Program Officer, Capacity Building

The Raymond John Wean Foundation leverages a powerful combination of grantmaking, capacity building and convening and partnerships to advance community building in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown, Ohio.

Driven by our values, we partner with residents, organizations and civic leaders toward our vision of empowered residents creating an equitable Mahoning Valley. Since 1949, we have refined our efforts to create a future where race has no influence on how a person fares in society. We seek to create an environment where an individual can feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued to participate fully. True belonging.

Aligned with the Foundation’s race equity and inclusion outcomes, a primary function of this position is to support the strong leadership, strategy and impact of Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-led organizations. This position will report into the Senior Director of Programs and Operations.

Key Responsibilities

General Office

• Greet and direct office visitors in a friendly and professional manner.
• Answer and screen telephone calls and take detailed messages.
• Coordinate effective and efficient meetings including venues, meeting materials and documentation (agenda planning, note-taking), and follow-on action items with task owners to ensure completion.
• Maintain electronic and physical filing system ensuring the compliance of files and records, per records management policies. Maintain accurate and organized records, including supporting documents for auditing and compliance purposes.
• Open, close and secure facility.

Capacity Building, Including Incubator Associates

• Lead efforts with community partners and internal colleagues to integrate a learning and capacity building agenda (assessment of organizational leadership, strategy and impact) into grantmaking programs.
• Identify tools appropriate for assessing organization leadership, strategy and impact. Track sustainability and growth of organizations.
• Identify and coordinate learning opportunities, including Race, Equity & Inclusion (REI). Survey beneficiaries on the usefulness of training. Track awareness, learning, and practice.
• Identify, recruit and vet providers who are representative of the communities in which we work.
• Develop a customized plan (onboard to exit) for each Incubator Associate organization. Facilitate relevant connections. Implement strategies (mentoring, coaching, peer support) to bolster social connections and support.
• Manage the lifecycle, assessment to evaluation, of the Capacity Building Program, including the Capacity Building (CB) Fund.
• Coordinate efforts to provide “value-add” resources.
• Provide technical assistance, as appropriate.

Grantmaking

• • Contribute to the grantmaking lifecycle, including application and proposal review, synthesis of background information and follow-on information for analysis and recommendation.
  • Guide grantseekers and grantees through electronic platforms.
  • Support annual portfolio review and assist in the development of strategies.

Organizational Learning and Dissemination Priority

• • Maintain broad and in-depth knowledge and understanding of needs, issues, trends, best practices, innovations, and values of the community, non-profit, government and business sectors.
  • Track assigned REI desired racial equity outcomes and indicators.

Community Engagement

• • Develop and maintain visibility and accessibility in the community and the sector.
  • Conduct inclusive outreach and recruitment.
  • Nurture new and maintain existing relationships with community stakeholders and partners.

Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

We acknowledge the significance of an individual's life experiences as a valuable skill set, recognizing that skills are cultivated through diverse encounters. During our application review process, we adopt a comprehensive approach to evaluating each applicant's background. Nevertheless, we prioritize candidates who exhibit the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in social services, public administration, public policy or other relevant field or the equivalent trade-related education and/or experience to fulfill the position’s responsibilities.
• Three years demonstrated project management skills, including coordinating internal and external teams, consultant teams, and budgets.
• Three years of professional work in philanthropy or nonprofits is highly valued.
• COVID19 Booster: To ensure the well-being of our employees and community, we mandate that candidates applying for this position have received all CDC-recommended vaccine doses, including COVID boosters. Proof of vaccination will be requested as part of the interviewing process. Exceptions for medical or religious reasons may apply, with appropriate documentation required. Your cooperation in upholding a safe work environment is greatly appreciated.
• One year supervisory experience.

A successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Commitment to race equity and inclusion as a personal and professional value.
• Energetic, dependable (gets it done), and exemplary (gets it down exceptionally well).
• A passion for being helpful and supportive, with a natural inclination to anticipate the needs of others, whether that be Foundation staff of grantees.
• Ability to focus on minutia while keeping the bigger picture in mind and can prioritize on the fly.
• Meticulous attention to detail and ability to consistently think three to six months out, maybe even a year.
• Thoroughly understands the office systems and operational requirements and confidently anticipates, identifies, and address issues to keep the office running smoothly.
• Responsive and concise communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to interact amid a diverse community and a broad assortment of grantees, community leaders, business leaders, government officials, etc.
• Possess a high self-awareness relative to strengths and weaknesses.
• Ability to give and take feedback as a part of a learning culture committed to achieving better results.
• Ability to identify challenges and opportunities and implement practical solutions when a clear lack of process or standard is absent.
• Data-driven, you apply current research and fact-checking to enhance your work, educate and inspire your audience, and maintain credibility.
• An enthusiastic and resourceful team player, who enjoys being part of a collaborative, collegial environment, with the ability also to effectively work independently.
• Works with minimal supervision and a strong desire to independently problem-solve.
• Motivation to continuously pursue training and development opportunities to build knowledge and skills and share expertise with others.
• High level of integrity; high level of discretion, critical thinking, and judgment in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Maintains a good work ethic, can set boundaries, and a good sense of humor and purpose.

Technical Skills

• Strong experience and proficiency with using a wide variety of software, with the capacity to learn various systems and platforms, including, for example:
  • MS Office Suite (Mac & Windows), with emphasis on Outlook, Word and Excel
  • Google Workspace, with emphasis on Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms
  • Survey Monkey
  • Cybergrants or other grantmaking platforms
  • Onboard Meetings
  • Zoom or other video conferencing
  • Project management tools

Physical Demands

• Frequently requires standing; walking; and kneeling.
• Requires the ability to occasionally lift or carry; push or pull, or otherwise move objects up to 20 pounds.
• Requires the ability to ascend or descend stairs.

Job Type: Full time

Classification: Non-exempt

Expected hours: 40 hours per week

Starting salary: $72,800 annually

Reports to: Senior Director of Programs and Operations

Travel: Local and statewide. Occasional US-based travel may be required.

Schedule: Tuesday-Friday, 8:00a – 5:00p ET; some evenings and weekends may be required.

Hours of Operation: 8am-5pm ET

Work Location: Onsite (147 W. Market St. Warren, OH 44481)

Competitive Benefits Package: The Wean Foundation offers exceptional benefits, including generous paid leave, medical, dental, vision, and retirement with employer contribution. Healthcare coverage is effective on the first day of employment, if selected.

Competitive Benefits Package: The Wean Foundation offers exceptional benefits, including generous paid leave, medical, dental, vision, and retirement with employer contribution. Healthcare coverage is effective on the first day of employment, if selected.