Position Announcement - D2D Fund

[Community Development Banking List]

Original message from: tflacke@d2dfund.org

Colleagues,



We appreciate your help in spreading the word about the following job
opportunity. Interested parties should send a cover letter including salary
requirements and resume to resumes@d2dfund.org by December 24, 2009. Thank
you.



________________________________________________


Title: Saving Initiatives Specialist


Location: Boston, MA

Status: Permanent, Full Time



Organization Description:

A nonprofit social enterprise established in 2000, Doorways to Dreams (D2D)
Fund works to improve the economic well-being of millions of low and
moderate income consumers through financial innovation. D2D generates
practical ideas for financial products, services and policies, pilot tests
its ideas, and pursues scale strategies to reach millions of households.
D2D's prime focus is tools and strategies to help consumers save and build
wealth.

Examples of recent D2D accomplishments include:

* A multi-year field test to link tax refunds to saving, which led to
two new national saving policies: (1) the ability to "split" federal tax
refunds and (2) beginning in 2010, to order US Savings Bonds directly on the
tax form using part of a federal tax refund.
* Successful pilot test of a new Save to Win saving product, which
attracted 12,000 customers and $7MM in deposits in its first year.
* Creation of the first-ever financial literacy casual video game,
Celebrity Calamity, and associated distribution and evaluation testing..



D2D's work has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,
The Baltimore Sun, Fast Company, and the Harvard Business Review.



D2D's works with the financial services industry, policymakers, national and
grassroots non-profits and the philanthropic community to develop, test and
implement its ideas. D2D's current portfolio of projects includes:

* Tax Time Saving - efforts to help consumers direct a larger fraction
of the $250 billion in annual federal tax refunds into savings vehicles,
applying insights from behavioral economics, cutting-edge marketing
techniques and community organizing.
* Prized-Linked Savings - introducing excitement and anticipation to
the act of saving money by augmenting guaranteed but modest returns with the
chance to win a significant grand prize.
* Financial Entertainment - mixing the best of digital entertainment
and financial education to engage busy, working consumers, and, ultimately
foster better financial decision-making and outcomes.



Position Summary:

The Specialist will support all of D2D's projects, but play a critical role
in D2D's tax time savings work and future related projects. To date, this
work has focused on harnessing the potential of the annual tax refund season
to increase vulnerable households' savings. In the coming year, D2D will
work with policy makers, the tax preparation industry and non-profit groups
to drive awareness and use of a new federal policy which allows tax filers
to buy savings bonds with a portion of their refund. At the same time, D2D
will continue to pursue new ideas, generate pilot test results to inform
policy discussions, and ensure the new tax time savings policy is refined
and improved in 2011 and beyond.



The Specialist will be an important part of the D2D team, working closely
with all members to accomplish core organizational objectives. D2D is a
nimble, entrepreneurial organization that accomplishes its mission by
cultivating and leveraging partnerships. We stress innovation in our
project goals and our organizational culture.



In particular, the Specialist will:

* Support pilot field & evaluation work - play a lead role in
supporting tax time pilot work by providing technical assistance and
training for community-based partners, assisting with management of a
web-based order processing system, and helping collect, analyze and
disseminate pilot evaluation data.
* Support distribution work - support on-going pilot tests of new
distribution channels for savings products, such as check cashers and
retailers, and help develop emerging tests, such as remove depository
account opening in community-based organizations and employers.
* Explore marketing strategies - help develop and execute a strategy
to drive awareness and uptake of tax time saving options, including
coordination with volunteer tax preparers, professional tax preparers and
the tax preparation software industry, as well as a long-term
consumer-oriented social marketing campaign backed by a broad coalition of
parties.
* Support new policy ideas - contribute to new saving product and
service policy proposals, including possible pilot tests of a "retirement
bond," an expanded Saver's Credit, and strategies to encourage wider tax
time IRA contributions.
* Support other D2D projects - support other D2D projects as needed,
especially its emerging consumer risk management work



Domestic travel may be required.



Requirements:

- Strong project management, planning, and organizational skills;
experience and comfort managing vendors and partners.

- Excellent writing skills.

- Able to work professionally and effectively with a wide range of
constituents, from senior managers or policy makers, to lower-income adults.

- Strong relationship and people skills, working with partners,
clients and vendors.

- Experience in presenting ideas in a persuasive way.

- Flexible, willing to tackle project requirements as they arise

- Comfortable with technology and financial innovation. Conversant
with financial services sector.



Ideal candidate is self-motivated, able to work in an entrepreneurial
environment and take ownership of issues. Candidate must be willing to take
on problems as they arise, recognizing the needs of a small organization.
Candidate must be dedicated to the larger cause of D2D's mission.



Qualifications:

1. Undergraduate degree required, preferably in economics, public
policy or business administration; graduate degree in similar field helpful.

2. Minimum of 3-6 years work experience, preferably in a related field;

3. Excellent, persuasive and proven written and oral communication
skills;

4. Demonstrated research analysis skills;

5. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse constituencies in a
variety of grassroots environments;

6. Collaborative, open working style and ability to work independently,
as needed;

7. Natural curiosity about, interest in and comfort level with
technology.

8. Demonstrated commitment to D2D's mission driven work and social
objectives;

9. Strong skills with variety of software applications including word
processing, PowerPoint, Excel.



Compensation: competitive salary, commensurate with experience. D2D offers
a full benefits package, including comprehensive, employer-paid health
insurance, 13 paid holidays, and a generous vacation policy. D2D is an
equal opportunity organization.



This position is open immediately.



Please send resume with cover email including salary requirements to
resumes@d2dfund.org.