The Mellon Foundation (Mellon) seeks an inspiring and versatile learning and evaluation professional to join its burgeoning Learning & Evaluation (L&E) team as Manager, Strategic Learning & Evaluation (Manager, SLE). As part of the Office of the Executive Vice President, Programs, the L&E team supports Mellon, in collaboration with grantees and partners, to rapidly learn from, translate, and adapt strategies at the program area level, which are core to Mellon’s efforts to advance a more just society, enriched by the arts and humanities.
With a social sciences lens and strong facilitation acumen, the Manager, SLE will support the Foundation’s ongoing learning and the fulfillment of its mission and broader programmatic objectives. In this pursuit, they will work collaboratively to advance efforts to best support Mellon’s key decision-makers, grantee partners, and the broader field in new and creative ways. Together with program, library staff, and the grants management team, the Manager, SLE will co-design meaningful and actionable learning opportunities for cross organizational knowledge capture.
The largest funder of the arts and humanities in the United States, Mellon supports innovative programs that address contemporary challenges in education and the arts. Located in New York City, Mellon’s campus is a diverse and vibrant community of experts committed to the Foundation’s vision and mission, rooted in the belief that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity and the belief that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. The Foundation makes grants in four program areas: Higher Learning, Public Knowledge, Arts & Culture, and Humanities in Place.
Additionally, the Foundation’s Presidential Initiatives led by Mellon President Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, a recognized thought leader on race, justice, the arts, and American Society, provides grantmaking that addresses some of the most pressing issues of the day. A historic $500 million-dollar commitment to transform the nation’s commemorative landscape by supporting public projects that reflect the breadth and complexity of American stories and communities will be fulfilled through The Monuments Project. An incredible $125 million is also being committed to Imagining Freedom Initiative and another $50 million to the Puerto Rico Initiative to strengthen the vibrant, cultural knowledge and memory ecosystems.
Since its founding, Mellon has provided partnership and financial support to a wide range of organizations in the US and around the world. In addition to widely acclaimed institutions, Mellon today supports a complex array of just communities and visionaries who unlock the power in arts and humanities to inspire critical thinking, build connection, and create the conditions where ideas and imagination can thrive. Mellon’s inclusive grantmaking is catalyzing innovative approaches to the work. As a leader in this space, Mellon is committed to the success of their grantees and understands the power of the stories and the truth that is uncovered and preserved. In an effort to fulfill its audacious mission, remain agile, and give voice to the achievements of Mellon and their grantees, the Learning & Evaluation team was created with an imperative to foster a culture of learning and reflection, consistently incorporating evaluation, research, and learnings throughout Mellon’s grantmaking utilizing responsive, iterative, equitable, and participatory frames.
Reporting to the Senior Director of Strategic Learning & Evaluation and working closely with L&E colleagues, the Manager, SLE will work across all areas of the Foundation, in collaboration with each program area and embedded research and strategic planning staff, as well as centralized library, grants administration, and communications staff. Together, they will enable responsive, data-informed decision-making at every level of the Foundation and help communicate the stories of Mellon, its grantees, and the power of social justice in the arts, culture, and humanities in ways that will resonate with executive and non-research audiences.
Ideal candidates will have a strong understanding of applied social sciences and experience driving organizational change and evaluative practices that encourage reflection and learning. Compelling candidates will also demonstrate a solid understanding of and experience with designing and providing guidance in the application of appropriate mixed method evaluations and monitoring approaches that utilize the principles of Equitable Evaluation Initiative© and demonstrating the principles of Emergent Learning©. An understanding of current evaluation and learning concepts, norms, and practices is important, but formal education in evaluation or experience as a professional evaluator is not required.
Self-initiating, detail-oriented, and intuitively a connector of people and information, the incumbent will welcome collaboration across teams and departments and exhibit a keen sense of responsibility and comfort in working with multiple demands, shifting priorities, and constant change. While no explicit content or sector expertise is strongly preferred, it would be helpful if candidates possess some depth of knowledge around one of Mellon’s core investment areas and possess experience working in collaboration with a kaleidoscope of organizations, consultants, and sector leaders who are mission adjacent. Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills are necessary. Strong verbal and written communications skills are absolute musts. A personal and professional commitment to inclusivity is vital to advancing the work and contributing to the Learning & Evaluation team.
Application Instructions
The Mellon Foundation has partnered with Talent Citizen to assist in this recruitment. Please contact President Tracy D. Welsh, and Senior Associate Eva Kotilinek to share your resume and cover letter via email at: MELLON-MSLE@talentcitizen.com.
Mellon Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
