Managing Director

Borealis Philanthropy (Borealis) resources grassroots leaders and social justice movement for transformative change. Borealis is seeking a Managing Director to provide leadership to the Executive Office and serve as a strategic advisor and support to the President. Reporting to the President, the Managing Director will be a proactive, results-oriented leader who brings experience guiding executives in strategy development, execution, priority setting, project management and cross-functional collaboration. Most importantly, the Managing Director will be passionate about supporting transformational change and brings a desire to align internal and programmatic growth with Borealis’ organizational values: Responsiveness, Racial equity, Trust, People-Centered, Curiosity, and Boldness.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Managing Director provides leadership to the Executive Office, serves as a strategic advisor and support to the President and supports organizational strategy development. This role requires close partnership and coordination with the Management Team, aligning enterprise-level work across the organization enabling the executive office and relevant departments to advance the organization’s mission.

The Managing Director solves complex problems, manages resources, and removes barriers for departments and staff to achieve organizational goals. The Managing Director leads, hires, coaches, and provides direction to the Director of Operations, Director of Communications, Director of Impact and Learning, and Director of People and Culture to execute outcomes within budget and the needs of the organization. Within the Executive Office, the Managing Director collaborates with the Executive Assistant to the President to ensure seamless coordination and provides guidance as needed.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive, results-oriented leader who brings experience guiding executives in strategy development, execution, priority setting, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. This leader will bring experience creating and operationalizing a vision and strategy and have the skills to work collaboratively across the organization. The individual will possess high emotional intelligence and ability to creatively solve interpersonal challenges and negotiate complex interpersonal, intra-organizational and inter-organizational challenges. The leader will possess exceptional communication skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities. This is an exceptional opportunity for a person who is committed to social justice and desires to support innovative philanthropy by helping it “walk its talk” and live its values internally and externally.

Organizational Leadership and Strategy:  The Managing Director serves as a visible and core member of the Management Team and contributes strongly to cross-disciplinary teamwork, collaboration, and planning for the organization including:

• Lead annual organizational work planning and coordinate strategic planning processes.
• Manage recurring work and special projects, which may include planning and coordinating others’ work, securing or disseminating information, and communicating internally and externally.
• Develop organizational processes and coordinate organizational procedures.
• Track progress of key strategic and operational goals and initiatives; troubleshooting problems and optimizing data tracking efforts.
• Help facilitate the growth of the organization by proactively identifying bottlenecks ahead of time and working collaboratively to solve organizational issues.
• Prepare talking points and presentations in support of Borealis Philanthropy’s organizational direction and needs.
• Model a culture of collective care and trust across the organization that centers the well-being of our people.

Management of Department Directors:  The Managing Director oversees the Director of Operations, Director of Communications, Director of Impact and Learning, and the Director of People and Culture. This role includes:

• Supervise, coach, and mentor department directors.
• Collaborate with directors to set goals, create workplans, and facilitate performance improvement.
• Identify opportunities for professional learning and professional development for directors in cooperation with the Director of People and Culture.

Executive Management:  The Managing Director serves as a strategic advisor and support to the President and manages the Executive Office as follows:

• Assist the President with prioritization and supporting processes that facilitate timely decision-making and execution of key strategic goals.
• Function as a surrogate to the President internally, as needed, liaising with teams across the organization.
• In collaboration with the President, ensure that matters of board governance are efficiently and properly maintained.
• Provide the strategic framework that enables the Executive Assistant to the President to coordinate the administrative and logistical details of board meetings.
• Develop and manage the content of the Management Team’s meetings. This includes content and agenda development, clearly documented action items, and initiative tracking.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to draft internal memos and communication on behalf of the President.
• Develop and manage the Executive Office annual work plan and budget.

Organizational Commitment:  As a member of the Borealis staff, the Managing Director performs certain functions that supports the organization as a whole. This includes:

• Submitting and approving expense reports and approving timecards by stated deadlines.
• Attending all staff meetings and required trainings and events.
• Participating in organizational development and change processes, including serving on committees or special project teams.
• Model Borealis’ culture and values; align outcomes, practices, and communications within the organization’s culture.
• Lead special projects and other duties as assigned.

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Fifteen (15) years of work experience across a range of sectors, preferably in nonprofit and/or philanthropy.
• Ten (10) years of previous supervisory experience leading staff.
• Proven track record of organizing and directing cross-function projects.
• Proven ability to provide useful feedback, as well as develop and inspire staff.
• Proven ability to manage and support organizational change.

Knowledge, Personal Qualities and Characteristics

• Commitment to Borealis’ vision and values.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to creatively solve interpersonal challenges and negotiate complex interpersonal, intra-organizational and inter-organizational challenges.
• Analytical thinker with strong conceptual and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to navigate conflict.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with tact and discretion.
• Superior attention to detail with superb organizational skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build relationships within a diverse virtual work environment.
• Ability to identify and mitigate risks to the organization.
• Excellent project management skills – from the visioning phase, to clarifying roles and timelines, to execution.
• Ability to manage change, work under pressure, manage multiple projects simultaneously both strategic and tactical.

Work Environment (Conditions and Physical Demands)

This job operates in a professional, virtual, home office or co-working environment, with occasional local and national travel. This role routinely uses standard office equipment, including laptop computer and cell phone. The employee is generally required to spend long periods of time sitting, typing, and working at a computer. May require the ability to occasionally lift and transport items.

Borealis Philanthropy offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and generous benefits. The starting salary range for this role is $148,000 – $178,000.

More information about Borealis Philanthropy may be found at: borealisphilanthropy.org

This search is being led by Catherine Seneviratne and Robert Diggs of NPAG. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website.

Borealis is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the NPAG search team.

Borealis is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive staff team. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, people with disabilities; and/or formerly incarcerated people.