Sr. Manager, Community Scholarships

Scholarship Operations & Portfolio Management

• Serve as the operational leader for SDF's Community Scholarship portfolio, overseeing scholarship administration, annual cycle planning, fund compliance, award processes, and continuous process improvement.
• Direct the management and stewardship of SDF's scholarship portfolio, including endowed, annual, donor-advised, and special-purpose funds, overseeing fund utilization, award allocation planning, renewal obligations, budgets, and long-term sustainability strategies.
• Lead annual scholarship cycle planning and operational readiness, establishing timelines, workflows, capacity plans, and service standards that support efficient and equitable program delivery.
• Establish and maintain operational policies, procedures, controls, and quality assurance practices while proactively identifying and addressing risks, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support in strategic oversight of the Common Scholarship Application platform, ensuring system functionality, accessibility, data integrity, and a positive experience for applicants, donors, reviewers, and staff.
• Oversee scholarship selection and award administration processes, including application review workflows, committee recommendations, appeals, and final award approvals in partnership with the Director.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with internal stakeholders to ensure effective fund administration, operational alignment, and successful program implementation.

Donor, Volunteer & Community Partnership Leadership

• Serve as SDF's primary operational representative for scholarship donors, external review committees, volunteers, and community partners.
• Lead the governance and administration of scholarship review committees, establishing procedures, review standards, and decision-making frameworks that ensure equitable, transparent, and donor-aligned award processes.
• Oversee the recruitment, development, engagement, stewardship, and succession planning of volunteer reviewers and committee members to maintain a diverse and high-performing committee network.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for committee concerns, policy questions, conflicts, and complex scholarship review matters.
• Review scholarship recommendations and award outcomes to ensure alignment with donor intent, program guidelines, equity objectives, and organizational standards.
• Partner with the Director and Development & Stewardship to support donor cultivation, retention, scholarship fund development, and donor communications through scholarship impact reporting and program expertise.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing scholarship team through coaching, mentorship, performance management, and professional development.
• Establish team priorities, performance expectations, accountability measures, and operational standards that support program excellence.
• Oversee workforce planning, workload distribution, and resource allocation to ensure team capacity aligns with program needs.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and shared ownership.
• Promote cross-training to strengthen organizational resiliency and long-term program sustainability.

Reporting, Analytics & Data Strategy

• Support in the management of scholarship performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting frameworks, managing data collection, analysis, visualization, and reporting efforts that support organizational decision-making.
• Analyze scholarship application, award distribution, demographic, and portfolio performance data to identify trends, improve operational effectiveness, and advance equitable student outcomes.
• Leverage internal and external data to evaluate program performance, assess emerging needs, and inform strategic planning and decision-making.
• Develop and present portfolio insights, trends, forecasts, and impact reports to leadership, donors, committees, and community stakeholders, translating complex information into actionable recommendations.
• Establish and maintain data governance standards, reporting protocols, and quality assurance practices that ensure the integrity, consistency, and reliability of scholarship data across Blackbaud and related systems.
• Partner with Information Technology, Data Services, Finance, and Grants Management teams to strengthen reporting capabilities, improve data accessibility, and advance continuous improvement initiatives.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Organizational Engagement

• Partner with the Director to serve as a key leader within the Community Impact Division, fostering cross-functional collaboration, shared learning, and alignment across initiatives that advance SDF's education and community impact goals.
• Partner with internal departments to ensure operational alignment, effective communication, and successful execution of scholarship program priorities.
• Contribute to organizational planning, reporting, evaluation, and continuous improvement efforts that strengthen program effectiveness and community impact.
• Represent SDF through community partnerships, stakeholder engagement activities, public presentations, and scholarship-related events, serving as an ambassador for the Foundation's education initiatives.
• Support organizational priorities and special projects that promote a culture of inclusion, innovation, accountability, and operational excellence.