Job Description

About BEAM

Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) creates pathways for students from low-income, low-access backgrounds to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists.

We provide BEAM students the same access to high-quality preparation in STEM as their more affluent peers, and we invest deeply in our students' success, with programming from middle school through college graduation focused on joyous, exciting, and rigorous mathematics, building vibrant communities, and supporting students in key life transitions such as college admissions and financial aid.

BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 450+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches around 1000 elementary-aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work. We've seen our students' successes first-hand, and it's backed by data: a quasi-experimental study found that students who attended our 7th grade summer program were 1.3X as likely to declare a STEM major as a matched comparison group.

OF THE POSITION

The Manager, Donor Engagement & Partnerships serves as a key connector between BEAM’s programmatic work and its donors, partners, and broader community. They advance all of our work by growing the community of people who support BEAM and provide the resources for us to succeed. This position is ideal for someone who brings strong fundraising, relationship management, and communication skills, along with a strong interest in mathematics or STEM and curiosity about mathematical thinking and problem solving. They should also be excited to help translate BEAM’s rigorous and joyful math programming into compelling experiences for supporters.

This role combines donor engagement, event management, and content development. The Manager, Donor Engagement & Partnerships will work closely with program and curriculum staff to translate BEAM’s academic work into clear, compelling communications and develop engaging content that draws on BEAM’s mathematical approach and makes it accessible to donors. They should be excited to develop a deep understanding of BEAM’s programs and how we teach and think about mathematics. They will play a key role in cultivating and stewarding donors, building corporate partnerships, and executing events that bring BEAM’s mission and impact to life.

The ideal candidate will be excited about the challenge of growing BEAM’s network of supporters, working directly with donors, managing events and partnerships, and communicating about mathematics, STEM education, and access in impactful and creative ways.

OF THE TEAM/DEPARTMENT

Our Advancement team is a collaborative and dynamic group of six full-time staff members, working together to make sure we have the resources to succeed. Building strong, meaningful relationships with funders and supporters is at the heart of what we do. Our funders consist of individuals (50% of revenue), foundations (30%), and corporations (20%).

As our Manager, Donor Engagement & Partnerships, you will work closely with our Individual Giving and Communications teams as we raise more than $11 million annually — critical funding that will drive innovation and provide stability as we build towards future growth. This role will also support team-wide communications and events, ensuring that external communications, materials, and experiences reflect both the rigor and joy of our programs by partnering closely with BEAM’s program and curriculum teams and developing fluency in BEAM’s mathematical approach.

SUPERVISION

The Manager, Donor Engagement & Partnerships reports to the Director, Individual Giving.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Donor Acquisition, Engagement, and Solicitation (35%)

• Identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit a portfolio of 75–100 individual donors with the capacity to give $1,000+ annually, focusing on donors from mathematical, STEM, quantitative finance, and related fields, working closely with the Director of Individual Giving.
• Meet annual goals in terms of total dollars raised, and acquisition, upgrading, and retention of donors and partners, contributing to the overall goal of growing BEAM’s revenue from $11m to $13m within three years.
• Develop and execute cultivation and stewardship strategies for mathematically-oriented donors, including personalized outreach and volunteer opportunities that speak to their technical interests and background.
• Identify, cultivate, and engage corporate partners, with a focus on securing event sponsorships and building long-term relationships.
• Represent BEAM at donor meetings, events, and site visits, effectively communicating the technical and programmatic aspects of BEAM's work by utilizing your math knowledge, developing fluency over time in how BEAM approaches mathematics.
• Prepare briefing materials and talking points that highlight the mathematical depth and rigor of BEAM's programs for donor conversations.
• Collaborate with the Director of Individual Giving and Senior Manager of Individual Giving and Communications on donor strategy and cross-portfolio coordination.
• Occasionally support foundation applications for math- and STEM-oriented funders, contributing program knowledge and developing the ability to communicate BEAM’s mathematical approach to funders.

Mathematical Content Management (25%)

• Collaborate with program and other staff to develop engaging mathematical content for BEAM's newsletters, website, direct mailings (e.g., Pi Day card), and other communications channels, including math puzzles and explorations that showcase the beauty and joy of math and problem solving.
• Ensure content makes advanced mathematical concepts accessible while preserving what makes them deep and interesting.
• Develop a deep understanding of BEAM’s programmatic approach, curriculum design, metrics, and evaluation methods, and communicate these clearly and compellingly to donors and stakeholders, including mathematically sophisticated audiences.
• Curate and present examples of student work from across BEAM's programs (middle school through high school), highlighting mathematical thinking and growth.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager, Individual Giving and Communications to integrate mathematical content into broader communications strategies.

Event Management (35%)

• Lead planning and execution of BEAM’s signature events (e.g., annual trivia night) from concept through follow-up.
• Support sponsorship strategy and execution for events, including identifying prospects, working with stakeholders and board members to secure sponsors, and managing relationships.
• Plan and support donor engagement events such as Visiting Days, small gatherings, and cultivation events.
• Collaborate with the Advancement Team on event strategy, invitations, vendor coordination, budgeting, and staffing.
• Ensure events run smoothly and provide high-quality experiences that reflect BEAM’s work, including the rigor and joy of its math programming.

Other Duties (5%)

• Stay current on trends in mathematical enrichment, math competitions, and STEM education equity.
• Develop fluency working with program data and metrics, including explaining BEAM’s impact and outcomes to donors in a clear and compelling way.
• Contribute to Advancement Team strategy and planning discussions.
• Support other Advancement duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Sitting - constantly (50%+)
• Repetitive movements - typing (50%+)

QUALIFICATIONS

We understand that there are many paths to acquiring experience and therefore welcome candidates from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds for this role who have demonstrated equivalent transferable skills to carry out the major duties outlined in this job description.

Knowledge

• Proven experience in fundraising, donor engagement, partnerships, events, or related fields.
• Demonstrated interest in mathematics, problem solving, or analytical thinking, and excitement about developing a deep understanding of BEAM’s programs.
• Experience creating content or materials for external audiences.

Skills and Abilities

• Mission alignment: Strong belief in BEAM's mission and a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in STEM education.
• Communication excellence: Ability to clearly and compellingly communicate BEAM’s work, including elements of its math programming, to donors and partners. Ability to understand and communicate complex programmatic or technical concepts to a range of audiences.
• Learning orientation: Ability to develop a deep understanding of BEAM’s programs, curriculum, and approach over time, and apply that knowledge in donor-facing work
• Data fluency: Comfort working with data, including the ability to interpret, analyze, and clearly communicate insights about BEAM’s programs and outcomes to a range of audiences
• Project management: Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects with strong attention to detail, thoroughness, and timeliness.
• Relationship building: Comfort and skill in building relationships with donors, corporate partners, and stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Self-awareness, cultural competency, and ability to work effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Creativity: Ability to develop innovative approaches to donor engagement and events.

Preferred Education and Experience

• 3+ years direct advancement experience is highly preferred, with a focus on individual giving
• Experience in nonprofit fundraising, donor relations, or advancement
• Experience planning and executing events, including fundraising events
• Experience with CRM systems (experience with Salesforce a significant plus)

Significant pluses include:

• Background in mathematics, computer science, or a related analytical field (through coursework, professional experience, or personal interest)
• Experience in quantitative finance or STEM corporate sectors
• Experience in mathematical enrichment programs, math competitions, teaching or coaching mathematics, research mathematics, or mathematics curriculum development
• Existing networks within mathematical, STEM, or analytically-oriented communities
• Understanding of quantitatively-driven decision making and ability to analyze the strengths and limitations of data (for example, being able to explain to a donor how BEAM measures student mathematical growth, what our metrics capture and what they don’t, and how we use data to refine our programs)

SALARY, BENEFITS, AND OTHER DETAILS

The salary range for this position is $71,500–$88,000. This is a good faith anticipated range of the job, but the actual pay will be based on any applicant’s skill and experience.

Work Schedule:

• Monday–Friday, 1–2 days in the NYC office per week
• Monthly/quarterly in-person attendance for events and donor meetings

BEAM provides a number of benefits including:

• Flexible working hours
• Health, dental, and vision benefits including health plan options that are free for individuals
• 12 paid holidays including an office closure between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
• 15 days of paid annual leave to start, and will increase by one day for each year worked for your first 5 years of employment
• Paid sick leave
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer match of 50% of elective deferrals, up to 3% of eligible compensation
• Student loan reimbursement
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• $1,500 annual allowance for professional development

APPLICATION PROCESS

• The initial step is to submit your application, including resume and responses to a few short application questions, via our online portal. When your application is complete, we will follow up with next steps,
• Next steps in our process will include a short 30-minute phone interview and/or sample projects so we can get to know you and you can show us your work. We believe in the importance of demonstrated ability and providing opportunities that allow candidates to demonstrate their relevant skills for the role throughout our process. The final step of our process is a final interview with the team.
• We will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
• We believe strongly in communication and collaboration. In the spirit of that collaborative atmosphere, we strongly encourage you to ask questions about the position! You can contact hiring@beammath.org

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Beyond a commitment to nondiscrimination, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

BEAM is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual’s race (including traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protected hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), ethnicity, religion (including clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with the religious tenets), color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, breastfeeding, gender (including actual or perceived sex, gender identity, and gender expression including a person’s actual or perceived gender-related self-image, appearance, behavior, expression, or other gender-related characteristic, regardless of the sex assigned to that person at birth), sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, status as a veteran, active military service member, or uniform service member, marital or partnership status, familial status, caregiver status, age (18 or older), predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, creed, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, unemployment status, salary history, credit history, an individual’s status as having a known relationship or association with a member or members of a protected category, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination.

All personnel decisions will be made in accordance with the principles of equal employment opportunity and subject only to valid (job-related) requirements for employment, benefits, or promotional opportunities.