Program Specialist

About GEO

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations is a community of funders committed to transforming philanthropic culture and practice by connecting members to the resources and relationships needed to support thriving nonprofits and communities. We envision courageous grantmakers working in service of nonprofits and communities to create a just, connected and inclusive society where we can all thrive. With more than 6,000 grantmakers who belong to philanthropic organizations of all sizes and types across the globe, we work to lift up the grantmaking practices that matter most to nonprofits and that truly improve philanthropic practice. Join us to create a greater impact for these communities by helping grantmakers grow along with the nonprofits they serve. To learn more, visit www.geofunders.org.

Position Description

The program specialist works as part of the program team to coordinate, develop and deliver high-quality peer learning and program partnership opportunities for the GEO community. The program specialist is a strong project owner who values relationships, process and results as critical components of any project, keeps up with and incorporates new ideas from the field, is excited by the opportunity to connect with members, understand their questions/challenges and connect them to other members, partners, resources, has experience with public speaking, facilitation and engaging groups of different sizes, and brings a collaborative and learning mindset to the work.

They are committed to relationship building, both with external stakeholders (such as GEO members, other grantmakers and partners) as well as GEO staff. As a key owner of specific projects, the program specialist supports work with multiple stakeholders to strengthen and execute impactful offerings. This position reports to the Director of Programs. This position involves up to 12% travel.

*Note that GEO staff are currently not traveling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you were working with us, here are some of the things you would have done last week:

• Drafted a slide deck to use during the next remote learning series session and a worksheet for participants to use as a reflection tool
• Provided content support such as drafting talking points and finalized a run of show for an external speaking engagement with another team member 
• Outlined a webinar plan for an upcoming event and coordinated the participation of multiple speakers on the program
• Developed a list of possible ways to convert the new capacity building publication into various channels such as webinars or peer learning programs
• Compiled responses to a member question posed in our community channel so that other members can benefit from the answers and resources shared by peers
• Participated in team-wide strategic planning session and shared your data analysis from program participant surveys
• Attended a team meeting focused on improving workflows and processes when it comes to our peer learning and external speaking engagement planning
• Held an introductory call with a PSO partner to explore a request for joint programming based on new content
• Researched potential professional development opportunities for yourself in preparation for a goals conversation with your supervisor
• Contributed to work and/or working groups that are helping to advance GEO's organizational culture and work on racial equity

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of relevant work experience
• Proven content development and delivery experience, including building, executing, speaking/facilitating workshops, webinars, speaking engagements, and training seminars
• Demonstrated ability to curate content, build curriculum, and create presentation/workshop materials
• Skilled facilitator who bring their personal energy and enthusiasm into content delivery and facilitation
• Proven project management experience, including attention to detail, ability to support multiple projects simultaneously on deadline
• Experience in curating and managing evaluation tools and processes
• Ability to facilitate team-wide processes to streamline designing, confirming, and executing events
• Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously and proactively identify dependencies on timelines
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills with a commitment to relationship building
• Experience with databases (Salesforce experience appreciated) and program management tools (Wrike, Slack, CVENT)
• Ability to build and strengthen relationships within the philanthropic sector
• Willingness to support an organization in the midst of a transformation to center racial equity in our culture, practices and work
• Passion for GEO's mission and vision to improve philanthropic culture and practice

Salary and Benefits

GEO offers a competitive salary ($50k's-60k's) and a generous benefits package, including 100 percent employer paid health insurance, three weeks of vacation, twelve sick days, a 7 percent employer retirement contribution, a commitment to professional development and growth, along with a Metro accessible location in downtown D.C. (Note that GEO staff are working remotely until at least September 2022 due to the pandemic.)

How to Apply

Interested applicants should apply on our jobs page at https://www.geofunders.org/about-us/jobs; a resume and cover letter must be included with your application.

We will accept applications until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by May 23rd. In your cover letter, please share the following:

• Why are you a good fit for this position?
• Tell us about your experience developing and delivering programming in different formats (webinar, virtual workshop, multi-day training).
• A specific example of when you built programming with a partner organization or built a long-lasting collaboration.
• What appeals to you about working at GEO?

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations is an equal opportunity employer. GEO is committed to equal employment opportunities in recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, compensation and disciplinary action with regard to the terms and conditions of employment. GEO does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation or any other legally protected characteristic.