Lead, Strategic Projects

Job Title: Lead, Strategic Projects

Manager: President

Department: Office of the President

Full-time or Part-time: Part-time

Employee Type: Temporary

Exemption Status: Exempt

Position Summary

This is a part-time temporary position (anticipated 3 days per week for 6 months) to support the President through the completion and activation of a strategic planning process. Reporting to the President, the Lead, Strategic Projects will assist the President in articulating and structuring new initiatives that reflect the Foundation’s strategic priorities. These initiatives include the grantmaking as well as internal functions of the Foundation, including large-scale philanthropic ventures and the implementation of artificial intelligence to evaluate and learn from them. The position will require the capacity to understand the range of areas in which the Foundation operates, to develop sophisticated strategic and communications plans, to participate in the shaping of AI tools, and to draft portions of a strategic vision that will be presented to the Board of Trustees.

Areas of Responsibility

• Work with the President to translate a strategic vision into a strategic plan with communications assets for internal and external purposes.
• Work with the President to develop plans and processes to support large-scale grantmaking ventures, including an adaptable template for project planning.
• Work with other key stakeholders in the Foundation to envision and structure machine learning tools for grantmaking and grantmaking analysis.
• Draft strategic plan components and iterate with the President on subsequent drafts.
• Communicate and coordinate the President’s Office as well as other members of the team to maintain support and carry out activities according to the timeline.
• Create and manage content for internal events and meetings, as requested.
• Develop initiative budgets and operational plans.
• Develop project milestones and metrics to track and report on successes.
• Manage negotiations and contracts for relevant consulting engagements.

The Foundation requires employees to be physically present in our offices for a portion of each week. For a part-time employee working 3 days a week, the requirement is at least 1 in-office workday per week. This in-office requirement is essential to our organization for a number of reasons, including that it allows for spontaneous interactions and face-to-face communication, facilitates effective and efficient teamwork and collaboration, and ensures regular access to Foundation resources. It also helps maintain and strengthen our organization’s culture by allowing employees to regularly engage in a more active way in meetings and interactions. In addition, regular in-office work is required for this position because of the high level of interaction and teamwork required to carry out the responsibilities of the role, which include developing plans across program areas, providing updates to Foundation leadership, working with internal stakeholders to develop a communications strategy, and attending key meetings in person. The Lead, Strategic Projects will work with the President to determine a mutually agreeable schedule for in-office days.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• At least 10 years of experience managing complex collaborative programs. Experience overseeing complex projects and developing evaluation metrics preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree required. Advanced degree in areas relevant to the Foundation’s work strongly preferred.
• Experience with coding and AI models.
• Strong self-management skills, including the ability to maintain consistent workflows, problem solve, deliver on deadlines, and maintain a high level of project organization.
• Demonstrated ability to take direction, to delegate, and to execute.
• A collaborative and collegial orientation toward internal and external constituents.
• Demonstrated people management experience, budgeting and planning skills, and internal team-building skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and attention to detail.
• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Office, project management software, and ability to manage large amounts of electronic data.
• Strong personal interest in the Foundation’s mission.