Associate Director, Program Influence (RF)

The Rockefeller Foundation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Rockefeller Foundation in New York seeks an Associate Director, Program Influence to lead influence and communications strategies across multiple initiatives, including health, food, energy, and cities. The role collaborates with initiative teams to advance the Foundation's goals and to raise the profile of its programs.

You will manage partnerships with consultancies, media, and grantees, supervise a communications officer, and work with initiative leads to translate insights into

Qualifications

• Strategic thinking with ability to design innovative influence and communications approaches.
• Strong project management, deadline discipline, and accountability.
• Effective representation of the Foundation and relationship-building across diverse audiences.
• Analytical problem-solving and risk-opportunity assessment.
• Collaborative and inclusive in cross-team settings.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Work day-to-day with initiative teams to integrate influence and communications into program strategies.
• Plan and execute influence campaigns to raise program impact and Foundation profile.
• Lead management of influence consultancies, media partners, and strategy vendors.
• Recommend strategic influence grantmaking within initiatives and opportunites portfolio.
• Collaborate with MDs, teams and grantees to drive impact and visibility.
• Oversee messaging development with Speechwriter and prepare briefing materials.
• Staff and supervise one communications officer in New York.

Skills

Strategic Ability

Execution

Partnership & Relationships

Decision Making

Integration

Communication

Job description

Associate Director, Program Influence (RF)

Posted on February 12, 2018

The Rockefeller Foundation is seeking a dynamic Associate Director, Program Influence.

The Associate Director, Program Influence serves as an integral member of the program influence team within the Policy, Partnerships, and Communications team in New York. The Program Influence team works directly with program teams to develop influence strategies that combine expertise in behavior change, communications, campaigns, and strategy. Two associate directors will divide responsibility for being the day to day contact with program initiative teams including – Health, Food, Power, Jobs, Cities, Innovative Finance, Data & Tech, and science – to develop and execute influence and communications strategies for each program initiative. The Associate Director will work with the MD Program influence to develop strategies for influence and communications for half of the program portfolio, and will be responsible for working directly with program teams, influence and communications grantees and partners to execute on influence and communications for impact for each team.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work day to day with initiative teams within portfolio to develop and integrate influence and communications strategies into larger program initiative strategies that advance the Foundation’s goals, values, and impact.
• Plan and execute communications and influence campaigns within portfolio of initiatives to help program teams achieve impact through their influence work, as well as raising the profile of the Rockefeller Foundation.
• Lead selection and management of influence communications consultancies, media partners, and all influence strategy partners for assigned program initiatives, and ensure maximum value from our investments.
• Recommend strategic influence grantmaking to program initiatives within portfolio.
• Recommend strategic influence grantmaking within the Foundation’s opportunities portfolio – a portfolio of grants designed for opportunistic grantmaking that reflects the Foundation’s values and provides a unique opportunity for impact and visibility.
• Collaborate closely with initiative MD’s and teams, and provide counsel on their thought leadership.
• Work with Speechwriter to develop messaging for initiatives.
• Oversee the development, research, and writing of briefings for communication’s events
• Write press releases, talking points, blog posts and other important collateral material for program initiatives within portfolio.
• Arrange and staff media interviews for program initiatives within portfolio.
• Manage one communications officer, New York to support program initiative portfolio

Supervision Received

This position will report to the MD, Program Influence

Supervision Exercised

This position will manage one person at the associate level (communications officer) that will provide support for the portfolio of program initiatives assigned. This person will be responsible for developing this staff member, reviewing them, and contributing to their professional growth and capabilities.

Qualifications & Skills

Strategic Ability: Ability to see opportunities, design innovative approaches backed by strong analysis and planning. Strong sense for messaging, themes and techniques that resonate with the key influence audiences including government, business, and media.

Execution:Strong project management skills, deadline management, sense of responsibility and accountability and the ability to effectively multi-task. Ability to manage staff and contractors to ensure timely, high-quality work product.

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

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

Integration: Ability to demonstrate inclusiveness, collaboration, respect and broad organizational interests.

Communication:Strong interpersonal and communication abilities; exceptional listening written and verbal skills.

• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in communications and influence work, with preference for experience with an international organization.
• Experience working in a matrixed environment with multiple teams and multiple interests
• Proven track record in managing to complex plans and deadlines
• Superb inter-personal skills and professional presence
• A proven track ability to think strategically, analyze critically, and to translate ideas and insights into action through coherent and viable programs and plans
• Experience and/or strong familiarity with non-profit and public sectors
• Ability and experience managing projects, staff, consultancies, and budgets
• Highly organized with the ability to multi-task
• Experience in handling and reacting to sensitive information

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