Program Associate, Education; GHR

GHR Foundation is a private philanthropy of service to people and their limitless potential for good. Alongside our partners around the world, we re-imagine what’s possible when pursuing impact on issues related to Children in Families, Education, Alzheimer’s Disease and more.

For more than 50 years, the pioneering design-build legacy of Opus Group founders Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst (GHR) has guided our optimistic and transformational philanthropic approach. We exist to be of service to people and their limitless potential for good. To achieve GHR’s purpose, we are guided by shared values calling us to lead with love, reimagine what’s possible, partner boldly, navigate and adapt.

In this way, our external impact extends beyond programmatic funding to influential leadership within philanthropy and across the social sector. Internally, we nurture an inclusive organizational culture centered around curiosity, courage, and trust that values both the individual and team.

The program associate provides high-quality grants management, program administration and learning practice contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of the program department in achieving its impact goals. Program associates are part of a core grants management and learning team and deployed to specific initiatives and projects,both programmatic and operational.

The program associate manages multiple projects and deadlines across different teams exhibiting critical thinking, effective communication, sound judgment, and seamless planning and execution. The associate's work is primarily internal with occasional interaction with grantees and partners.

This position will join the Catholic Schools and Higher Education teams specifically and contribute to other cross-cutting projects.

The program associate has a direct reporting line to the Senior Director, and dotted line to program area lead for Education. The position is highly matrixed and is also expected to take direction from and collaborate with other team members.

The program associate is responsible for processing and monitoring a portfolio of grants throughout the life cycle from application to closure; managing knowledge and data for assigned initiatives to generate insights in support of strategic review and refinement; providing high-level administrative management of annual work plans and activities for assigned initiatives; and,contributing to strategy, learning, and continuous improvement efforts. Responsibilities generally include:

Grants management

• Facilitate and monitor the completion of grantee proposals, reporting and amendments, quantitative and qualitative data capture, and any internal program reporting requirements
• Perform initial review of grant proposals for compliance and completeness; ensure accurate and complete initial grant record including coding and monitoring & assessment module
• Inform the structure and documentation of grants, funding guidelines, and application and reporting tools
• Manage grant data for assigned areas including data collection, reporting, and packaging for multiple audiences; and supporting the development and implementation of tools for data tracking and analysis, both internal and with grantees as appropriate
• Support and oversee initiative team use of technology and tools to ensure effective and efficient grants and knowledge management
• Support grantees as needed to improve grant execution, and to resolve questions or potential problems that arise

Program administration

• Draft and monitor initiative work plans and budgets
• Initiate regular team meetings in assigned areas and generate agenda to review status of portfolio, coding and compliance, scenario planning, work plans and budget
• Prepare and coordinate production of materials including draft memos, spreadsheets, reports and presentations; liaise with other team members on assignments; produce high-quality materials with consistent formatting and editing; copy and distribute materials as appropriate
• Plan, coordinate and manage grantee/stakeholder meetings and events including calendaring, scheduling,…