Senior Program Manager, AIR Opportunity Fund

The role

The Senior Program Officer will support the AIR Opportunity Fund's grantmaking, research, and partnerships in workforce and economic opportunity, health, and youth pathways. The role focuses on stewarding existing grants and partnerships, monitoring progress, and supporting implementation and learning, not sourcing or approving new grants at this time.

What you will do

• Manage assigned components of programmatic initiatives from planning through implementation and evaluation under the direction of portfolio managers and directors.
• Represent the Fund at conferences, community meetings, and field-based events within the assigned region, and nationally, as needed.
• Manage multiple projects and workstreams at once, ensuring timely completion of deliverables.
• Conduct research, landscape analyses, and environmental scans to inform funding decisions, priorities, and new initiatives.
• Synthesize research findings, field insights, and grantee learnings into reports, briefings, and presentations.
• Manage relationships with grantees, community organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate meetings, convenings, site visits, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Contribute subject-matter knowledge in workforce and economic opportunity, health, and/or youth pathways.
• Review grant proposals, conduct due diligence, and develop funding recommendations.
• Monitor grant and program performance, track outcomes, and identify opportunities for learning and improvement.

Required qualifications

• Master's degree in public policy, public health, social sciences, education, nonprofit management, community development, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven years of professional experience including both applied research and philanthropy, grantmaking, social impact investing, or related funding experience.
• Subject matter expertise in one or more priority areas: workforce and economic opportunity, health, and/or youth pathways.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the communities, organizations, and policy or funding landscape in the regions served, particularly the Deep South, Cleveland, Chicago, and/or the Washington, DC region.
• Demonstrated experience using research, evaluation, or data-driven approaches to inform program design, funding decisions, strategy, or learning.
• Experience managing or supporting grant portfolios, philanthropic initiatives, research projects, or community-based programs.
• Experience working with community-based organizations, research institutions, public agencies, philanthropic organizations, or cross-sector partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while producing high-quality work.
• Strong research, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective communication skills, including public speaking and presentations, and translating complex information for varied audiences.
• Strong interpersonal, relationship-management, and influencing skills.
• Advanced project and program management skills, including leading complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders.

Benefits

• AIR Total Rewards Program

Before you apply

• Must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis.
• Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B) is not available for this position.
• Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.
• All selected candidates undergo reference and background checks.
• Child safeguarding standards apply to all selected candidates.

About the company

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance on pressing challenges in the United States and globally.