Portfolio Manager

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grantmaking Strategy

• Collaborate with the Managing Director and other members of the team to develop and refine grantmaking strategies that align with the portfolio areas and funding priorities.
• Research and identify areas of need and opportunity for impact within portfolio areas, providing funding recommendations accordingly.

Grants Management

• Manage the full lifecycle of grants, including conducting due diligence on prospective opportunities, soliciting proposals, and reviewing grant applications.
• Evaluate grant proposals based on portfolio goals and impact objectives.

Relationship Building

• Cultivate and maintain trusting relationships with communities, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and partnership opportunities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for grantee partners, providing guidance and support throughout the grant lifecycle.

Monitoring and Impact Assessment

• Monitor grant-funded projects and initiatives, ensuring compliance with grant agreements and reporting requirements.
• Ensure grantee engagement and evaluation of impact aligns with foundation strategies and grantee partner’s theories of change.

Communications and External Engagement

• Communicate the Foundation’s grantmaking priorities, success, and grantee impact to internal and external stakeholders through various channels.
• Represent TFF in communities, relevant funding networks, and conferences/forums.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Tepper Foundation seeks a Portfolio Manager who has demonstrated commitment and experience in developing and leading programs that advance systemic solutions to tackle inequities and barriers to basic needs and essential rights. Previous grantmaking experience or nonprofit program leadership is highly desired. 

TFF seeks candidates who bring a strategic and collaborative mindset with demonstrated experience developing program strategies, goals, and impact assessments. Since the Portfolio Manager will be joining a growing family foundation with bold aspirations, candidates must excel in situations of ambiguity and at organizations developing internal processes. Additionally, they must demonstrate adeptness in organizing, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines within a work environment with competing priorities.

The Portfolio Manager should exhibit a strong continuous learning orientation and desire to expand their current areas of expertise to support grantmaking across the Foundation’s diverse set of portfolio areas. The Foundation’s collaborative spirit and processes require candidates to be able to successfully communicate and advance goals alongside colleagues across the organization.

The ideal candidate possesses strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work with a diverse set of partners representing various lived experiences, cultures, and geographies. They will have a keen understanding of the intersectionality of inequities and how the Foundation’s portfolio areas can strategically empower organizations to have the greatest impact.

QUALIFICATIONS

With the understanding that no person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:

• 7+ years of relevant experience in philanthropy; national and regional nonprofits tackling inequities; social service agencies; or other social impact organizations that align with portfolio areas.
• Proactive support and engagement with impacted communities; centering their ideas, goals, and initiatives in funding or programmatic strategies and evaluation of impact.
• Grantmaking, grants management, and philanthropy experience across a broad or intersecting group of programmatic areas.
• An understanding of the trends that support innovations in philanthropy and social impact.
• Interpersonal dexterity to successfully build and maintain equitable and trusting funding relationships with community-based, state/regional, national organizations, and other foundations.
• Cross-sector collaboration and proven track record within complex, multi-stakeholder projects/organizations.
• A background using equity, inclusion, and access frameworks in strategies, evaluations, relationships, and communications.
• Excellence in written and verbal communication; skilled at synthesizing information and distilling complex ideas into clear, concise, and actionable forms.