Higher Education Manager

Arnold Ventures LLC • Washington, DC

1h • $105,000 - $140,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change and bipartisan policy reforms, AV works to improve the lives of American families, strengthen communities, and promote economic opportunity.
Position Overview
AV advances policies that promote quality, value, and accountability for student outcomes across both traditional higher education and other career pathways from high school to the workforce. That means elevating high-performing institutions and programs, directing taxpayer money toward evidence-based solutions, protecting students from ineffective and predatory programs, and focusing the education and workforce systems on results (e.g., stronger earnings) over inputs (e.g., enrollment).

AV’s Higher Education initiative prioritizes both improving student outcomes, especially for those students who have traditionally been underserved, and ensuring public dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. We work with teams of experts from inside and outside government and across disciplines to improve the return on investment of higher education for both students and taxpayers through research, evidence, testing innovative pilot programs, litigation, policy change, and advocacy.

We are seeking a manager to participate in the development and execution of AV’s strategy to advance high-quality education. The manager will collaborate closely with the team on substantive, policy-oriented projects; gain experience developing philanthropic strategies and managing high-impact philanthropic projects; and learn to advance evidence-based policy recommendations at the federal and state levels. The manager will also serve as the primary liaison from the team to internal teams including Grants, Legal, and Finance. The position will be based in our Washington, D.C. office and will report to the Director of Education – Chief of Staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 4-6 years of relevant work experience in positions involving research, policy analysis, consulting, or government initiatives relating to education policy, including part-time work or internships; work experience may be substituted by formal education equivalent to graduate school-level training
• Demonstrated understanding of, or interest in, higher education policy at the federal or state level
• Strong policy analysis, critical thinking, learning, and adaptive problem-solving skills, including willingness to explore new approaches
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills, with demonstrated experience synthesizing and assessing insights from data
• Exceptional listening and communication skills, including the ability to absorb, analyze, and convey complex ideas in a clear and concise manner verbally and in writing
• Strong strategy development, project management, and organizational skills

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of AV’s Higher Education strategy by analyzing and synthesizing relevant research and policy developments at the federal and state levels, and translating insights into actionable philanthropic opportunities
• Coordinate policy-oriented projects from concept through execution, managing timelines, deliverables, and inputs across internal teams and external partners to ensure work stays on track and aligned with strategic goals
• Develop and maintain expertise on higher education related topics, policies, and best practices, with a focus on accountability, value, and return on investment
• Develop clear and concise written materials for diverse audiences including but not limited to executives (AV’s Board, Education leadership team), and internal and external nontechnical audiences, in collaboration with team members
• Manage the full life cycle of philanthropic projects and grants, including identifying and developing charitable investments, preparing grant recommendations for AV’s Board, overseeing implementation, and tracking progress against milestones and outcomes
• Monitor grant performance and portfolio-level progress; synthesize lessons learned across investments to inform strategic priorities, course corrections, and the design of future initiatives
• Actively contribute to team meetings regarding projects, including suggesting ideas and brainstorming; and participate in meetings with government officials, researchers, practitioners, funders and other stakeholders

Benefits

• AV is committed to providing a robust and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our current benefits package includes 100% paid employee premiums for medical, dental, vision, basic life, and short- and long-term disability insurance; 20 days of paid time off, 16 paid holidays (including a winter break from December 24 to January 1), a hybrid policy that includes four days in office and one flexible day for remote work, and a summer schedule with alternating Fridays off beginning on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day; paid parental leave; a 401k retirement savings plan with an employer match, profit-share contribution, and immediate vesting; pre-tax transit benefits; a professional development stipend; a charitable giving stipend; and an employee assistance program. In addition, a relocation bonus is available for candidates who will move to one of AV’s three office locations for a position.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager