The Walton Family Foundation is seeking a skilled, highly motivated, and entrepreneurial individual to join the foundation’s K-12 Education team as a Data Analyst. The candidate will have the opportunity to support a talented and fast-paced team in the areas of operations and grants management to ensure smooth and efficient operations. The position will be located in the Foundation’s Bentonville, AR or Jersey City, NJ office. Consideration will be made for location in the Washington, DC office.
About the Walton Family Foundation
Sam and Helen Walton had an unshakeable belief in the power of people to transform their own lives. As Sam said, there is no limit to what individuals can accomplish if “given the opportunity, the encouragement and the incentive to do their best.” Today that “no limits” philosophy is carried forward by their descendants through the Walton Family Foundation.
Since 2000, the foundation’s grantmaking has grown from $50 million to nearly $375 million in 2015. With grantmaking projected to exceed $2 billion over the next five years, the foundation continues to move forward with increasing intensity, focus and commitment to sustaining the Walton’s timeless entrepreneurial values and their deep dedication to making life better for individuals and communities alike. By working with grantees and collaborating with other philanthropic organizations, the foundation is focused on making a positive difference in three primary program areas of collective interest to the Walton Family:
K-12 education
Freshwater and marine conservation
Quality of life initiatives in Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta Region
In addition to these program areas, the foundation also supports grantmaking interests of individual and groups of Walton family members, as well as independent foundations created by family members. These individualized giving areas represent a high growth area of the foundation.
During 2016, the foundation plans to invest over $400 million in domestic and international projects that address significant social and environmental issues. The foundation continues to implement and expand grantmaking to fund a positive difference in many diverse communities – and in the lives of the people who call these communities their home.
Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, with offices in Washington, D.C., Jersey City, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado, a staff/consultant base of approximately 80 associates conducts the day-to-day operations of the foundation.
Responsibilities
The Data Analyst will primarily be responsible for assisting the K-12 Education Reform Program Director and Evaluation Unit in managing grant data and analyzing progress towards yearly and long-term goals.
Annual and Multi-year Strategic Goals Management (75% of time)
Build systems that track and analyze progress towards annual and multi-year strategic goals;
Actively monitor K-12 Program grant-making to provide regular updates to program staff, the evaluation unit, and the education program committee on progress towards annual and multi-year strategic goals;
Create reports for a variety of audiences that display complex data in an easy to understand and actionable way;
Work with program officers and the evaluation unit to ensure that all grantee reporting is accurate, measurable, precise, and complete;
Support program officers in accessing data and information to formulate annual goals that are aligned to the K-12 Education Program’s strategic plan;
Build useable databases of information that will allow staff members the ability to reflect on grant-making by theme, year, topic and/or geography.
Operations (15% of time)
Perform operational, technical, and analytical tasks to inform decisions of K-12 team and evaluation unit;
Provide operational feedback to Program Coordinator for improved team efficiency;
Coordinate events/meetings and professional development opportunities for team members.
Additional Duties (10% of time)
Act as representative of the foundation to grantees and external partners;
Special projects as assigned.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to stand, reach with hands and arms, and use hands to finger, handle or feel objects and/or controls. The employee is required to sit, walk, talk and hear; and move/carry files. The associate must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color, and the ability to adjust focus in order to handle extensive data collection, analysis and summary reporting. Computer work will be a part of the daily workflow and process.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics for this job are typical for this type of job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is reflective of a mid-sized office.
Compensation and Benefits
The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience.
Additional Information
The position will be located in the Foundation’s Bentonville, AR or Jersey City, NJ office. Consideration will be made for location in the Washington, DC office.
Basic Qualifications
The position calls for an understanding of, or a willingness to learn about, the Foundation’s Focus Areas. The role requires initiative and decisiveness combined with flexibility and a capacity to give and receive feedback graciously.
The Foundation seeks a strong individual with excellent interpersonal, technical, and communication skills. Ideal candidates will have a minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in a professional setting. The successful candidate will be both a self-starter who knows how to take the initiative, and a collaborative colleague who can work effectively in a small and dynamic office.
Key qualifications include:
Bachelor’s degree required;
Minimum of 3-5 years’ work experience in a research, data management, education policy, or evaluation role in a nonprofit office environment requiring interaction with both internal and external “customers” required;
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Access, and SQL preferred;
Experience with data visualization preferred;
A passionate commitment to the goals of the Walton Family Foundation Focus Areas, and the ability/willingness to adapt as those goals evolve;
Excellent written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, problem solver with a demonstrated capacity to meet deadlines and a commitment to customer service;
Positive, collaborative approach to work with unquestionable ethics and personal integrity;
Proven skills at organization and time management;
Demonstrated capacity to work as part of a team, as well as independently; and
Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think critically, and understand emerging issues that are directly relevant to programmatic funding areas.
