The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission—unchanged since 1913—is to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, we pursue this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, we work at the intersection of four focus areas—advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities—to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot.
Position Overview
The Rockefeller Foundation is seeking an experienced Director, Integrated Operations to join the Food Initiative.
The Food Initiative’s vision is to build a food system that nourishes all people, protects and regenerates the environment and enables the flourishing of culture and community. The Director of Integrated Operations will work with the Managing Director and the Initiative team to manage the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire team and department, and ensures the work of the team maintains the highest standards of innovation and science. The Director supports and advises MD and ensures collaboration and cooperation across the Initiative team. They partner with key people across the Foundation to ensure key strategic and programmatic coordination of the MD’s internal and external engagements, messaging, and key Initiative goals, objectives and priorities. Manages key internal and external relationships for the MD and represents the Food initiative at key events and meetings. The director will manage and monitor Initiative team progress against goals and objectives of the team and ensure systematic learning processes are in place. Will take the lead in working with internal HR, Legal and Finance teams to manage Initiative plan staffing, budget and compliance related work.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
- Partners with the MD and Initiatives team; and the wider Foundation, to deliver on key strategic and initiative objectives in pursuance of the Foundation’s vision, mission and key priorities.
- Establishes a formal management system within the teams to review progress, resolve issues, and support their needs, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the team.
- Benchmarks the team’s financial, operational and team performance against key peer organizations and identifies, imports and implements best practices to guide and set best-in-class policies, programs, practices and organizational systems for the team.
- Ensures systematic learning and reflection processes are in place that lead to continuous improvement.
- Serves as a thought partner to the MD on important strategic and organizational projects, issues and questions, managing the flow of communications, from the Foundation and external parties as directed by the MD.
- Supports the MD in the management of the budget and forecasts and other operational aspects of the department. Provides oversight of the Business Plan Review (BPR) work related to the team.
- Serves as a go-to for staff when the MD is unavailable or inaccessible and helps manage ad hoc and emergent needs that are “off plan”, either by exercising judgment in handling independently and/or re-arranging the MD’s time as needed.
- On behalf of the MD, prepares briefs for meetings and coordinates follow-up with relevant external and internal staff.
- In partnership and in support of the MD – manages the activity of the office, sets meeting agendas for key meeting within the team.
- Supervises and oversees the work of team members as directed by the MD.
- Represents the initiative team at external events and meetings and is seen as an important ambassador and liaison for the entire team and the Foundation.
- Manages special projects as designated by the MD. Ensures that there is always proper staffing on the team.
Qualifications & Skills:
- Communication: Has excellent interpersonal abilities including strong listening, writing and verbal skills; demonstrates assertiveness and effectiveness in presenting their ideas to a variety of internal and external audiences and for multiple and diverse purposes.
- Decision-Making: Has the ability to evaluate risks and opportunities; uses analytical and problem-solving skills; takes initiative and drives for results; is able to prioritize their own work and the work of others and understands how their work fits into the team and the overall work of the Foundation.
- Execution: Has strong project management skills; manages their own time well and provides the necessary guidance and direction to others that allows them to successfully meet deadlines; has a sense of urgency and takes responsibility for their work and how this impacts the rest of the team; is able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously; is able to multi-task and works well under pressure; employs attention to detail with their work and has high standards for accomplishing their work.
- Integration: Accesses functional and substantive expertise organizationally, and accomplishes their work with inclusiveness and collaboration.
- Leadership: Thinks innovatively and creatively about their work, has strong negotiation skills which enable them to work effectively and efficiently across a large amount of work, people and all internal and external constituencies and demonstrates accountability for their work.
- Partnership and Relationship Building: Has strong professional presence and can be seen as a key representative of the Foundation and the Food Initiative; has intercultural knowledge and appreciation; and possesses strong strategic partnership building skills.
- Strategic Ability: Anticipates future opportunities and consequences, demonstrates an innovative and flexible approach to work, and has the ability to organize chaos into a coherent plan and implement it well.
- People Management: Has the skills to manage a team of administrative staff and approaches managing people as one that employs team-building, skill building and overall staff development and engagement.
Preferred Education and Experience:
- An advanced degree in nutrition, food or agricultural sciences preferred.
- Advanced degree in business or management helpful as is previous experience in a non-profit organization or foundation or equally dynamic goal oriented global enterprise.
- Has a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience supporting an executive, a diverse team of professionals of multiple disciplines and a large, complex, strategic global initiative for a dynamic organization on all matters related to their internal and external strategic goals.
- Ability to manage people and teams to conceive, research, analyze, develop and implement projects, new ideas and strategies to successful completion. Sets agendas and timelines for their own work and for that of others to meet the demands of a complex dynamic function and Executive.
- Has a track record of effectively managing budgets and forecasts, developing and monitoring strategic plans and in managing their own work and the work of others under significant time pressures and to high quality standards.
- Understands innovation processes, and the management of scientific research and development initiatives.
- Ability to travel regularly both domestically and internationally and has done so in previous roles successfully.
- Computer proficiency in MS Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet search skills and ability to learn new applications quickly.
The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.
The Rockefeller Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer
How To Apply
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