The Organization
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.
Our Approach
Since our founding in 2015, our focus and impact areas have continued to expand, informed by our grantees' work and by data that shows where the deepest inequities lie. We invest in multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility – such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice – and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. In addition, we make grants in “Levers” that can improve outcomes across both these issue areas and in our priority regions, such as improving data/tech infrastructure for data collection and reporting, achieving community impact through rigorous local Place Based Partnerships, advocacy and partnering with government to invest in what works.
Our values of Respect, Collaboration, Agility, and Accountability set the bar for how we operate and how we are evolving our culture.
The Opportunity
Ballmer Group Philanthropy seeks a proactive, well-networked, and collaborative K12 sector leader to join our Southeast Michigan team as a Senior Portfolio Manager, K12 Education.
Nationally, Michigan ranks number 43 for high school graduation attainment and Southeast Michigan is one of the top three most segregated places in America – factors that hamper economic mobility and post-secondary opportunities. The SPM will bring their deep understanding of the region, state, and key stakeholders along with historical context and a sense of urgency to evolve K12 educational systems to better meet the needs of the vulnerable populations BG serves in Southeast Michigan.
The SPM’s responsibilities include building and managing a grantee portfolio of organizations, developing key strategic and policy initiatives, and fostering regional collective impact efforts by incentivizing collaboration to help mitigate segregated and siloed actions.
Candidates for the role should be both business- and mission-oriented, with an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for impact-driven work within the traditional public and charter school systems. They must have the cultural acuity, capacity, and interest to explore and implement interventions across the educational ecosystem including programmatic and policy areas.
The SPM reports to the Executive Director - Southeast Michigan (SEMI) and will be part of a small, nimble, highly collaborative team. This role does not include direct people management.
Key Priorities & Responsibilities
Grantmaking
- Develop a programmatic investment and policy framework for the K12 ecosystem in Southeast MI. Ensuring that SEMI grants are consistent with this framework.
- Develop a theory of change, impacting system improvement efforts through policy recommendations, implementation, and connection to programs to maximize impact for the region (Wayne-Oakland-Macomb counties).
- Manage end-to-end grant processes within the SEMI K12 investment portfolio, including: developing a deep understanding of the key players within our investment portfolio, applying rigorous analyses to proposed and existing programs of current and prospective grantees, conducting due diligence on existing and prospective grantees; conducting site visits, making recommendations to the Executive Director - SEMI and National Executives, and preparing recommendation packages for grant approval.
- Maintain ongoing relationships with prospective and existing grantees, develop and adopt appropriate methods of assessing desired and actual impacts of prospective and existing grants, work with grantees to develop metrics and outcomes, and provide grantees strategic counsel.
Strategy and Policy
- Ensure strategic, programmatic and policy consistency across K12 efforts throughout SEMI and the state.
- Work in conjunction with regional teams in Bellevue, WA and Los Angeles, CA to ensure consistency of regional policy strategy.
- Identify opportunities for BG to collaborate and leverage cross-program knowledge, learnings, successful practices, and strengths.
Partnerships and Initiatives
- Lead by example in a culture that places transparency, collaboration, true partnership, and reciprocal accountability.
- Develop and lead initiatives consistent with BG strategies and priorities and collaborate with key partners and stakeholders in advancing initiatives.
- Partner with organizational, elected, and resident leaders in specific geographic areas on K12 Education, place-based initiatives.
- Manage K12 Education, region-wide projects and initiatives at the direction of the Executive Director - SEMI.
- Represent Executive Director - SEMI and BG at local and state stakeholder meetings when needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years’ experience working in high-level capacity relevant to BG mission and strategies.
- Demonstrated leadership roles within the K12 sector with a keen understanding of public sector funding/policies and programmatic approaches in the K12 educational landscape, particularly in systems that interact with low-income children and families.
K12 Expertise
- Deep understanding of the K12 ecosystem and related content areas that directly impact children and families, including the successful advancement of key milestones, including high school graduation.
- Ability to view current and prospective investments through a layered prism of policy and coordinated system methods; student/teacher development and parental engagement; with an emphasis on a whole-child approach to educational development to ensure post-secondary success.
- Ability to create, test, and develop a robust theory of change and an implementation plan for this work in SEMI with scalable programmatic and policy outcomes.
- Demonstrated knowledge of state and local policies and of existingcommunity initiatives and place-based or collective impact efforts in the K12 sector.
- Sound knowledge of the local context in areas with a significant percentage of children and families living at or below poverty (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties).
- Commitment to and understanding of the issues of equity and the system refinements needed to increase graduation attainment for southeast Michigan students.
Experience with and Awareness of the Economic Mobility Ecosystem
- A broad understanding of the regional trends, organizations, and stakeholders seeking to impact and improve economic mobility.
- A record of success developing strategic partnerships and consensuses with key external audiences.
- The ability to diplomatically influence internally and externally; excellent writing and communication skills.
- A strong network of high-level contacts and experience working with diverse constituencies.
Cross-Cutting Credibility and Expertise
- Intellectual curiosity and deep understanding of how to translate grantee investments into demonstrable results.
- A data-driven and systems-oriented approach.
- Ability to aid in the articulation of a vision and work collaboratively with BG staff and external partners to realize it.
- Experience and credibility to oversee and the ability to think creatively about issues in the field and not be constrained by traditional approaches.
- Ability to design and assess business models and budgets. Along with an understanding of how to advise on implementing complex grants and partnerships.
Judgment
- Brings a strong point of view (independent thinking) and eagerness (inclusive thinking) to collaborate in the definition and support of a strategy.
- Listens to and learns from key stakeholders inside and outside of the organization.
- Ability to make timely and clearlycommunicated decisions and take appropriate risks to achieveresults.
- Keen analytical skills and the ability to think critically, evaluate risk, make sound decisions, solve problems, and explain and justify recommendations to diverse audiences.
- Manages ambiguity and devises solutions even when a clear path is not evident.
- Ability to think creatively about issues in the field and not be constrained by the field or traditional and trendy approaches.
Preferred Experience, Skills, Education:
Experience in the public or philanthropic sectors
- Master’s degree / Arabic or Spanish fluency
Location & Hybrid Work
The position is based in Detroit, Michigan. 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.