Ballmer Group Philanthropy is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities.
Ballmer Group Philanthropy is both a national and regional funder - we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington State, and Los Angeles County. Our organization was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at ballmergroup.org and linkedin.com/company/ballmer-group.
The Opportunity
Ballmer Group (BG) seeks an entrepreneurial leader and strategist to guide our long-term national education strategy and execute K-12 grantmaking, policy and systems change work. As a key member of BG's National Impact team, the Director will lead efforts to advance high quality K-12 experiences for children that improve opportunities for social and economic mobility.
In close collaboration with BG co-founders and leadership, the Director will advance the K-12 objectives by managing a significant active portfolio of grants and executing grantmaking within approved three strategic priorities:
Strengthening the diversity of the K-12 workforce, both educators and administrators.
Increasing the number of quality charter schools/seats and improving the experience of Black and Brown charter students.
Building Student Supports like providing equitable access to high-quality, enrichment and supplemental learning in both in-school and out-of-school settings.
Over time, the Director will evolve our priorities and possible areas of investment, including scalable innovations and proven approaches to improve student learning and educational attainment.
The Director will serve as a thought leader and credible representative of BG, communicating Philanthropy's priorities and strategies to diverse stakeholders. They will collaborate closely with our 3 priority regions as part of a creative, multidisciplinary team and with people from diverse cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
Strong candidates will have experience directly relevant to promoting student learning and achievement and a proven commitment to improving student outcomes leveraging the assets of both traditional public and charter schools. They will have a broad national network and connections to leaders in philanthropy, traditional and charter education, and the ability to execute grantmaking in ways that engage across sectors, including social services, government at all levels, education policy, technology, business, and post-secondary education.
The position reports to the Executive Director, National Impact. This role does not include direct people management. It is a collaborative, individual contributor role.
Key Priorities & Responsibilities
Strategic Oversight and Thought Leadership:
Use the tools of philanthropy to tackle structural and systemic issues related to creating more equitable and innovative learning environments.
Manage and assess BG's portfolio of national education grants to build thought leadership, gain insights, and build relationships that lead to better K-12 outcomes.
Create, implement, and manage BG's K-12 education strategy, including setting long-term and annual goals for the organization's education work across the country, funding strategies that effectively address the impacts of racial inequities, and advancing culturally responsive learning and whole child development within and outside schools.
Keep apprised of and share analysis of emerging trends, opportunities, philanthropic approaches, and policy considerations affecting K-12 education and youth development outcomes.
Work with the Executive Director, National Impact to explore opportunities and develop potential strategies for adjacent issues (e.g., post-secondary college or data and technology), and collaborate with colleagues on the implementation of those strategies.
Grantmaking:
Leverage relationships within K-12 education (traditional and charters) and across relevant areas of practice to uncover and pursue innovative trends, new grantmaking opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
Establish and maintain relationships with grantees to catalyze their collaboration and coordination on strategies that advance BG's education investments.
Lead potential education grantees through the grant review and approval process, including developing detailed recommendations for BG leadership.
Engage with parent groups, education practitioners, peer grantmakers and other relevant organizations to consider the role of philanthropy in removing systemic barriers and expanding educational opportunity, and thriving for all children.
Support to BG Regions:
Lead efforts to build knowledge across the Philanthropy Team on K-12 education issues and provide subject-matter expertise and strategic advice to Executive Directors and Portfolio Managers in BG's three focus regions.
Collaborate with BG's Executive Directors and staff in BG's regional offices to exchange ideas and insights that increase the impact of both regional and national grantmaking strategies.
Develop strong relationships internally with other departments (e.g., the Advocacy & Communications and Data & Technology teams) to leverage and maximize impact.
Qualifications
Required Experience, Skills, and Education:
12 + years experience working in K-12 education or directly related to advancing student learning and academic achievement, with responsibility for developing, executing, and assessing impactful strategies.
Demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and experience with effective out-of-school programs and traditional and charter school systems.
Awareness of national K-12 education and youth development best practices, policy innovations, and budgetary trends.
Expert in at least one of these areas: Philanthropy supporting K-12 education, child and young development, funding for public education and out-of-school programs, the function of school systems, education policy advocacy, parent engagement, or innovative systems disruptors as possible levers for systems change.
A committed proponent of racial equity with experience applying an equity lens to addressing education outcomes and student achievement.
Highly skilled strategy analyst capable of being nimble and working cooperatively with internal decision-makers on setting funding priorities and execution plans.
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to simplify and communicate clear takeaways and insights to an executive-level audience.
Excellent verbal communicator with strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence. Skilled at synthesizing and translating complex information for diverse audiences.
Quantitative and analytical skills with experience assessing budgets and organizational finances.
Ability to build trust, rapport, and effectively function as part of a team with internal and external stakeholders.
Willingness to travel to BG's three focus regions and other U.S. cities as needed (10-20% of the time).
Preferred Experience, Skills, Education
A respected national leader with experience working in philanthropy and a strong network within both traditional and charter education.
Sophisticated understanding of programs, policies, systems, funding mechanisms, and structural issues related to K-12 education.
Innovative and entrepreneurial mindset, a strong sense of humility and integrity; flexible and capable of adapting to change; a curious mind and a sense of humor are a plus.
Compensation & Benefits
The starting cash compensation range for the Director, National K-12 Education role in Bellevue, WA includes a base salary range of $181,600 to $227,000, plus a 10% performance bonus target opportunity. The base salary maximum for the role is for the role is $272,400 per year. Individual pay increases are assessed annually based on multiple factors such as demonstrated skill in the role and context, progress and performance against goals, and increased experience.
Featured Benefits & Perks
Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee and dependent premiums entirely paid for by Ballmer Group
3 weeks of paid vacation annually
11 paid holidays, plus paid days off for the weekdays between Christmas and New Year
80 hours of paid sick leave annually
401(k) with 12% employer contribution
2:1 Ballmer Family Giving Match for charitable contributions
Professional development reimbursement up to $2,000 per year
Employer-paid life insurance of 3x salary to $1,000,000 ($750k guarantee issue)
Fertility & Family Building reimbursement to $40,000 (lifetime max)
Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
Parking or transportation (Orca card) up to $250 monthly
Cash stipend of $300/month (for cell phone, wellness expenses, etc.)
Location & Hybrid Work
The position has a preferred location of Bellevue, WA with some flexibility for BG's approved locations.
Our organization practices intentional hybrid work?. All Ballmer Group Philanthropy employees are expected to work on-site Tuesdays and Thursdays during overlapping core hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays remain flexible work-from-home or office workdays.
Ballmer Group is an equal opportunity employer and is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is valued. Individuals seeking employment at Ballmer Group are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.