Program Associate, Early Childhood and Reproductive Health and Justice at Irving Harris Foundation

Title:                               Tenets Program Associate   

Reports to:                     Tenets Director   

Status:                            Full-Time  

Apply by Date:               October 24, 2024  

Salary Range:                $80,000 to $83,000 with an annual bonus between 3-7%  

Location:                        Chicago, IL  

WHO WE ARE  

 The Irving Harris Foundation (Foundation) enhances the quality of life for children, families, and communities by advancing human potential, social justice and equity, and creative experience and expression. The Foundation is a strategic grant maker, investing approximately $13 million annually in the fields of early childhood development, infant and early childhood mental health, reproductive health and justice, arts and culture, and Jewish values in the U.S. and Israel. The Foundation’s grants aim to address root causes, leverage public and private resources, provide technical assistance, and foster collaboration through public-private and funder partnerships.  

 The Foundation has embraced and worked to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in our philanthropic efforts. For the Foundation, DEI is not a goal to be accomplished, but a reflective, intentional journey in which we are consistently striving toward more equitable policies, systems, and communities. We continue to lean into the commitments we made as a Foundation in solidarity with Black Lives and the Foundation’s decision in 2021 to center intersectional racial equity. This includes internal work to deepen our efforts to be an antiracist organization including racial equity and culture change training, strengthening our policies and procedures, and new grantmaking practices. Externally we are centering racial equity in our grantmaking, field leadership, and special initiatives which includes increasing the amount we invest in Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, exploring how to lift-up voices of pregnant, birthing, and parenting people focusing on community driven solutions and using our grants and field leadership to support efforts designed to dismantle systems of oppression that have and continue to cause harm  https://www.irvingharrisfdn.org/who/ . 

Diversity Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Toddlers and Families (The Tenets):   

The Diversity Informed Tenets Initiative, a program of the Irving Harris Foundation, was co-created by an intergenerational, diverse group of infant and early childhood mental health leaders who are part of the Irving Harris Foundation’s Professional Development Network (PDN) with the active support and engagement of the Foundation https://diversityinformedtenets.org/about/our-team-4.  

The Tenets are a set of aspirational principles, rooted in the awareness of self, of organization, of policies, and systems of care to provide tools for people to engage in diversity informed practice through self-transformation. The Tenets are disseminated to the field through the Tenets Initiative which provides Tenets workshops, trainings, and consultation to organizations and groups working with infants, young children, youth and families. While the Tenets remain an important program of the Foundation, the goal is for the Initiative to become self-sustaining over time as an independent resource for child and family serving fields.   

POSITION SUMMARY   

Key responsibilities include: 

• Project Management: Oversee, support, and implement various projects, systems and processes within the Tenets program, ensuring that goals are met effectively and efficiently.  
• Administrative Support: Provide essential administrative support such as scheduling, documenting meetings and conducting research.
• Operations: Learn the current Tenets operations structure, update, and provide new structure to processes. Document processes and organizes current Tenets Google Drive and fully manages Google Suite. 
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Tenets Initiative Director, Committees and consultants to support the implementation of the Tenets strategic plan.
• Cross-Program Support:  Collaborate across program areas including Early Childhood (EC), Reproductive Health and Justice (RHJ), IECMH, and Jewish Values (JV) to ensure cohesive and integrated efforts. 

An Ideal Candidate 

 We are seeking a Tenets Program Associate who is deeply committed to advancing our mission and the strategic implementation of the Diversity-Informed Tenets through collaborative and inclusive work. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) principles and demonstrate both personal and professional dedication to fostering equitable and inclusive practices. 

The Tenets Program Associate should possess key DEIB-related skills, including the ability to: 

• Engage in critical self-reflection, recognizing and addressing their own biases and areas for growth. 

• Navigate complex conversations around race, identity, power, and privilege with confidence, respect, and empathy. 

• Apply a systems-thinking approach to identify and dismantle inequities in processes, structures, and relationships. 

• Facilitate inclusive dialogues, ensuring all voices are heard and valued, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. 

Please review the full Job Description at: https://www.irvingharrisfdn.org/who/careers/

Position Requirements and Qualifications   

• Passionate and experienced in promoting and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, values these principles, takes a liberatory stance in their work, and enjoys engaging with and collaborating on a team that brings together diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and expression.  

• Bachelor’s degree required and master’s degree preferred in a related field such as infant mental health, public policy, early childhood, child development, education, social justice, public health, maternal child health, psychology, community development, social work, and/or humanities.  

• Project management certification (e.g., PMP, CAPM, PRINCE2) preferred.  

• Demonstrated passion for advancing liberatory social justice and equity through community driven approaches and solutions.  

• Strong administrative and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.   

• Experience with capacity building and technical assistance.   

• Independent, highly motivated, a self-starter who can demonstrate strong administrative or operational leadership skills. 

• Strong interpersonal skills, and ability to collaborate and work well with internal and external partners.   

• Ability to be flexible, adaptable, and to think conceptually, strategically, and learn quickly.  

• Demonstrated problem-solving and strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.  

• Proficiency in using project management software (e.g. Monday.com, Microsoft Project) and other technology tools (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace).   

• Individuals with high levels of integrity, thoughtfulness, curiosity about creating equitable and just internal processes, and sense of humor will be prioritized.  

• Adaptability and Growth Mindset: Show a growth mindset, receptivity to feedback, and the ability to learn from successes and challenges and be adaptable.  

• Ability to travel for in-person meetings and events as needed. 

This position offers the opportunity to be part of a mission-driven team committed to making a difference in the lives of pregnant and birthing people, infants, young children, and families. We welcome candidates who are passionate about our work and dedicated to creating positive change. We encourage passionate and interested candidates to apply even if you do not meet every qualification.   

WHY THE FOUNDATION?

The Foundation offers a competitive salary/benefits package and the opportunity to work with a small, collaborative, and dedicated team.  

• Competitive Fulltime Salary – salary range $ 80,000 – 83,000 and commensurate with experience
• Annual bonus, 3-7%  
• Professional Development Opportunities  
• Tuition Reimbursement  
• 401(K) contributions of 15% after 1 year (no match required)  
• Generous employer paid Health, Dental and Vision package  
• Vacation accrual of 18 days in year one increasing in year 2   
• 10 PO PSSL days (up front) upon hire  
• Bank Holidays plus 3 floating holidays  
• Closed the week between Christmas and New Year  
• Work week 4 ½ days per week  
• One in-person collaboration day a week and access to an office at any time  

 The position is based in Chicago, Illinois. The Program Associate may travel on occasion.