INSIGHTS
SHARING WITH OTHERS TO MAKE
FASTER PROGRESS FOR ALL
THE PUGGLE:   Out in the bush, you’ll have to go into the pouch of a mama echidna to pet her baby puggle. Our Puggle is easier to find, showing up every month to share what we’re learning about emerging issues in girls’ education. Browse the archives below.

OUR APPROACH TO PHILANTHROPY:   We strive to be transparent, flexible, and rooted in trust. We are committed to listening and learning from our grantees and partners to iterate, streamline, and update our approach and processes. Browse posts about what we're learning and doing below.

RESOURCE LIBRARY:   We believe in exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge. Visit our Resource Library to see some of what we’ve been reading to inform our thinking on girls’ education.

EVIDENCE FOR GENDER AND EDUCATION RESOURCE (EGER):   For comprehensive and up-to-date information about evidence and actors in the girls' education sector visit egeresource.org.

Work with Echidna! We are hiring an Operations Coordinator.

admin | May 24, 2023

Role: Operations Coordinator

Term: Full Time

Location: San Francisco, California

Compensation: $60,000 to $70,000, commensurate with experience

Application Deadline: June 18, 2023 (applications reviewed on a rolling basis)

Target Start Date: July 24, 2023

ABOUT ECHIDNA GIVING

Echidna Giving is a private funder with one sole aim: getting more girls into better schools to live better lives. Investing in girls pays dividends for us all: what she learns in school can transform her life, her family, her community, and her nation for generations to come. That’s why we’re committed to bringing quality, gender-responsive education in lower-income countries. Because when all kids learn equally, our world becomes more equal, too. (Learn more at www.echidnagiving.org)

Echidna Giving has a small but mighty team and is looking to grow. We will be deploying our grant dollars over the next 40 years or so, growing from our current $20M annual grant budget to a $100M in annual granting. Although we are one of the largest funders in the international education space, Echidna Giving is still a start-up in learning mode. We pride ourselves on our teamwork, our relationships, and our ability to move quickly. The Operations Coordinator will need to be self-motivated to work independently and autonomously, flexible — including to take on unanticipated roles as required when working on a small team — and approach work with a proactive and collaborative spirit.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Echidna Giving is seeking an Operations Coordinator to join the Echidna Giving team reporting to the Administrative and Grants Manager. S/he will provide a combination of administrative and operational support across the organization supporting programs, operations, and leadership. Currently, for this role, Echidna is expecting a hybrid model, with the majority of days in the office in San Francisco and an opportunity to work remotely up to 2 days a week.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations (50%):

  • Plan and coordinate logistics for internal meetings, internal/external events, retreats, etc.
  • Manage day-to-day needs of office facilities and staff including supplies, equipment, maintenance, food, beverages, etc.
  • Conduct desk research and data analysis to support organizational planning and efficiency and special projects to support the Administrative & Grants Manager
  • Research and procure new equipment, software, and other resources as needed
  • Manage employee engagement and team-building opportunities and activities
  • Identify and implement tools, systems and/or processes to improve operations 
  • Document new policies, guidelines, and procedures; organize and maintain existing policies, guidelines, and procedures
  • Support HR projects such as annual performance reviews, recruiting, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, staff surveys, and other special projects
  • Support IT projects such as data migration, conference room A/V equipment maintenance, security policy implementation, etc.
  • Serve as key point of contact with facility and IT vendors and others as needed

Administrative (50%):

  • Provide scheduling and administrative support to President and CEO and Senior Staff
  • Manage shared team calendars including scheduling internal and external meetings
  • Support annual planning, track, and communicate deadlines
  • Assist with the team’s work-related travel, including obtaining visas and assist with travel and accommodation logistics
  • Process expenses, invoices, and contracts
  • Draft and develop business correspondence; respond to information requests
  • Review, organize, and route incoming mail
  • Manage the maintenance and technical performance of the foundation’s website and email marketing platform
  • Take notes for internal and external meetings when appropriate
  • Maintain digital and physical files 
  • Support Senior Staff in special projects as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

  • 2+ years of experience in an administration role or an administrative support role
  • Experience in effectively supporting multiple individuals
  • Attention to detail, good organizational skills, ability to reprioritize, collaborative approach to work, and an appreciation for creating and improving processes and procedures that do not tip-over into bureaucracy
  • Ability to take specific direction when necessary, along with a high level of independent judgment and initiative. Ability to anticipate needs and creatively address problems with appropriate, timely solutions
  • Strong technology and computer skills; experience with G-suite preferred
  • Ability to proactively manage workflow to meet deadlines
  • Ability to effectively work across cultures
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Candidates that are flexible, mature, have a sense of humor and an ability to work with a team of varying backgrounds and styles will have the greatest success at Echidna Giving
  • Work collaboratively, building relationships, trust, and credibility with members of a team, management, and external stakeholders
  • Ability to work from the San Francisco office

APPLICATION

If you or someone you know might be a good fit for the above needs, please send an introductory email and your resume to grants@echidnagiving.org with the subject line: Operations Coordinator.

Echidna Giving is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Our Approach to Philanthropy

Work with Echidna! We are hiring an Operations Coordinator.

admin | May 24, 2023

Role: Operations Coordinator

Term: Full Time

Location: San Francisco, California

Compensation: $60,000 to $70,000, commensurate with experience

Application Deadline: June 18, 2023 (applications reviewed on a rolling basis)

Target Start Date: July 24, 2023

ABOUT ECHIDNA GIVING

Echidna Giving is a private funder with one sole aim: getting more girls into better schools to live better lives. Investing in girls pays dividends for us all: what she learns in school can transform her life, her family, her community, and her nation for generations to come. That’s why we’re committed to bringing quality, gender-responsive education in lower-income countries. Because when all kids learn equally, our world becomes more equal, too. (Learn more at www.echidnagiving.org)

Echidna Giving has a small but mighty team and is looking to grow. We will be deploying our grant dollars over the next 40 years or so, growing from our current $20M annual grant budget to a $100M in annual granting. Although we are one of the largest funders in the international education space, Echidna Giving is still a start-up in learning mode. We pride ourselves on our teamwork, our relationships, and our ability to move quickly. The Operations Coordinator will need to be self-motivated to work independently and autonomously, flexible — including to take on unanticipated roles as required when working on a small team — and approach work with a proactive and collaborative spirit.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Echidna Giving is seeking an Operations Coordinator to join the Echidna Giving team reporting to the Administrative and Grants Manager. S/he will provide a combination of administrative and operational support across the organization supporting programs, operations, and leadership. Currently, for this role, Echidna is expecting a hybrid model, with the majority of days in the office in San Francisco and an opportunity to work remotely up to 2 days a week.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations (50%):

  • Plan and coordinate logistics for internal meetings, internal/external events, retreats, etc.
  • Manage day-to-day needs of office facilities and staff including supplies, equipment, maintenance, food, beverages, etc.
  • Conduct desk research and data analysis to support organizational planning and efficiency and special projects to support the Administrative & Grants Manager
  • Research and procure new equipment, software, and other resources as needed
  • Manage employee engagement and team-building opportunities and activities
  • Identify and implement tools, systems and/or processes to improve operations 
  • Document new policies, guidelines, and procedures; organize and maintain existing policies, guidelines, and procedures
  • Support HR projects such as annual performance reviews, recruiting, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, staff surveys, and other special projects
  • Support IT projects such as data migration, conference room A/V equipment maintenance, security policy implementation, etc.
  • Serve as key point of contact with facility and IT vendors and others as needed

Administrative (50%):

  • Provide scheduling and administrative support to President and CEO and Senior Staff
  • Manage shared team calendars including scheduling internal and external meetings
  • Support annual planning, track, and communicate deadlines
  • Assist with the team’s work-related travel, including obtaining visas and assist with travel and accommodation logistics
  • Process expenses, invoices, and contracts
  • Draft and develop business correspondence; respond to information requests
  • Review, organize, and route incoming mail
  • Manage the maintenance and technical performance of the foundation’s website and email marketing platform
  • Take notes for internal and external meetings when appropriate
  • Maintain digital and physical files 
  • Support Senior Staff in special projects as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

  • 2+ years of experience in an administration role or an administrative support role
  • Experience in effectively supporting multiple individuals
  • Attention to detail, good organizational skills, ability to reprioritize, collaborative approach to work, and an appreciation for creating and improving processes and procedures that do not tip-over into bureaucracy
  • Ability to take specific direction when necessary, along with a high level of independent judgment and initiative. Ability to anticipate needs and creatively address problems with appropriate, timely solutions
  • Strong technology and computer skills; experience with G-suite preferred
  • Ability to proactively manage workflow to meet deadlines
  • Ability to effectively work across cultures
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Candidates that are flexible, mature, have a sense of humor and an ability to work with a team of varying backgrounds and styles will have the greatest success at Echidna Giving
  • Work collaboratively, building relationships, trust, and credibility with members of a team, management, and external stakeholders
  • Ability to work from the San Francisco office

APPLICATION

If you or someone you know might be a good fit for the above needs, please send an introductory email and your resume to grants@echidnagiving.org with the subject line: Operations Coordinator.

Echidna Giving is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Our Approach to Philanthropy

We believe in exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge. Here’s some of what we’ve been reading to inform our thinking on girls’ education. Feel free to suggest additional resources for us to read and feature!