NoVo Foundation Fellow at the Nike Foundation

Job Description

Position Summary:

The NoVo Foundation Fellow at the Nike Foundation will serve a unique role bridging the collaborative work of the NoVo Foundation and Nike Foundation to empower adolescent girls in developing countries as primary agents of social and economic change for their families, communities and countries.

A regular employee of the NoVo Foundation, the Fellow will spend his or her first two years working in residence at the Nike Foundation in Portland, Oregon, as an integral member of the Nike Foundation’s Portfolio team. While at the Nike Foundation, the Fellow will report directly to the Nike Foundation Senior Portfolio Manager. The Fellow will also provide regular updates to the NoVo Foundation’s Director of Initiatives for Women and Girls and have periodic meetings in NoVo’s New York office. Upon completion of the two-year residency, the Fellow will return to the NoVo Foundation in New York, and will be a key program manager for the NoVo Foundation’s programs and initiatives on girls, with such duties and responsibilities as shall be determined at that time. At NoVo, the Fellow will report directly to the Director of the Foundation’s Initiatives for Women and Girls.

Responsibilities:

As a member of the Nike Foundation (NF) Portfolio team, the Fellow will be the primary investment manager and contact person for a number of Girl Effect grantees and programs in the Nike Foundation portfolio, responsible for ensuring program quality and delivery of results. The primary purpose of this investment portfolio is to develop models that work uniquely to accelerate the empowerment of adolescent girls in poverty. The Fellow will help determine which investments will lead to opportunities for broader impact, replication and scale. The Fellow will also play a key role in liaising between the Nike Foundation and the NoVo Foundation.

• Portfolio Management (50%): Manage all aspects of a set of portfolio investments, including, but not limited to, defining investment objectives; organizing and overseeing monitoring and evaluation to track results, program learning and outcomes; managing grantee relationships; and general grant administration.

• Knowledge Management and Dissemination (15%): Promote and design girl-centered programming for organizations under the Fellow’s portfolio management and with other program partners, including multinational and bilateral organizations, national governments, private donors, research organizations, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Leverage NF Portfolio’s learning, to help partner institutions to develop plans to replicate and scale models from the NF portfolio within their own organizations. Serving as a public ambassador for adolescent girls to facilitate NF’s strategy to help influence public and private actors including:

1. 1. Support NF’s strategic planning and communications team members in designing and implementing plans targeted at motivating specific institutions to count, invest in, and advocate for adolescent girls, based on learning from the monitoring and evaluation work on the portfolio.
   2. Research and author written briefs, talking points, and presentations for review.
   3. Understand and document mechanisms used by organizations to make progress towards the goal of “institutionalizing girls” into their broader work.

• Ongoing Investment Planning (15%): Actively engage in the investment planning and evaluation process. Take a leadership role in researching, identifying and developing new program models and sector-related investment initiatives that are aligned with and support NF’s strategy. Contribute to NF’s strategic planning process to ensure that NF continues to be highly innovative in its approach and is connected to the activities, current thinking and expertise in the field. Mine the existing portfolio and monitoring & evaluation findings to identify best opportunities for growth and expansion.

• Administration (20%): Establish appropriate milestones and goals for each grantee and manage a process for regular (Qtr, Semi-Annual, Annual) performance review. Work closely with strategic planning, finance and operations, and communications functions to develop and provide appropriate score-carding and management reports to the Portfolio Director and NF leadership team. Proactively use Portfolio and Foundation Knowledge Management systems and databases to manage investment information and generate reports. Manage fund flows, including oversight of disbursement dates and processes for grant extensions, renewals, and expiration close-outs. Participate in special projects as they arise including ad hoc research, conferences and seminars, and research. Manage all logistical aspects of group meetings, and such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by supervisors from time to time.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a related field or Bachelor’s degree with commensurate experience;
• Minimum 5 years experience working in a related field;
• Strong background in programming to empower girls and women;
• Expertise in international development with a focus on adolescent girls’ strongly preferred;
• Expertise in portfolio management, evaluating grant investments, and analyzing program results;
• Ability to work as part of a team, and to transfer this quality into building relationships with grantees and partner organizations;
• Excellent judgment, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills;
• Demonstrated initiative and strategic thinking;
• Enjoys dynamic, fast-paced work environment.

How to Apply:

Applications (which must include a cover letter, resume, three professional references and compensation history) should be sent to by no later than August 2nd, 2010.

This is an Equal Employment Opportunity. NoVo Foundation encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position.

Please see for a description of our mission, vision and work, and for an overview of the Nike Foundation’s focus on tackling poverty through the power of adolescent girls. Please see and for a description of the NoVo-Nike collaboration.