Job Opening: Strategy Analyst – Atlanta, GA

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Job Description

UNCF ICB’s Strategy Analyst is responsible for supporting the strategic priorities for the Institute for Capacity Building in conjunction with UNCF and ICB leadership. Reporting to the ICB Director of Strategy, the Strategy Analyst will join ICB’s strategy team, which is responsible for 1) nurturing the mission and vision of ICB, 2) cultivating opportunities for ICB to expand its impact, and 3) ensuring ICB’s work is integrated within UNCF and shared across external stakeholders. The Strategy Analyst will be an important contributor to ICB’s strategic direction and will play a key role in efforts to secure funding and establish new programs and initiatives that improve capacity and institutional outcomes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Successful Strategy Analyst candidates will be determined leaders passionate about the promotion of educational equity and social justice. Candidates should have demonstrated abilities and prior achievements in one or more of the following fields: communications, external affairs, research, program development, concept generation, grant writing and/or professional relationship-building. We seek a candidate that is fearless and curios in their desire to research, learn, grow and share. All candidates must have the ability to work independently, but also along with a team that is talented, expressive about their viewpoints, caring, respectful and willing to step up when called. An extraordinary candidate for this role will possess a foundational understanding of higher education, program development, non-profit and philanthropic leadership, and/or the strengths and challenges of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Read more about the Institute for Capacity Building at www.uncficb.org.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Strategy Analyst reports to the Director of Strategy, Institute for Capacity Building. S/he will be responsible for leading projects and initiatives that further the mission, vision and strategic direction of the Institute for Capacity Building. The Strategy Analyst focuses implementation of strategic priorities in two categories – emerging projects and content development:

Emerging Projects – Support development of new programs and initiatives that lead to HBCU sustainability, including:

  1. Research opportunities for ICB to expand its impact, leveraging available resources and information to guide outreach to potential funders, partners and champions.
  2. Cultivate new programs or concepts that build the capacity of HBCUs, including drafting of proposal materials and grant applications.
  3. Support efforts to identify, build relationships and secure funding with key funders and philanthropies.
  4. Coordinate implementation of pilot projects in partnership with external partners to provide direct services, professional development, communities of practice and capacity building to HBCUs and PBIs.
  5. Contribute substantively to the development of ICB’s network engagement strategy by building connections with HBCUs and other higher education institutions, educational intermediaries, funders, community organizations and workforce stakeholders.
  6. Execute special projects requiring coordination and collaboration between the Institute for Capacity Building and other departments within the organization, including development.

Content Management – Champion HBCUs and strategies that advance their resilience, including:

  1. Draft and develop key communications required by the strategy team, including speeches, presentations, blog posts, memoranda and research briefs.
  2. Document and codify insights and outcomes from existing ICB programs and initiatives to inform our institutions and the field on best practices for engaging and supporting HBCUs.
  3. Recommend, research, draft, edit and proofread content for the ICB website
  4. Execute special projects requiring coordination and collaboration between the Institute for Capacity Building and other departments within the organization, including branding, marketing and communications.

Strategy Analysts are responsible for making meaningful contributions to both focus areas (emerging projects and content management). In addition, strategy analysts:

  • Contribute substantively to the development of ICB’s network engagement strategy by building connections with HBCUs and other higher education institutions, educational intermediaries, funders, community organizations and workforce stakeholders.
  • Support ideation and development of professional development initiatives that support ICB team member adoption of ICB’s mission and vision.
  • Assist with other duties and projects, as assigned by the Director of Strategy.

Qualifications and Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree; graduate or professional degree in law, higher education, policy or administration preferred
  • 2-3 years of relevant work experience is required
  • Deep commitment to education, liberation and social justice
  • Strong perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing HBCU students and their families and communities
  • Strong grasp of current events, history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and/or policy related to the improvement of Black lives, Black communities, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  • An outstanding record of academic and professional achievement
  • Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, knowing how to prioritize and adjust timetables based on demand and other circumstances
  • Experience in new program development, leadership and strategic planning
  • Ability to move deftly between big picture and details
  • Comfort with concurrently managing multiple ongoing projects in different phases
  • Thrives with detail and deadlines
  • Strong cognitive and emotional management (CEM) skills
  • Thrives with execution of deadlines
  • Willingness to lead development of social media and website content, including graphic design, image editing, video storyboarding, planning and post-production.
  • Strong multi-tasker, and operates with high degree of flexibility to adapt to changing needs and direction

Compensation and Benefits

  • Medical, Dental & Vision
  • Vacation, Sick & Personal Leave
  • Life Insurance (Basic & Optional)
  • Flex Spending Accounts
  • 403(b) Retirement Account
  • Holiday Savings Plan

Salary Range: $52,000.00 – $62,000.00

Click here to apply

About Institute for Capacity Building

Launched in 2006, UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) provides targeted capacity-building resources to help HBCUs improve their resilience. We define resilience as the institution’s ability to improve its operation today and future-proof them for tomorrow. ICB’s engagement equips UNCF member institutions, and other HBCUs and PBIs, to provide high-quality educational experiences to their students and the broader Black community. ICB’s work focuses on three areas critical to HBCU success: institutional effectiveness, academic competitiveness, and financial viability. Beyond our strategic advisory and project management support, ICB serves as an innovation hub for Black colleges, connecting institutions to funders, best practices, resources, and subject matter experts both within and outside of UNCF.

About UNCF

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, has been an engine of minority educational achievement for more than 75 years. UNCF’s mission is to build a robust and nationally recognized pipeline of black students who, because of UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates. UNCF is committed to closing the educational attainment gap between African Americans and other populations by increasing postsecondary access and success for students from underrepresented groups, particularly low-income and first-generation students.