Description

Working at the Vermont Community Foundation

For nearly 40 years, the Vermont Community Foundation has served Vermonters and their families through philanthropy and building stronger communities. Our mission—Better Together: inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont—provides the bedrock for our workplace culture. Our employees are passionate about making a difference every day. We approach our work with curiosity, respect, and integrity, and believe in collaboration, equity, and diversity. When you join our team, your work will matter for Vermont communities.

 Position Overview 

The Product Manager position is a collaborative role on the Philanthropy team, serving as both a strategic leader and an operational steward. This role is responsible for understanding VCF’s full slate of fund products and services, setting product strategy, conducting market analysis, and overseeing all aspects of fund administration, including the development and enforcement of policies and compliance standards. Product strategy includes gathering input from internal and external stakeholders and recommending opportunities for product design, enhancements to the product mix, and evolution of performance and pricing structures. While not directly responsible for asset development, the Product Manager advances VCF’s goals by developing and evolving our policies and products, which result in financial stability and growth for the organization.

 Fund administration spans the entire lifecycle—from new fund setup to fund closure—with a strong emphasis on maintaining rigorous compliance with IRS regulations, National Standards for Community Foundations, VCF business policies, donor intent, and accounting standards. The Product Manager plays a critical role in safeguarding organizational integrity by ensuring that all processes are executed accurately and consistently. This role manages the approval processes while liaising with external legal counsel and internal experts to make decisions on behalf of VCF.

 Equally important, the Product Manager works across all teams to ensure that VCF’s products, systems, and administrative processes operate smoothly and coherently. By championing both compliance excellence and usercentered design, this role ensures that fundholders experience seamless, trustworthy, and responsive service that reflects VCF’s values and commitments.

 The Philanthropy department includes a team of philanthropic advisors and donor services specialists.  This position sits on the Donor Impact team within the Philanthropy department and reports to the Director of Donor Impact.

 Primary Responsibilities

 Product Strategy, Development, & Analysis 

• Drive and lead recommendations and approval process for product mix, strategy, structure, performance, and pricing, ensuring alignment with donor needs, market dynamics, and compliance requirements
• Serve as a solution architect for new fund development, suggesting adaptations and innovations on our existing products or designing new offerings that are both usercentered and fully compliant with IRS and National Standards guidelines
• Lead market analysis for each product and service, translating insights into actionable recommendations that strengthen VCF’s value proposition, operational efficiency, and compliance posture
• Monitor emerging philanthropic tools, fund models, and market trends, ensuring VCF remains current and competitive
• Provide clientfacing design and development, ensuring product tools, forms, processes, and workflows are intuitive, transparent, and aligned with best practices in donor experience
• Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure product strategy integrates operational feasibility, risk management, financial soundness, and the highest standards of fundholder service
• Oversee the implementation/roll-out of product changes in marketing materials, fund documents, portfolio, etc.

 Fund Administration, Compliance & Service 

•  Oversee new fund setup and fund close processes, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and a seamless experience for fundholders
•  Partner closely with Finance on crosssystem workflows to ensure accuracy and data integrity related to availabletospend amounts, fund balances, and fees
•  Maintain all fund documents (agreements, addenda, legal reviews), ensuring they are current, compliant, and reflective of organizational policies and donor intent
•  Monitor changes in regulation or industry standards, ensuring all fund vehicles meet regulatory, operational, and risk mitigation standards
•  Identify opportunities for valueadded service, enhancing the fundholder experience through streamlined processes, clear communication, and proactive support
•  Oversee fund management, including: 

-        Administering quarterly fund statements

-        Maintaining fund and compliance files

-        Monitoring and analyzing new and pending funds

-        Reviewing and approving fund agreements

-        Monitoring donoradvised fund trends, spend rates, and compliance status

•  Manage compliance for component funds and supporting organizations, ensuring full adherence to IRS regulations, National Standards, and organizational policies
•  Oversee and maintain VCF policies related to gift acceptance, grantmaking, and fundraising opportunities, ensuring they remain compliant, clear, and supportive of assetdevelopment goals
•  Respond to internal and external fund administration compliance questions, providing guidance that is accurate, timely, and serviceoriented; liaise with VCF external counsel as necessary, and manage an exceptions approval process

 Data Management and Reporting 

•  Serve as a Salesforce subject matter expert, providing training and guidance to staff
•  Understand and monitor data flows across Sage, Salesforce, and the client-facing portal to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance
•  Maintain and communicate clear data entry guidelines for fund and profile records
•  Develop and oversee protocols for fundholder/donor and fund records, ensuring data integrity and alignment with policy standards
•  Produce quarterly fund reports and respond to adhoc reporting needs
•  Create dashboards and reporting frameworks to track fund trends, product performance, and user needs; recommend adjustments to product structure, fees, or fund minimums based on insights
•  Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend system or workflow improvements that enhance service quality
•  Participate in a crossteam working group to refine and enhance enterprise platform functionality, workflows, and user experience

Requirements

Essential Functions

• Lead fund administration and service
• Oversee the Foundation’s strategy for and assessment of philanthropic products and services
• Analyze and report on philanthropic products including fund and gift data
• Support stewardship of fundholders and donors
• Work effectively and in a proactive manner with internal teams

Essential Skills and Experience

• Critical thinking ability, curiosity, and a growth mindset
• Client-facing sensibility alongside decision-making frameworks to support compliance, internal control, and consistency
• Commitment to delivering a highquality, responsive fundholder experience; ability to develop, maintain, and nurture relationships with donors and fundholders
• Skill in market analysis and translating trends into actionable recommendations; capacity to assess product performance and make datadriven improvements
• Ability to translate complex technical or compliance information into clear, donorfriendly communication
• Strong computer skills, data management experience, and experience working in Salesforce
• Strong policy development skills and experience in ensuring organizational adherence
• Attention to detail for reviewing fund agreements, legal documents, and due diligence materials
• Ability to work cross-functionally with departments and stakeholders to build alignment and achieve the organization’s objectives
• Excellent organizational, administrative, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to collaboration, teamwork, and personal growth
• Seek continuous improvement, efficiency, and innovation
• High degree of personal and professional integrity
   

Education and Experience

•  Bachelor’s degree required
•  5-7 years of progressive, relevant work experience in compliance and/or product development in either a nonprofit or for-profit setting
•  Experience working in a foundation or with charitable giving is a plus
•  Demonstrated ability to work both independently and on a team
•  Strong familiarity with databases and data management
•  

Location: This position is based in Vermont in the Burlington or Middlebury area with required travel between offices on a regular basis.