Troy, MI

The Organization

The Kresge Foundation is metro Detroit’s largest private, national foundation, with more than $3.6 billion in its endowment, a growing staff of nearly 100 employees and a mission to expand opportunities in America’s cities for low-income people. We do this through grant making and social investing nationally in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, as well as community development in Detroit.

The foundation’s state-of-the-art headquarters is located in metro Detroit. The modern facility is anchored by a 19th century farmhouse and a new expansion that houses both a cafeteria and a convening center. Kresge also operates an office in Detroit’s Midtown district.

The Kresge Foundation offers a competitive total compensation package including health, employer-paid dental and vision, basic life insurance, short- and long-term disability, generous paid time off, and an attractive 401k plan with employer match and a 10 percent employer contribution. We also provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily for a nominal charge, robust professional development opportunities and tuition reimbursement. Kresge promotes and supports a healthy and green work environment and encourages intellectual curiosity as we embrace and live out our values of creativity, respect, opportunity, partnership, and stewardship.

Position Overview

Whether driving lasting prosperity, closing the widening gap between rich and poor, or expanding access to opportunity, American cities are on the frontline of our nation’s most pressing challenges. Kresge’s American Cities Practice draws on the depth of the foundation’s work in Detroit and the breadth of the foundation’s national experience to help find solutions to these challenges—specifically by promoting the use of effective and inclusive community development practice in American cities.

The Associate Program Officer will work with the American Cities Practice team to evaluate grant applications, to manage a portion of the practice’s portfolio of grants, and to lead select bodies of work associated with the practice’s strategic priorities:

(1) Fostering cross-city exchange of knowledge between community development practitioners through research, publications, and convening;

(2) Seeding and scaling innovative approaches to community development by funding and supporting national multi-city initiatives; and

(3) Stewarding the foundation’s place-based grantmaking in Memphis and New Orleans, including community development grantmaking and cross-team coordination.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategy

· Leads development of select strategies related to place-based work or knowledge exchange as directed by the American Cities Practice’s Managing Director.

· Contributes to the practice’s overall strategy development to address team and program priorities.

· Obtains, maintains, and shares knowledge of the current thinking in field – what works, the most effective and /or innovative ways to support the work.

Project Management

· Manages select portions of the Practice’s internal cross-team collaboration related to place-based work.

· Manages external requests for proposals, open calls for grant applications from cities and grantmaking initiatives including RFP development, publication, review and communication process.

· Coordinates critical modules of the foundation’s convening and knowledge exchange agenda.

Grant Reviews

· Manages a portfolio of select grants across national initiatives and place-based work in cities.

· Performs grant review responsibilities for a combination of sourced and unsolicited applications including the initial screen and review of applicant “ideas,” “inquiries,” and “Letters of Intent” submitted to the program team.

· Writes memos, drafts strategy papers and grant write-ups, and decline letters.

· Develops knowledge and supports the team’s use of PRI and innovative capital tools to achieve program objectives.

· With other team members, has collective responsibility for achieving strategic objectives in cities and reaching annual grant budget targets.

Research, Evaluation and Learning

· Works with the Program Officer and Managing Director to develop grant outcomes and evaluation criteria for one’s own grants; reviews reports and interprets results for the broader team.

· Within the team calendar, conducts site visits and partakes of professional development opportunities.

· Conducts research and contributes to program development within the team.

Contributions to the Field and other Duties

· Represents the foundation publicly regarding program funding and grant making results.

· May participate in funder and cross-sector collaboratives to achieve program objectives as needed.

· Develops and maintains other external involvement as needed by the team.

· Works collaboratively, actively supporting and encouraging all members within the team and across teams.

· Demonstrates a strong commitment to the foundation’s mission and values, and an ability to demonstrate that commitment in daily interactions.

· Demonstrates a strong commitment to pragmatically championing issues of inclusion and equity in American Cities.

· Demonstrates a strong commitment to the foundation’s mission and values, and an ability to demonstrate that commitment in daily interactions.

· Conducts other duties and special projects as requested.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in relevant or related fields is required; completion of a Master’s degree is preferred.

· Minimum of two to five years of work experience; must have leadership potential.

· Excellent analytical, writing, verbal, and interpersonal skills.

· Strong interpersonal skills and experience working across teams, functions or sectors.

· Willing and able to work collaboratively across sectors to develop strong and productive relationships.

· Previous experience synthesizing large amounts of information and the ability to execute on strategies.

· Demonstrated interest in the public, nonprofit, civic or social sectors.

· Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment. Ability to make decisions and craft support for recommendations.

· Skill in working effectively as a member of a team.

· Ability to master a diverse and often demanding workload.

· Must be willing to travel extensively. Local, regional and national travel requirements vary by quarter.

· Previous experience in consulting/analysis, project management, strategy or (for-profit, non-profit or public sector) operations is preferred.