Deputy Director for Global Programs, USA Lead

Obama Foundation; Illinois; Remote; USD 110,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

The Obama Foundation is seeking a Deputy Director for Global Programs, US Lead to design and implement the Leaders USA program across the United States, delivering both virtual and in-person experiences while embedding equity in the curriculum.

You will lead a small team, partner with the Global Programs Network, manage budgets and contracts, collaborate with Development and Legal, and represent the Foundation in regional partnerships.

Qualifications

• Experience facilitating virtual and in-person learning experiences and evaluating program effectiveness.
• 4–6 years leading or supporting social impact or leadership programs in the USA.
• Strong verbal and written skills and ability to build relationships with diverse participants.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage Leaders USA programming, virtual and in-person.
• Lead inclusive, diverse cohort selection of 50 emerging leaders for USA program.
• Collaborate with Global Programs and Strategic Learning to refine leadership curriculum.
• Manage sub-team budget and contracts, ensuring compliance and cost efficiency.
• Partner with Foundation departments and donors to align programming and communications.

Skills

Facilitation and curriculum design

Program leadership

Communication

Project management

Budget and contracts management

Relationship management

Job description

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

Purpose of the Role

The Deputy Director for Global Programs, US Lead reports to the Director, Leaders Program and plays an integral role in leading the design and implementation of the Leaders USA program in service of the Obama Foundation’s mission to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of leaders.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Program Management: Design, implement, and manage Leaders USA programming, both virtual and in-person. Collaborate with Global Programs and Strategic Learning team members to refine a shared values-driven leadership development curriculum that incorporates equity in the design process and is customized for regional audiences and contexts. Align program content and design elements across all Obama Leaders programs, sharing best practices and resources. Provide rationale for appropriate regional differentiations.

• Participant Selection: Implement the application and selection process for the Leaders USA program. Lead the review and selection of an inclusive, diverse, highly skilled cohort of emerging leaders. Refine the process after each application cycle.

• Global Programs Collaboration: Work closely with the Impact and Insights Team to facilitate design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities to evaluate program impact. Actively bring ideas for operational improvements and provide feedback to the Program Operations team. Serve as an active member of the Managers sub-team, working collaboratively across program verticals to learn from each other and identify operational efficiencies.

• Cross-Team Collaboration: Actively seek early input from and partnership with Foundation departments. Contribute to communications materials for donors, the board, the general public, and other stakeholders. Support Development through programming opportunities and conversations with donors and prospects. Work with Finance, Legal, Procurement, and other infrastructure teams early and often on operational changes and/or challenges in a spirit of partnership.

• External Partnerships: Build and maintain partnerships with a broad set of organizations, institutions, and individuals, both inside and outside of the region, to build networks that support the execution of shared strategies and programming. Serve as regional representative and internal liaison regarding issues and relationships across the United States and territories.

• Vendor Management: Research and identify program speakers, facilitators, consultants, and other partners (with an emphasis on thought leaders from the region). Facilitate the timely and successful completion of delegated activities and deliverables by vendors. Ensure that contracts are accurate and adhere to the guidelines and requirements established by Legal, Procurement, and other relevant departments.

• Alumni Engagement: Contribute to the design and implementation of the alumni engagement strategy in collaboration with the Global Programs Network team. Support the integration of program alumni into related activities. Assist with alumni relationship management efforts and programming. When possible, support and plan cross-cohort alumni programming for issue-based and/or geographic cohorts.

• People Management: Manage the workflow, deliverables, and performance of two Associates. Partner with them in setting and achieving high-impact individual and team-wide goals. Coach reports on project management and support them in increasing the quality, difficulty, and pace of their work. Develop their ability to tackle increasingly challenging opportunities independently.

• Finance: Create and manage a detailed sub-team budget. Serve as a fiscally responsible steward of Foundation resources. Look for opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining program quality.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Deliver values-based leadership programming for multiple perspectives across the country, through collaborative curriculum design and best-practice alignment.

• Directly manage and coach staff to achieve high-impact performance goals while increasing their independent project management capabilities.

• Manage an inclusive and iterative selection process to recruit a diverse cohort of 50 emerging leaders for the USA program.

• Analyze and strengthen program impact and drive operational improvements through cross-functional collaboration within global leadership teams.

• Establish strategic collaborations with the Obama Presidential Center to integrate campus assets into Leaders USA virtual, hybrid, and in-person programming.

• Execute cross-functional partnerships and produce high-quality communication materials to support organizational alignment, donor development, and operational efficiency.

• Develop a robust network of regional and global institutional partners to facilitate shared strategies and enhance the Foundation's representation across the USA.

• Successfully manage vendor relationships and contracts to ensure the timely delivery of specialized program content and adherence to organizational compliance standards.

• Manage the sub-team budget to optimize resources and reduce costs while maintaining program quality.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in facilitation and curriculum development, including designing engaging virtual and in person learning experiences, delivering training sessions to diverse audiences with a particular focus on participants with a wide breadth of viewpoints from across the USA, and evaluating program effectiveness to drive continuous improvement.

• 4-6 years experience leading or supporting social impact or leadership programs, particularly with members in and across the USA.

• Demonstrated experience developing content for stakeholder engagement and leading high-level virtual and in-person programming in collaboration with multiple partners.

• Strong verbal and written skills, including the ability to foster trusting relationships with program participants of all backgrounds.

• Detail-oriented process-thinker with skills in project management, budget, contract, and relationship management linked to a growing and global network.

The salary range for this role is between $110,000-$118,000.

This is a remote position with preference for candidates located in Chicago. Candidates in other locations are encouraged to apply.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position. Please note that employment in this role is contingent upon continued grant funding and is subject to annual budget reviews.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [e-mail] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.