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POSITION SUMMARY

The Council on Foundations (Council) is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on their 75-year history, the Council supports over 1000 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all.

As a leading national advocate for philanthropy, the Council strives to increase the effectiveness, stewardship, and accountability of the sector while providing members with the services and support they need to advance the common good. Based in Washington, DC, the Council has an annual budget of over $15 million and a staff of 62.

The Council is now seeking nominations and applications for the role of Vice President, People and Operations. The Vice President of People and Operations will lead efforts to build and maintain an inclusive and thriving culture. They will work to ensure the Council is a great place to work for all staff and that staff have the tools and support they need to be successful. The Vice President will collaborate with and be a trusted advisor to the CEO and colleagues on the leadership team. The Vice President will serve as an internal expert on matters of business and people operations, organizational culture, and management of people rooted in inclusion, empathy, and care.

The VP, People and Operations will report directly to the CEO.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & People Operations Strategy

• Contributes to the implementation of the Council's strategic goals and objectives as well as the overall management and leadership of the organization.
• Informs strategic direction as part of the organization's Leadership Team.
• Identifies critical skills gaps that impact organizational strategy execution and works closely with leadership to design and execute staff development initiatives to bridge those gaps.
• Partners with Leadership Team to mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach including establishing priorities with clear accountabilities, setting meaningful goals and objectives, and monitoring and evaluating results towards organizational outcomes.
• Leads comprehensive workforce planning initiatives, including strategic hiring forecasts, performance management, and talent pipeline development.
• Leads the People and Operations team in visioning and strategy development as well as constructing and monitoring annual departmental workplan and budget.
• Provides coaching and guidance to direct reports and other members of the department.
• Provides strategic advice and subject matter expertise to the Council's member-focused HR strategy and other Council events, particularly around inclusion and organizational culture.
• Interacts with key constituencies outside the Council in order to facilitate the organization staying current and ensuring the credibility of its work.
• Contributes to and/or leads cross-functional working groups as needed.

Organizational Development/Culture

• Oversees culture, systems and processes that enable the Council to attract and retain top talent centering inclusion as a value.
• Fosters a culture of care and responsiveness to ensure exceptional supports and programs for staff.
• Oversees the design and execution of staff and organizational development that keeps all staff growing in ways that support their professional objectives and build the Council's capacity to achieve its mission.
• Sets a talent development vision and mobilizes the organization to achieve high performance with a deep understanding of inclusion and a commitment to member services.
• Identifies individual and organizational development needs through peer consultations, staff interviews, and focus groups to inform the annual professional development offerings.
• Coaches people managers on how to support staff development, manage conflict, and increase team cohesion.
• Oversees and guides the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) plan to enable the Council to continue its journey toward a more inclusive culture.
• Develops and socializes strategies that support an equitable organizational culture, integrating an equity lens into organizational practices, and foster a culture of organizational learning.
• Serves as strategic advisor to CEO on all matters culture and equity related.

Operations & Technology

• Builds effective relationships within the organization, maintains organizational standards, and continuously improves business and people operations, systems, and procedures to promote operational excellence, consistency and mitigate risks.
• Oversees process to bi-annually benchmark operations and employee engagement practices, maintains awareness of "best practices", and recommends adjustments to goals and plans as appropriate.
• Directs regulatory and compliance filings organization-wide with government entities.
• Oversees IT strategy and operations, continually reassessing and aligning to organizational needs to ensure the support of applications, infrastructure, and technologies that increase optimal efficiencies and integration across organizational platforms.
• Supports the Director, Operations and their staff, to establish policies, processes, and best practices that support the Council's remote-first work environment.
• Ensures success in planning, promoting, procuring, directing, and coordinating building management operations and required support services for a safe working environment.
• Supports any lease or facilities related renegotiation efforts and/or any new project related to the management of the Council's office (e.g. sublease, new construction, etc.).

Human Resources

• Manages HR functions of the entire employee life cycle including employee relations, HRIS, employee engagement, talent acquisition, performance management, training and development, HR policy, benefits, compensation, and payroll.
• Oversees external HR consultants, benefits brokers, retirement plan sponsors, and executive search firms.
• Develops and implements remote-first work policies, processes and systems that are rooted in the Council's operating principles, and ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Works closely with people managers to ensure routine review and update of job descriptions, competencies, and evaluative tools as a key element of supporting staff development.
• Evaluates and implements HR technology solutions that streamline operations, enhance staff experience, and provide actionable analytics to the organization.
• Predicts, assesses, and determines business needs in the areas of organizational design, staffing, performance management, succession planning, development planning, and communication.
• Manages, with vendor, payroll processing for the timely and efficient pay of staff.
• Consults with legal counsel and vendors to ensure regulatory compliance with all local, regional, state, and federal employment laws.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years' experience in a senior management role managing talent/culture, organizational development and infrastructure, human resources, and business operations.
• Previous supervisory and senior level management experience is required.
• 4 years' of recent experience with multi-state employment compliance.
• HR certification (i.e., SPHR, SHRM-SCP), preferred.

Position Specific Competencies

• An independent leader who brings vision to the work within their purview
• Truth-teller willing to speak truth to power, especially the CEO
• Excellent change management experience, understanding best practices to effectively influence change in an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to balance accountability with emotional intelligence when interacting with staff at all levels.
• Deep expertise in business operations, risk mitigation, culture-building, and the integration of inclusion practices in the workplace.
• Recent and strong experience of ensuring compliance with multiple local, state and federal employment laws while scaling operations.
• Proven track-record conceiving and executing broad-scale initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in building enterprise-level processes and systems.
• Experience incorporating vendors and consultants into a team structure.
• Demonstrated empathy, sensitivity, and awareness with staff representing all areas of diversity, including race, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation and religious beliefs/faith practices.
• Demonstrated ability to receive, process, and present both strategic and tactical information to diverse audiences while maintaining effective, collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders including members of the Board of Directors, outside organizations, vendors, business leaders, management and staff.
• Proven record of effectively managing, advancing, and integrating a wide range of operational functions.

General Competencies (Required of All Council Staff)

• Ability to actively engage in, demonstrate commitment to the Council's Operating Principles and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion values (more information here).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to listen well, and positively represent the organization and its mission.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to identify and solve problems efficiently and quickly.
• Ability to manage many and/or differing tasks, maintain productivity, and successfully meet deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively and positively both independently and on a team with a range of individuals and working styles, and with people at all organization levels including staff, board members, foundation officers, donors, and vendors.
• Experience or ability to use CRM database solutions, preferably Salesforce.
• Proficient skill in Microsoft Office 365 applications.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Operating Principles and Inclusion

The Council's operating principles and inclusion commitments exist to guide how staff interact with and treat one another, members, vendors, and the philanthropic sector. Staff are expected to consistently demonstrate the principles and actively support commitments to building an inclusive culture.

Work Environment

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Location, Travel Requirements, Salary and Benefits

Though the Council's headquarters are in Washington, DC, the VP, People and Operations may be located anywhere in the continental United States.

This role requires up to 10% travel domestically, including overnight trips.

The hiring salary range for this position is $200,000 to $230,000 based on experience. The pay range is based on living in the Washington, DC region. Compensation may be adjusted based on the geographic location of the finalist.

The Council offers a robust benefits package, and you can learn more about Council benefits here.


TO APPLY

More information about Council on Foundations may be found at: www.cof.org.

This search is being led by Emily Wexler and Rachel Burgoyne of NPAG. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG's website.

The Council is committed to honoring the differences, unique talents, lived experiences, identities, and full contributions of each Council staff member. We do this so every Council staff member feels that they belong and can thrive at the Council. Candidates from diverse backgrounds with a commitment to philanthropy are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, visit: https://www.npag.com/cof-vppo





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