Program Associate

Program AssociateThe Equity Assistance Center-South
Growth Is in Our DNA! The Southern Education Foundation, Inc. (SEF), located in Atlanta Georgia, seeks a Program Associate for the Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South).
For more than 150 years, Southern Education Foundation has made substantial contributions to improving education at all levels; from pre-kindergarten through higher education. SEF works to improve equity, excellence, and opportunity for low-income and students of color in the southern states and nationally. Research, policy analysis, advocacy, and programs are the primary means through which SEF pursues its mission. Candidates should be able to effectively communicate and embody the value, belief, purpose, and mission of the organization.
The Equity Assistance Center-South work in the areas of civil rights, equity, and school reform to help ensure that equitable educational opportunities are available and accessible for all children. EACs provide technical assistance and training upon request, in the areas of race, sex, national origin, and religion to public school districts, school boards, state and local education agencies, and other governmental agencies to promote equitable education opportunities. Currently, the EAC-South serves 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The Opportunity:
The EAC-South Program Associate manages all elements of administrative details related to EAC-Souths programmatic and operational activities. The Program Associate will be responsible for furthering the day-to-day tasks that advance the goals and services of the EAC-South. This position is also responsible for supporting the implementation of activities across various projects of the EAC-South. The ideal candidate will be able to organize and prioritize workload to effectively complete multiple assignments within established time frames. The Program Associate possesses exceptional written, oral, and electronic communication skills. The ideal candidate can communicate effectively and interact with diverse external audiences. The Program Associate will act as a barometer, having a sense for the issues taking place in the environment and working closely with the EAC-South Director to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities. The Program Associate has experience working both independently and in cooperation with other staff members and exhibits sensitivity to and respect for differences in personal, professional, and business relationships on behalf of the EAC-South and SEF.
Candidates interested in this position should have working knowledge and genuine interest in improving education at all levels, particularly for pre-K-12 students, and working to ensure that education is the vehicle by which all students receive fair chances to develop their talents and contribute to the common good.
This position reports to the EAC-South Director with a dotted line to the EAC-South Program Manager.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support with curating relevant resources, documents and materials for partners, clients, and staff.
• Prepare general correspondence, emails, agendas, memos, documents, presentations, reports, financial ledgers, and other materials with intermediate-expert level skills in using Microsoft Suite (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access is a plus) or a similar professional suite.
• Prepare and transcribe meeting notes, meeting details and summaries.
• Proofread documents, reports and publications for accuracy and clarity.
• Support in monitoring, tracking, and responding to the processing of consulting agreements, proposals, invoices, credit card reports, report submissions, and other documents as requested.
• Provide foresight and anticipate conflicts in calendar management for EAC-South Director and staff.
• Prioritize inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts; make judgements and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements.
• Make travel arrangements, prepare trip itineraries, and manage expense reporting for EAC-South Director.
• Support with and/or manage web conferencing, social media, and other platforms.
• Support logistical event planning (i.e., managing logistics, reservation management, follow-ups, etc.).
• Utilize Smartsheet and other management software to maintain data entry and records.
• Support and execute strategic planning or related activities when necessary.
• Acts as a resource and liaison for clients, partner organizations, prospective clients, and internal staff.
• Additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, cultivating trusting relationships with district, community, and
• external partners.
• Minimum of a bachelors degree.
• 2-4 years of work experience in organization/program administration and database management.
• Strong project coordination skills resulting in efficient, timely and accurate delivery.
• Strong proficiency in Smartsheet, MS Suite, Dropbox, federal grant tracking and management
• software/systems, and other applicable technology.
• Experience in developing and maintaining relationships with representatives of advocacy organizations, community
• leaders, and other partners.
• Collaborative communicator with a strong team spirit and comfort with ambiguity.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative for optimal organization benefit and outcomes.
• Ability to travel occasionally.

Compensation begins at $50,000 and is commensurate with experience including a competitive benefits package. This is a grant-funded position with funding in place until 2027. The Southern Education Foundation is an Atlanta-based organization. This is a full-time position, working Monday Friday. Currently, SEF is working a hybrid schedule where employees work remotely, and in the office, based on business needs.
Interested candidates should submit: 1) a letter of interest; 2) a current resume; 3) names and contact information.
of three references to (hr@southerneducation.org) with EAC South- Program Associate in the subject line of the
email.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Flexible work from home options available.