ABFE | San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Senior Program Officer - Education and Economic Mobility, Crankstart

The Organization

Crankstart is a private foundation based in the Bay Area. The Crankstart mission is to support leaders and organizations with the know-how and tenacity to take on tough problems which have no quick or easy answers. Crankstart currently supports efforts in democracy, education, economic mobility, housing security, climate, and science.

Crankstart is primarily focused on helping build a stronger and more just San Francisco and Bay Area for all. In 2021, Crankstart made over $250m in grants with about 60% going to nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Crankstart is currently a small, lean team of six with plans to grow efficiently over the next few years. As a funder, Crankstart aims to build trust, be responsive and enable leaders and communities to identify problems and solutions that matter most to them. We have an equity-oriented team that prioritizes collaboration and inclusion, as well as healthy disagreements in all directions.

Crankstart was founded by Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman who are actively engaged as Board members. As early signatories to the Giving Pledge, they have committed to giving away the majority of their wealth in their lifetimes.

For more information about Crankstart, please visit https://crankstart.org/.

The Opportunity

Crankstart is seeking an equity-centered strategic leader to serve as a Senior Program Officer (SPO) leading Crankstart’s work focused on education and economic mobility. The SPO will function as a high-level individual contributor and people manager. The role oversees two bodies of work:

The Opportunity

Education Portfolio. The SPO will lead Crankstart’s education funding strategy and grantmaking focused on the following funding priorities: early childhood education, postsecondary access and success, extended learning, and teacher pipeline diversity. Crankstart’s historical work in these areas has been rooted in grantmaking to nonprofit providers. The SPO will extend Crankstart’s work by using a systems-change approach.
Economic Mobility Portfolio. The SPO will lead Crankstart’s economic mobility funding strategy and make and oversee related grants. The SPO will manage and work in partnership with a Program Officer dedicated to this portfolio. Crankstart’s historical work in this issue has been rooted in grantmaking to nonprofit providers primarily working on workforce development, extending access to safety net benefits, and public health support.

Crankstart sees these two bodies of work as inextricably linked. As such, the SPO will work to coordinate efforts particularly as they relate to postsecondary success, career readiness and workforce development.

The ideal candidate for this role is a senior leader with 1) substantive experience in education and/or economic mobility improving population level outcomes for a city, county or state; 2) strong knowledge of education and economic mobility research and interventions, as well as the local nonprofit landscape; and 3) a track record of improving the outcomes of historically marginalized communities. There is a preference for candidates with lived experience in California’s racially and economically diverse communities, and experience working on postsecondary access/success, college readiness and/or workforce development experience in the Bay Area.

The SPO will report to Crankstart’s Managing Director of Programs. This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area; it is not a remote position.

Responsibilities

Strategy Development & Leadership

Build strategic relationships with thought leaders, civic leaders, and practitioners to shape Crankstart’s work in education and economic mobility.
Develop and implement strategies aligned to key funding priorities.
Inform strategic adjustments in the context of an evolving local and state policy landscape.
Model a strong community and grantee-centered approach.
Coordinate efforts across education and economic mobility to accelerate progress.
Implement participatory and inclusive design principles across strategy and projects.
Remain informed of current research and trends across education and economic mobility.
Monitor progress and measure impact to continuously improve.
Attend site visits and external in-person meetings when necessary.

Grantee Partnerships & Investments

Build and maintain trusting relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders.
Model trust-based philanthropy values and continuously improve the grantee experience.
Research and scope new funding opportunities that innovate beyond the status quo.
Partner with funders working to improve education and economic mobility in the Bay Area.
Work to strengthen the organizational capacity of grantees and sector.
Monitor grant investments and maintain ongoing communication with grantees to both understand their evolving needs and collect input on how Crankstart can do its job better.
Prepare grant recommendations, context papers and strategy documents.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate has the following qualifications:

A minimum of eight years of work experience in education and/or economic mobility, including four years in a senior leadership role.
Substantive experience working and leading education economic mobility efforts to improve population level outcomes for a city, county or state.
Strong knowledge of education and economic mobility research and interventions, as well as the local nonprofit landscape.
Track record of improving the outcomes of historically marginalized communities in the Bay Area.
Experience managing a team toward collective results.

Candidate preferences:

Possess lived experience with California’s racially and economically diverse communities.
Experience working on postsecondary access/success, college readiness and/or workforce development experience in California.

The ideal candidate has the following skills and abilities:

Strong at crafting “big-picture” systems-change vision and carrying out complex, yet flexible, implementation strategies that meet community-based needs.
Ability to apply participatory or liberatory design principles across various efforts.
Natural curiosity and ability to envision possibilities that align with Crankstart’s priorities.
Proven ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner using both formal and informal authority while building and sustaining collaborative relationships.
Ability to rapidly assess, prioritize, and deliver assistance across a diverse set of stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a focus on being able to synthesize complex concepts, information, and recommendations succinctly and effectively for decision.
Ability to work across the political spectrum, and to respect diverse perspectives.
Ability to manage multi-faceted projects involving a range of staff and partners.
Possess authentic humility around learning and improvement.
Strong desire to work within a startup environment.

Work Environment

The SPO is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and a remote option is not available. The Crankstart team currently works from a co-working space in San Francisco on Mondays and offers use of a coworking space 5 days a week from 9am-7pm. Crankstart will eventually move into a permanent office location in San Francisco while continuing to have a hybrid work model.

Compensation and Benefits

Crankstart offers a competitive salary based on experience and a benefits package including medical, dental, a 15% 401k match, generous vacation and paid holidays, and a generous Employee Giving Alignment Program. The starting salary range is expected to be $170k to $220k depending on experience.

COVID-19

Crankstart requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except as required by law. Any employment offer will be contingent upon satisfactory proof that you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law.

How To Apply

Application Process
Martha Montag Brown & Associates, LLC has been retained for this search. Interested and qualified candidates should apply by sending a cover letter, resume and salary requirements by email to Martha@marthamontagbrown.com. . All correspondence will remain confidential.