Program Manager, Strategic Investments

HOW YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE

• Strategic Investments
                     o   Collaborate with Community Impact team and external stakeholders to lead the design of investment in pilots and strategic projects, ensuring alignment with long-term goals and strategies.
                     o   Manage collaborative investment design processes to construct streamlined and impactful funding opportunities for United Way of Greater Los Angeles and key resource tables it manages.
                     o   Partner with Director of Strategic Investments to support strategic discussion and decision making that evolves United Way grantmaking strategy and operations in alignment with organizational goals and values.
                     o   Work with internal teams to identify and research issues and investment opportunities for potential development into strategic funding opportunities.
                     o   Facilitate the production and logistics of special meetings and events (i.e., celebrations, recognition events, strategy meetings) related to investments work.
                     o   As needed, participate in special fund distribution efforts such UWGLA’s Disaster Relief Fund launched based on community need.
• Investment Operations
                     o   Lead cross-functional efforts to apply innovative operational management practices that create efficient and effective grant and other strategic investments.
                     o   Partner with Director of Strategic Investments to support strategic discussion and decision making that evolves United Way strategic investments strategy and operations in alignment with organizational goals and grantmaking values.
                     o   Work in partnership with United Way leadership to further integrate racial equity commitment in investments and grant processes.
                     o   Oversee Contracts Coordinator in production of application and review processes within United Way’s grants management system.
                     o   Manage Contracts Coordinator in successfully partnering across departments in execution of contracts and associated payments.
• Relationship Management & Partner Engagement
                     o   Build relationship with multi-sector partners and engage stakeholders in collaborative design and development of funding opportunities to support relevance and impact.
                     o   Provide responsive and partner-oriented support for partners and prospective applicants seeking assistance or advice. Successfully mediate challenging conversations with applicants and partners.
                     o   Represent United Way in key philanthropic and community spaces.
                     o   Lead management of Home For Good Funders Collaborative and other relevant investment spaces to maintain and deepen funding member engagement and investment.
• Resource Development Support
                     o   Support United Way’s effort to secure greater resources for community impact via meaningful impact statistics and stories from work with key regions and agencies.
                     o   Aide in the development and tracking of key performance indicators and metrics that insightfully analyze the progress and successes of ongoing work. 
                     o   Work collaboratively with Marketing & Engagement and Strategic Partnerships departments to articulate the value of our mission work and support the development of meaningful engagement opportunities for donors and the public. 
• Team Management & Development
                     o   Mentor and coach direct reports to grow skillsets, support individual professional development goals, and inspire team members to both lead and follow.
                     o   Provide direct but respectful constructive feedback in real-time and during formal review periods to elevate team performance, maintain accountability, and reach goals.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

WHAT 1 YEAR OF SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Lead design and deployment of assigned funding opportunities to support team in investing at least $15M into mission-advancing projects that both meet the expectations and requirements of our donors and are meaningfully driving change in community. 
• Lead planning and implementation of at least 2 significant Funders Collaborative investments aligned with evolved strategy. 
• Finalize and execute enhanced communications and engagement plans for Funders Collaborative that results in at least 4 meaningful touchpoints beyond standing meetings.
• Manage newly implemented opportunity intake and assignments process to support an effective team workflow and maximize team capacity and capabilities.
• Oversee Contracts Coordinator in operational management and improvement of payments and contracts processes for UWGLA’s 400+ active commitments, increasing accuracy and reducing processing time and errors. 

SKILLS YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED (Must-Haves)

• Education & Experience:
                     o   High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Social Work, Business Administration, or related disciplines strongly preferred
                     o   Minimum 5 years of related experience required in philanthropy, program development, or program development/management
                     o   Experience working with boards, funding collaboratives, or other decision-making bodies
                     o   Minimum of 3 years of experience supervising and developing direct reports
• Personal Qualities:
                     o   Understands the value of racial equity as an organizational operating principle and commitment to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion
                     o   Team player that can effectively work collaboratively
                     o   Strong communicator that can build positive working relationships with an array of internal and external stakeholders
                     o   Results/action-oriented work style; strong strategic, analytical, planning and problem-solving skills; able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE A FIT (Nice-to-Haves)

• You can light a spark in the dimmest of rooms with your energy and enthusiasm for the work you do.
• You are a strategic planner who can successfully transform thoughts to action and goals to success with a well-crafted play-by-play strategy.
• Your written communications are concise and clear when it comes to ensuring messaging is compelling, accurate and tailored to the audience.
• You understand the all aspects of data analysis - the graphs, charts, facts and figures - well enough to explain the story they tell to others.
• You keep your priorities straight but also know when it's time to re-prioritize your work assignments based on business needs.
• You are proactive, self-motivated, and action-oriented when it comes to managing your workload.
• You work well with others - stakeholders and colleagues alike would agree that you are the quintessential “Team Player”
• Logic and reasoning come naturally to you, making you an efficient problem solver to challenges big and small.
• You stay calm under pressure and can meet tight deadlines when necessary.
• You know your way around the Microsoft Windows operating systems and all it's essential programs including Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint – Microsoft CRM and grants management software are a plus.
• You know how to manage a team in a way that holds everyone accountable while also creating opportunities to provide guidance, feedback and mentorship.
• You're comfortable with giving and receiving feedback in a manner that's respectful yet constructive whether in performance reviews or one-off conversations.
• You know what you know, and what you DON'T know, you’ll research through credible sources and apply that knowledge to your role.
• You've always lived true to the phrase, 'Where there's a will, there's a way," and you're willing to pave the way by creating or improving processes where needed.
• You are familiar with designing and implementing programs from scratch or improving on an existing framework.
• You can project manage, project management! From the blueprint of an idea to outlining and seeing through actionable next steps - you love when a plan comes together.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Hiring Salary Range: $78,000-$89,500 dependent on internal equity and a variety of job-related factors including, but not limited to, experience, training, education, and market demands.
• The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 403(b) plan, pension, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, paid holidays, and paid time off.