Coordinate with other colleagues in SFF, including the Program Director, Grants Manager, and other Program Associates, to ensure smooth internal operations for grantmaking and other SFF business.

Research, Strategy, and Impact

• Conduct and synthesize research to identify programmatic trends and best practices, and to analyze the landscape of potential grantee partners and other funders across the two strategic programs' fields.
• Contribute to the planning and development of the long-term strategies in all grant programs, including the evolution of SFF’s systems forcapturing learning and evidence of impact.
• Support the SPO and PO in organizing and executing meetings, briefings,learning communities, or other events that engage stakeholders around thekey issues and priorities of the grant programs.
• Design and implement methods to monitor program-relevant andcommunity-wide news, including acquisition of reports and materials,and prioritizing and sharing appropriately with staff.

Administrative Infrastructure

• Provide effective information management across email, phone, calendarsand other systems.
• Prepare reports, presentations, memos and other documents for internaland external audiences.
• Ensure files and documentation of grantmaking and other activities arecomplete and up to date.
• Execute special projects as assigned.

Qualifications and Abilities:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 5+ years of full-time experience, or a Master’s degree in lieu of experience, in the nonprofit or public sector, and related to low-income communities and/or program effectiveness.
• Demonstrated commitment to addressing issues of social change.
• Experience in project coordination, and a creative and agile problemsolver.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills to support the design andimplementation of new programs.
• Flexible, nimble, and able to effectively adapt to varying workflows, multiple senior colleagues, interruptions or emerging situations, andpotential shifts in role and duties as SFF grows.
• Strong judgment and sound decision making ability, especially when facing multi-faceted issues.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, able to build and facilitate relationships with ease.
• Ability to clearly and succinctly communicate orally and in writing, withcompetent proofreading ability.
• Deep personal integrity to the highest standards of excellence, setting highexpectations for personal and organizational achievement.
• A strong sense of self-confidence, self-awareness.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Salary commensurate with experience.
• Highly competitive benefits package.
• Full-time, exempt position.
• Office hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

TO APPLY

Visit http://www.sobrato.com/sobrato-philanthropies/careers/