Portfolio Associate, School Success

About Overdeck Family Foundation

Founded in 2011, Overdeck Family Foundation (“the Foundation”) aims to provide all children the opportunity to unlock their potential. We partner with education organizations dedicated to helping more children enter school ready to thrive, succeed in literacy and math, and develop the skills and agency to shape their futures.

Our funding incorporates both direct impact and ecosystem investments, with the goal of identifying and fueling the scale of cost-effective programs and solutions that accelerate children’s school readiness, school success, or future readiness outcomes. With an emphasis on unlocking innovation, evidence, and growth, our grantmaking and aligned capacity building support both bold new ideas and proven approaches, ensuring grantees receive the support they need to positively impact student outcomes.

Guided by our foundation’s core values, we drive meaningful change by thinking and acting with rigor, collaborating with one another, and fostering a culture of curiosity and learning. Visit www.overdeck.org for more information.

The Portfolio Associate Position

Overdeck Family Foundation seeks a full-time Portfolio Associate to support grantmaking within the School Success portfolio. Reporting to the Portfolio Manager, School Success, the Associate will help identify, evaluate, and advance high-impact investment opportunities and support existing grantees with a primary focus on student-facing strategies that drive outcomes in reading and math. The portfolio includes a mix of longstanding grantees, such as Khan Academy, multi-year partners, such as CommonLit, and newer pilot investments, such as Stanford's Rapid Online Assessment of Reading.

The Associate will play an important role in shaping the portfolio by building a diverse pipeline, conducting diligence, synthesizing research and data, and translating findings into clear insights and decision-ready recommendations. This person will also help ensure that portfolio operations, grantee tracking, and internal knowledge systems support strong decision-making. Your work will be grounded in a deep understanding of the education landscape and where the Foundation can have the greatest catalytic impact. The Associate will also represent the Foundation in interactions with current and prospective grantees, field experts, and other external partners, building strong relationships that strengthen sourcing, diligence, and portfolio learning.

This role is well-suited to someone who is motivated by improving outcomes for students, enjoys working across strategy and execution, and wants exposure to investment judgment in philanthropy. Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking and case-making skills, in addition to the ability to turn complex—and often incomplete—research, data, and field insights into actionable recommendations. The ideal candidate is also comfortable using AI-enabled tools to improve the speed and quality of work while maintaining accuracy, rigor, and critical thinking.

What You’ll Help Us Do

• Source and conduct diligence on organizations for potential investment
  • Identify and develop a strong pipeline of potential funding opportunities aligned to School Success priorities: expanding high-quality curriculum and assessments, and scaling cost-effective, evidence-based support.
  • Conduct diligence on prospective grantees using qualitative and quantitative sources, including organizational materials, interviews, research, and available outcome data
  • Assess opportunities and articulate key strengths, risks, and open questions
  • Prepare and present clear, data-driven analyses and recommendations, including slides and memos, to inform investment decisions
  • Contribute to grant recommendations for the Foundation’s Leadership Team and Board
  • Use AI and other tools to accelerate landscape scans, first-pass research, and memo development, while ensuring that recommendations are grounded in verified information and sound judgment
• Perform research and analysis to support continuous learning, improvement, and data-informed decision-making
  • Analyze research, field developments, and emerging trends in K-8 education, including areas relevant to reading, math, student supports, and AI in education
  • Synthesize evidence, grantee information, and expert input into clear insights that inform portfolio priorities and decisions
  • Partner with the Foundation’s Strategic Impact & Learning team to assess grantee progress and interpret evidence with appropriate rigor
  • Analyze and visualize portfolio and landscape data to support learning, decision-making, and engagement with external partners
• Manage day-to-day portfolio operations to support effective and efficient grantmaking and help grantees grow their impact
  • Support the Portfolio Manager in grantee check-ins, communications, and coordination with external partners
  • Efficiently manage portfolio logistics, including grantmaking processes, project planning, and preparation for meetings and selected events
  • Maintain accurate and useful records on current and prospective grantees in our grants management system (GivingData) and related internal systems
  • Help coordinate capacity-building support, knowledge sharing, and collaboration opportunities for grantees and partners
  • Identify opportunities to improve recurring work through automation and AI-enabled workflows, especially where they reduce manual effort, improve consistency, or strengthen decision support

Who You Are

You are outcomes-driven. At the highest level, you care about improving educational outcomes and are energized by helping direct resources toward solutions that can make a meaningful difference for children.

You bring strong analytical judgment. You can separate opinion from fact, synthesize qualitative and quantitative information, distinguish stronger evidence from weaker signals, and turn complexity into clear recommendations. You are comfortable making reasoned judgments under uncertainty.

You execute reliably. You manage details well, stay organized across multiple workstreams, and produce high-quality work products without requiring close oversight. When there are changes, you re-prioritize as needed. You follow through and keep the work moving.

You communicate clearly and build strong relationships. You ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully, and build trust with colleagues and external partners through preparation, follow-through, and good judgment. You can tailor your messaging to different audiences and present work products (memos, slides, analyses, etc.) in ways that are concise, logical, and help drive towards decisions.

You are curious, adaptable, and collaborative. You learn quickly, respond well to feedback, and adjust when new information changes the picture. You work well independently and thrive as part of a team. You’re open to new projects and opportunities, and get excited by the possibility that comes with ambiguity.

What You’ve Done

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated interest in improving student outcomes
• Minimum of two years of work experience, ideally in:
  • Education, consulting, data analysis, impact investing, research and/or product management is preferred
  • Subject matter proficiency in K-8 or K-12 education is preferred, especially in areas such as high-quality instructional materials, assessment, tutoring, or other student support strategies
• Experience using AI in practical, repeatable ways, including research synthesis, drafting, analysis, or workflow automation

The base salary for this role ranges from $95,000 to $105,000, with the potential for additional compensation and benefits, including a discretionary year-end bonus based on performance. The Foundation offers employer-sponsored, fully paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with wellness programs that include a fitness stipend. Additional benefits include a retirement plan with both a match and an annual employer contribution of eight percent of base salary, as well as $3,000 annually for professional development. Please note that the top end of our compensation range is reserved for candidates who fully meet the required skills, qualifications, and experience.

Overdeck Family Foundation requires all employees to live within a commutable distance from the office in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Employees enjoy a hybrid work model, working in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with remote flexibility on other days. Some travel is required for conferences and site visits. Perks of being in the office include ‘Bagel Tuesdays’, monthly team lunches, and snacks and beverages available throughout the day, all in our newly opened SoHo space designed for collaboration, community building, and convenings.

How to Apply

Please submit your application here. The preferred application deadline for submission is May 4, 2026. After this time, we do not guarantee review.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Overdeck Family Foundation is dedicated to unlocking every child’s potential. We are committed to fostering a workplace where all employees can thrive personally and professionally. As an equal opportunity employer, we make all employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Growth and Scope Over Time
As this role grows in seniority, the scope expands from defined execution responsibilities to greater ownership of discrete workstreams, deeper analytical rigor, and increased accountability for results. Over time, Associates are expected to move from supporting strategy to shaping elements of it, strengthening independent judgment, and contributing more directly to supporting grantees. Growth may include leading cross-functional initiatives, managing small projects end-to-end, and building credibility with grantees and partners.