The Wentcher Foundation
CAREERS

Organization Overview

Founded in 1997 by successful, self-made business leader and entrepreneur, Ernest Wentcher, the Wentcher Foundation has grown from a small program with 10 scholars into one of the largest scholarship providers in Chicago. Ernie believed deeply in the transformative power of higher education to increase both educational and economic opportunity for talented students from across the city. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our founder, the Wentcher Foundation has committed over $27 million in funding to more than 1100 scholars to help them realize their bold dreams through a college degree. The organization currently supports over 400 Scholars enrolled at approximately 100 institutions. Learn more about our impact, history, and programs here.

Mission, Vision, & Core Values

The Wentcher Foundation’s mission is to increase educational and economic opportunity by empowering talented Chicago graduating seniors with bold dreams to achieve a college education. Its long-term vision is that all Wentcher Scholars will realize their aspirations to make a significant impact in Chicago and beyond.

We strive to live out our core values in our interactions with scholars, colleagues, peers, and partners. Our values serve as an enduring tribute to Ernie’s vision for the foundation as well as influence the culture we seek to create and the choices we make.

• Scholar-Centered: We prioritize the needs and aspirations of our scholars, tailoring our programs and support to help them thrive academically and personally.
• Equity: We believe in equitable access to educational opportunities for all students of high character and strive to level the playing field to enable equal representation for students with the capacity to succeed.
• Stewarding Ernie’s Legacy: We are dedicated to fulfilling our fiduciary duties and embodying Ernie Wentcher’s visionary legacy by empowering scholars to excel academically and forge paths of significant, enduring change in their communities, ensuring his entrepreneurial spirit and impactful contributions resonate for generations.
• Integrity & Excellence: We operate with unwavering integrity ensuring transparency, honesty, and accountability in all our interactions and decisions; and strive to achieve excellence in

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Operations & Administration plays a critical role in the day-to-day management and execution of the Foundation’s operations to ensure it remains well-positioned to achieve its mission. This role holds primary responsibility for managing several core functions (supported by outsourced vendors) including accounting/finance, payroll/benefits, technology, and program operations.  The Director of Operations & Administration will be a highly organized, detail-oriented, self-starter eager to apply and grow their operational skills to advance the foundation’s mission.  The ideal candidate will possess strong communication, analytical, interpersonal, and project management skills to achieve key goals and build collaborative relationships with vendors, staff, board members, and scholars. Highly qualified candidates will thrive at managing a range of organizational priorities while leveraging web- based tools to achieve operational excellence.

The primary areas of responsibility for this role include:

• Accounting & Finance Management
• Payroll & Benefits Administration
• Knowledge & Technology Management
• Scholar Selection & Program Operations
• Special Projects

Accounting & Finance Management (35%)

• Serve as day-to-day point of contact to collaborate with outsourced accounting team to ensure timely and accurate reporting of scholarship payments/refunds, operating expenses, and credit card expenses
• Serve as primary point of contact for processing all invoices, submitting monthly financing statements, and making quarterly estimated tax payments
• Collaborate with Managing Director of Programs to update financial aid eligibility for approximately 400 scholars annually
• Monitor and track status of all scholarship payments and refunds in collaboration with Managing Director of Programs
• Identify, recommend, and implement new ways to strengthen accounting operations
• Monitor and manage insurance policy renewals and addendums

Knowledge and Technology Management (20%)

• Ensure all organization records/files are digitally organized, stored, and archived according to organizational policies
• Provide operations support to drive high quality execution of different events throughout the year
• Serve as day-to-day liaison to an outsourced IT vendor to help manage, troubleshoot, and resolve technical challenges
• Update the Operations Manual to document and codify new standard operating procedures
• Serve as liaison to Industrious for all physical office operational needs

Payroll & Benefits Administration (20%)

• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for all foundation payroll, benefits, and HR administration
• Ensure all foundation employee and policy handbooks are updated and in compliance with local, state, and federal laws
• Prepare all relevant required Federal and state filings (i.e. Form 5500, Annual Report to the State of Illinois, etc.) for review and submission

Scholar Selection & Program Operations (20%)

• Support integration and implementation of web-based tools to ensure a high-quality scholar selection process
• Actively participate in and support all phases of scholar selection in collaboration with staff, board members, alumni, and volunteers
• Organize and manage shipments of materials to scholars and volunteers throughout the year

Special Projects (5%)

• Other projects as assigned by the Executive Director

Job Requirements & Qualifications

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s Degree (Preferred)
• Minimum of 10 years of accounting/financial, operations, and/or administrative experience working across any combination of the following sectors: accounting, higher education, foundations & philanthropy, education nonprofit, scholarship management (or other equivalent)
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a Director level role
• Demonstrated commitment to the Wentcher Foundation’s mission, vision, and core values
• Extremely organized, detail-oriented, and a self-starter that
• Skilled at collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to inform decision-making
• Authentic and empathetic team player with strong communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Highly skilled at utilizing Microsoft 365 applications (Teams, Excel, OneDrive, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint) to collaborate and manage projects
• Proven ability to manage different functional areas, priorities, and projects while achieving goals
• Ability to positively influence team members while focusing on priorities, adhering to deadlines, measuring results, and maintaining optimism in the face of adversity
• Skilled at managing relationships and tools to create efficient workflows and drive operational excellence
• Prior experience leveraging outsourced vendors and web-based tools to manage accounting, payroll, benefits, technology, etc. (Preferred)

Please know that most candidates do not meet 100% of the expected qualifications. If most of this role describes you, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Hybrid Work Schedule

Foundation staff are currently expected to work from our downtown office in Chicago 3 days a week from 9am to 5pm. This role will be expected to participate and support approximately 12 events taking place on weekends or in the evening. Given the small team size and importance of key program events/deadlines, there will be some busy periods throughout the year when PTO is limited.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary for this role will likely fall between $95,000 to $110,000.  The Wentcher Foundation provides it staff with competitive, comprehensive benefits including employer sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Commuter Benefits, 20 days of PTO, and 14 paid holidays.

Applying

Interested candidates need to submit a professional cover letter detailing their qualifications, relevant work experience, and updated resume to Careers@wentcherfoundation.org. Priority will be given to candidates submitting applications by January 5, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled.