Managing Director, Ecosystems

The Rockefeller Foundation seeks a Managing Director, based in New York, to lead the Foundation’s global work related to Ecosystems. This is a new role at the Foundation, one of nine Managing Directors worldwide who report jointly to the Vice President, Foundation Initiatives and the Vice President, Strategy & Evaluation as part of a matrixed program team. The Managing Director will lead teams in conceiving, initiating, and executing focused, high-impact grantmaking initiatives related to revaluing ecosystems, and s/he will work closely with colleagues to advise on and develop the aspects of other initiatives with an ecosystems component. Candidates must bring intellectual heft and strong conceptual and creative abilities along with exceptional skills in planning, team building, collaboration, and communication. 

The Foundation is open to candidates from a wide range of related disciplines including, but not limited to: environmental and climate sciences, water and natural resource management, ecosystems services, international aid and development with a focus on livelihoods and the environment, and food systems. Breadth of substantive experience, crossing institutional, sector, and disciplinary boundaries, is preferred over deep specialization, and all candidates must bring international experience and perspective. The ideal candidate will understand how to leverage research, policy, and funding sources to develop and implement profound solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. 

The Rockefeller Foundation is working with the search firm Isaacson, Miller, Inc. on this recruitment. All nominations, inquiries, and applications should be sent in confidence to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

Programmatic Work 

Since 2009, the Foundation has structured it programmatic work through a portfolio of interconnected Initiatives. These are multi-year efforts, often in overlapping geographic areas, designed around specific objectives to address complex problems. Each Initiative usually addresses two or more of the Foundation’s focus areas and has a theory of change for achieving its objectives. Each also incorporates rigorous monitoring while grantee work progresses, and must be nimble enough to adapt to changing circumstances, new learnings, or unanticipated opportunities. 

Initiatives are intended to unfold through four phases. The Foundation Scans the landscape in its four issue areas to identify pressing problems in the field. The Search phase is usually a short-term (four month) exploration, largely through research and convenings, of a problem the Foundation might pursue. It typically involves an assessment of the system impacting the problem and the development of a hypothesis about potential solutions. The Development phase (which unfolds over one to two years) tests potential interventions through demonstration projects and further research. The Executionphase, which requires Foundation Board approval, runs for eight to ten years with a defined strategic plan and budget. At the end of the Scan, Search, and Development phases, a decision is made about whether to continue to the next step or wind down the work. At the Scan and Search phases, the decisions about which projects move forward are made collectively by the Managing Director team. Currently there are eight Initiatives in Execution at the Foundation, ranging in size from roughly $30-100 million in anticipated investments over their time frames. 

Managing Directors (MDs) lead the program work and manage teams working on program development and execution of Initiatives. They work with other MDs, Associate Directors, and research and support professionals to identify and understand global trends, issues, challenges, and opportunities. They also partner with evaluation professionals to learn from the work and incorporate lessons learned. MDs are all expected to lead work that ranges across multiple disciplines, topics, and fields. 

Managing Director, Ecosystems 

The Managing Director, Ecosystems will have a mix of project management, team leadership, and foundation-wide strategic responsibilities. Initially, this MD will focus on Search and Development of new initiatives in the Revaluing Ecosystems area. Eventually, as initiatives move through the pipeline, s/he will spend more time on the Development and Execution phases. The Foundation works in a matrix structure, and therefore the MD may be assigned to any of the Foundation’s initiatives based on initiative cycles and organizational needs. Nevertheless this individual will focus principally on the Revalue Ecosystems issue area, which is premised on the fact that the stresses placed on the environment by the way we live require an array of interventions to preserve the fundamental resilience of the planet as the essential support system for people everywhere. 

The Foundation aims to address the challenge of stressed ecosystems in several ways:

• Seek new approaches to environmental care by integrating it into economic and social systems;
• Tap novel approaches to accountability for environmental degradation, with an emphasis on the effects this has on poor and/or vulnerable people in particular;
• Focus on the value ecosystems provide in a host of human habitats, looking especially at the complex interactions of expanding human settlements, food production, industrial growth, and environmental capacity;
• Reframe both responsibility and incentives so that all those who benefit from use of the environment are aligned around the need to sustain our critical ecosystems.

To be effective in this role, the Managing Director should be flexible in interests and passions, and looking for a way to contribute to the emerging work of the Foundation—regardless of the particular population, issue, or geography. The successful candidate will be comfortable working within a team structure, sharing information and insights, and engaging in ongoing intellectual exchange. The candidate must be comfortable building bridges between academia, nonprofit, government and private sectors. As a manager, the successful candidate would be expected to support the Foundation’s objectives and ways of working, to be strategic and positive regarding the Foundation’s overall work and ambitions, and keep that focus and perspective in addition to themes specific to the projects s/he is leading.

This position is based in the New York office and reports to both Vice Presidents. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

Leadership and Management 

• Serve as the Foundation’s key leader in managing its work on oceans, potentially taking it from its current early stages of “Search” to more advanced stages of “Development” (strategy design) and “Execution” (implementation);
• Serve as the top representative for all the foundation’s work in the area of ecosystems development;
• Participate in and is accountable for key deliverables to the organization as part of the global Senior Leadership Team;
• Participate on the Initiative Management Team in programmatic strategy development;
• Serve as an interface between program and administration to ensure that the Foundation works as a cohesive whole;
• Represent the Foundation in diverse communities, including speaking engagements, attending conferences and participating in other key internal and external meetings;
• Lead initiative teams to develop and execute outstanding work within, and guided by, the strategic framework of the Foundation. Ensure grantmaking is strategically aligned and impactful and that team members’ grants are managed to important targets and deadlines;
• Serve as internal leadership voice – represents the Foundation’s decisions in a positive, encouraging, and motivating manner.

Initiative Management 

• Develop and execute work in the stages of Search, Development, and Execution;
• As a senior grantmaker, ensure grantmaking advances the strategy of the Initiatives and supports the strategic framework of the Foundation;
• Responsible for and help develop the staff on the team(s);
• Promote and model excellent external relations with grantees and partners.

Qualifications and Competencies: 

Leadership: Vision, innovation, thought leadership, collaboration, integrity, accountability, and emotional intelligence;

Partnership and Relationship Building: Strong professional representation of the Foundation, interpersonal abilities, intercultural knowledge and appreciation, strategic partnership building;

Communication: Superb interpersonal abilities, exceptional listening skills, writing and verbal skills;

Decision-Making: Ability to evaluate risks and opportunities, using analytical and strong problem-solving skills;

Execution: Strong project management skills, deadline management, sense of responsibility and accountability, and the ability to effectively multi-task;

Integration: Demonstrate inclusiveness, collaboration, respect, and broad organizational interests;

Strategic Ability: To see opportunities, design innovative approaches backed by strong analysis and planning;

People Management: Superb skills in team building, coaching, mentoring, delegating, inspiring, and motivating;

Nimbleness: Demonstrated ability to work comfortably in an environment with some ambiguity, being flexible to change course as needed to ensure relevancy of work, and remaining calm and considered under pressure. 

Education, Training, and Experience:

• Advanced degree in any of the following areas: science, ecology, geography, public policy/administration;
• A minimum of 15 years related working experience;
• International experience – leading projects across geographies and cultures;
• Experience leading teams and mentoring staff development;
• Experienced at external representation;
• Experience in setting priorities in dynamic environments;
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, managing, and implementing multi-party projects, often global, with defined objectives, deliverables, monitoring, and evaluation of results;
• Experience with evaluative research methods helpful;
• Excellent proficiency in English;
• The ability to travel (30-40 percent) both domestically and internationally.

To Apply 

The Rockefeller Foundation offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.  The Foundation provides a very generous package of benefits.

Inquiries and applications (including C.V. and brief letter of interest) should be directed to: 

John Muckle
Managing Associate
Isaacson, Miller
263 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
617.262.6500
RFEcosystems@imsearch.com 

Electronic submissions are strongly preferred. 

                 The Rockefeller Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

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.