Learning & Evaluation Officer

Job Title: Learning and Evaluation Officer

Department: Programs

Employment Status: Regular Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Oakland, CA, hybrid work schedule and regular attendance to in-person meetings and grantee activities in Oakland, CA, is required. Not a remote position.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is an exciting time to join the Rainin team with a unique opportunity to establish a new position at the Foundation as an expansion of Learning and Evaluation begins. The Learning & Evaluation Officer will help refine equitable grantmaking goals, identify new opportunities for research, learning, and impact, and help shape the future of the Foundation’s grantmaking.

The Rainin Foundation seeks an experienced professional to join the team as its first Learning & Evaluation Officer (L&E Officer). The individual should be passionate about learning and evaluation and welcome collaborating with Foundation Board, staff, grantees, community leaders, and peer funders to strengthen strategic grantmaking areas and operations. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, the Learning & Evaluation Officer will be part of the newly established Grants Management and Learning team and help lead the Foundation’s reflection, learning, and evaluation activities. The L&E Officer will work proactively to foster a culture of learning and nurture evaluative thinking to enhance organizational excellence and impact.

The L&E Officer will work with the Board, staff, and external stakeholders to refine how the Foundation learns and measures impact. The role is expected to stay abreast of current issues and trends, building expertise on topics specifically related to the Foundation’s strategic areas of Arts, Education, and Health and diversity, equity, and inclusion. This role will also nurture, strengthen, and facilitate collaboration and information exchange internally and externally among the Board, staff, grantee organizations, community leaders, and funders who support similar issues and organizations.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate for the Learning & Evaluation Officer role will bring a deep commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the Foundation. They will be experienced in grantmaking and evaluation with a strong background working with a variety of stakeholders in a philanthropic context. Candidates will demonstrate an understanding of the communities the foundation serves and have experience with project and change management.

Candidates must be comfortable with ambiguity and enjoy the challenge of forging a path forward when information is imperfect and milestones may not be clear. They are excited by the prospect of a high-performing team that is in the midst of developing and expanding its programmatic work and being on the ground floor of that effort.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Learning and Evaluation

• Partner with the Chief Program Officer and Grants Management team to lead the implementation of the new Foundation-wide learning and evaluation framework and ensure all Rainin teams are supported in qualitative and quantitative data capture and analysis.
• Develop and implement systems to analyze data that inform decision-making, improve practice, advance learning, and support progress toward the Foundation's strategic goals and outcomes at the organizational, programmatic, and operational levels.

Internal Learning

• Lead discussions with Directors and Officers in clarifying outcomes, research needs, learning agendas, and evaluation methods.
• Support integration of reflection, learning and evaluation into established processes.
• Participate in the adaptation and implementation of the Foundation’s DEI learning agenda and collaborate to ensure internal procedures and processes are aligned.
• Strengthen the Foundation’s internal learning culture by supporting research and the teams’ L&E capacity to enhance the Foundation’s strategic goals.
• Analyze data and reports and provide timely L&E findings (both narrative and visual) to the Board and staff that identify lessons learned and recommendations to enhance program impact and organizational excellence.
• Collaborate with Giving Area, Grants Management and Finance teams on the development of trust-based and equitable evaluation practices for grant monitoring and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to develop compelling stories about the foundation’s work and impact.
• Leverage learning to improve internal policies, processes, and procedures.
• Partner with the Chief of Organizational Effectiveness and Chief Program Officer to analyze the impact of the strategic plan and Annual Work Plan practices and how results and learning align with Rainin mission and intended impact.
• Facilitate learning activities and opportunities that advance the foundation’s understanding of key strategic areas, DEI, and evolutions in philanthropic practice.

Partner Engagement and Learning

• D Develop the Foundation’s reputation as a trusted knowledge leader and partner to other foundations and stakeholders in advancing areas of mutual interest.
• Support grantee Learning & Evaluation capacity-building, as appropriate, and offer technical assistance when needed.
• Identify and support opportunities to disseminate L&E findings and interpret and present results to diverse audiences in various formats.
• Identify and oversee learning partnerships with external consultants, evaluators, and community members.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Outstanding interpersonal skills are key. An approachable style, humility, empathetic listening skills, and the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders are vital attributes. Candidates should demonstrate good judgment and discretion; fostering trust and skillful handling of multiple relationships is critical. The successful candidate will thrive in a collaborative, collegial, and team-oriented environment where a willingness to “roll up your sleeves” to get the job done is central to the culture.

The successful candidate will possess the following:

• 5+ years of grantmaking and evaluation experience and a deep understanding of grant application and reporting processes.
• Ability to build a continuous improvement and learning culture through assessment of outcomes and promoting organizational impact and efficiency.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to drive innovation and organizational change.
• Collaborates well with others to achieve strategic goals in alignment with the Foundation’s mission, vision, and values.
• A strong systems thinker with proven ability to leverage resources, develop recommendations for strategic shifts, and turn quantitative and qualitative data into actionable insight and compelling stories.
• Listens with an open mind and a deep commitment to respecting diverse viewpoints.
• Fosters trusting relationships with multiple stakeholders including community members, grantees, internal staff, consultants, and the Board.
• Experience promoting accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion with the ability to relate to people, from multiple levels in an organization and from different fields of work, with cultural competency.
• Experience managing third-party contractors or consultants and work products.
• Strong written, and verbal communication skills with an ability to create original content and adapt to deliver presentations in multiple settings with multiple audiences and diverse stakeholders.
• Strong project management and administrative skills with the capacity to design and execute from concept to completion.
• A leader with a high tolerance for ambiguity and an ability to thrive and adapt in an environment of growth and change.

This description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities but constitutes a general definition of position scope.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

 The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $152,000, commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience. Rainin offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Long -Term disability at no cost to the employee. 10% contribution to your 401K, paid winter break every December, and generous paid time off policies. Detailed information and terms about our benefits are available upon hire.

Rainin embraces diversity. We believe that our team is strengthened through hiring and retaining employees with diverse backgrounds, skillsets, ideas, and perspectives. We make hiring decisions based upon merit and do not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status.