Portfolio Associate, K-9 Education

The preferred application deadline for this position is February 13, 2025. Please note that we do not guarantee review of applications after this date.

About Overdeck Family Foundation

Overdeck Family Foundation (“the Foundation”) was founded in 2011 with the goal of providing all children the opportunity to unlock their potential. The Foundation focuses exclusively on enhancing education, funding efforts both inside and outside of school in the areas of early childhood, hands-on STEM education, and K-9 programs that include supporting educators and student-centered learning environments. Our grantmaking and strategic support focus on unlocking innovation, evidence, and growth opportunities for organizations that are committed to accelerating key academic and socioemotional outcomes for all children. The Foundation funds both direct impact organizations and ecosystem efforts that clear the path to scale for our grantees and the work that they do.

At the Overdeck Family Foundation, we achieve our impact by thinking and acting with rigor and collaborating with one another, fostering a culture of curiosity and learning, and living our core values to drive meaningful change. Visit www.overdeck.org for more information.

The Portfolio Associate Position:

Overdeck Family Foundation seeks to hire a full-time Portfolio Associate to support its grantmaking dedicated to K-9 education, with a primary focus on the Exceptional Educators portfolio and a secondary focus on the Innovative Schools portfolio. Reporting to the Portfolio Manager, Exceptional Educators, the Associate will source new grantees; analyze and synthesize research, data, and field trends to facilitate learning; support grantee data collection and analysis; and efficiently manage the grantmaking workflow of the portfolio. The ideal candidate is results-driven, enthusiastic, a keen learner, flexible, proactive, and collaborative. They should possess strong analytical skills and be able to compile and analyze data effectively to support insights and learning. 

The Exceptional Educators portfolio seeks to improve teacher effectiveness and the sustainability of the teaching role so that all children in K-9 experience rigorous, engaging, and accessible instruction that enables them to learn and thrive. To learn about some of our partner organizations visit: Teaching Lab, Leading Educators, and Opportunity Culture. 

 

What You’ll Help Us Do:

• Source and conduct diligence on organizations for potential Overdeck Family Foundation investment 
  • Research and identify potential grantee organizations to create an open, diverse funding pipeline.
  • Conduct due diligence research on organizations to assess funding potential and use qualitative and quantitative data to create recommendations, highlighting strategic alignment and organizational fit
  • Present organizations to the team to gather early input and support preliminary decision-making
  • Contribute to grant recommendations to the Foundation’s Leadership Team and Board
• Perform research and analysis to support continuous learning, improvement, and data-informed decision-making 
  • Maintain an up-to-date, complete database of all current and potential grantees to support analysis, learning, decision-making, and reporting 
  • Analyze and visualize data to inform decision-making, develop grant recommendations, and facilitate learning with external partners 
  • Review and analyze research, trends, and changes in the national and philanthropic landscapes surrounding K-9 education, the educator workforce, student needs, and promising practices in the field to generate insights and inform portfolio strategy 
  • In partnership with the Foundation’s Strategic Impact & Learning team, deepen understanding of grantee impact by rigorously assessing evidence, grantee data, insights from research, and input from experts
• Manage day-to-day portfolio operations 
  • Efficiently manage the logistics of the portfolio, including grantmaking, grantee support, project planning, and events
  • Ensure timely and accurate data in the grants management system (GivingData) and internal goals tracker 
  • Proactively identify and act on opportunities for operational improvements in collaboration with peers
  • Support Portfolio Manager with grantee check-ins, events, communications, and meetings
• Support Portfolio Manager to help grantees grow their impact 
  • Partner with internal colleagues and external contractors to plan and coordinate the execution of capacity-building support for our grantees
  • Drive new approaches to support meaningful knowledge sharing and collaboration among our grantees and partners

Who You Are:

You are outcomes-driven. At the highest level, you are motivated by the Foundation’s approach to funding promising ideas and solutions, in addition to its mission to open doors for every child in the U.S. by measurably enhancing education both inside and outside the classroom. In day-to-day work, you strive to meet goals and achieve results, all with an eye on advancing this mission. 

You use data to drive insights and recommendations. You are able to analyze problems using qualitative and quantitative data and synthesize large and complex sets of information to create meaningful and actionable insights. You use your critical thinking and analytical skills to inform decision-making and evaluate opportunities. You have the ability to communicate insights in a clear, concise, and linear manner, ensuring clarity and impact.

You are detail-oriented and process-driven. Thanks to your process orientation and keen attention to detail you manage tasks and projects with precision ensuring that all deadlines are met. When there are changes, you re-prioritize as needed, and maintain a clear overview of project statuses and milestones. Your verbal and written communication skills help you be in the weeds and see the broader context effectively.

Others can count on you. You consistently create strong work products (memos, slides, analyses, etc). While you welcome feedback and are effective in implementing it, you do not require extensive oversight to be successful. You can also clearly and concisely communicate your work, reinforcing your reliability.  

You have a growth mindset. You take a nuanced and rigorous approach to your work, both able to act on well-informed hypotheses and willing to change your mind. You are also committed to continuous improvement and excited to not only improve processes and systems but also be proactive in driving your own learning and development. 

You are flexible and proactive. Your flexible, self-starting style helps you move quickly from one task to another and manage multiple projects at once. You take ownership of your work and aren’t afraid to solve problems creatively. You’re open to new projects and opportunities and get excited by the possibility that comes with ambiguity.

You are collaborative. While you work well independently, you thrive as part of a team. You’re comfortable building relationships, both within and beyond the organization, because you are kind, thoughtful, and curious. You ask insightful questions and listen with a desire to empathetically understand. 

What You’ve Done:

Required experience:

• Minimum of two years of work experience
• Work experience in education, consulting, data analysis, impact investing, research and/or product management is preferred
• Subject matter proficiency in K-9 education, such as teacher development or high-quality instructional materials preferred
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Working at Overdeck Family Foundation

The base salary for this role ranges from $80,000 to $90,000, with the potential for additional compensation and benefits, including a discretionary year-end bonus based on performance. The Foundation offers employee-sponsored, fully paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with wellness programs that include a gym and fitness stipend. Additional benefits include a retirement plan with both a match and an annual employer contribution of eight percent of base salary, as well as $3,000 annually for professional development. Please note that the top end of our compensation range is reserved for candidates who fully meet the required skills, qualifications, and experience.

Overdeck Family Foundation requires all employees to live within a commutable distance from New York City. The Foundation is currently working from a temporary space in the FiDi while a new and expanded office in SoHo is being developed, expected to open in September 2025. Employees enjoy a hybrid work model with on-site collaboration on designated days and remote flexibility on other days.

How to Apply

Please submit your application here. The preferred application deadline for this position is February 13, 2025. Note that we do not guarantee review of applications after this date.