Director, Intentional Design

Jobtailor; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ACLS is seeking a strategic leader to design, implement, and guide IDEA initiatives, broadening perspectives in American academia and supporting underinvested scholarly communities. You will manage a seven-person team, steward the IDEA budget, and collaborate across Communications, Development, Finance, and other ACLS units.

The role requires a PhD in humanities or social sciences and at least six years of leadership in nonprofit settings, with proven fundraising and DEI commitments.

Qualifications

• PhD in humanities or social sciences.
• 6+ years in management or nonprofit administration.
• Expertise in academic policy, hiring and tenure processes.
• Fundraising experience from foundations or donors.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to manage multiple long- and short-term initiatives.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and strategic thinking.
• Experience with relational databases (MS Dynamics CRM) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and implementation of new IDEA initiatives.
• Shape ACLS’s next phase of work broadening perspectives in American academia and supporting underinvested scholarly communities.
• Manage and mentor a high-performing team of seven staff.
• Cultivate new partnerships in philanthropy and academia.
• Design and lead initiatives with meaningful impact for scholars, learned societies, and higher-education institutions.
• Oversee the IDEA budget and operations.
• Coordinate activities with Communications, Development, Finance, and other ACLS units.
• Work with the President and Chief Development Officer to secure funding.

Skills

Strategic fundraising

Team leadership

Partnership development

Budget management

Project management

Communication & presentation

Diversity, equity & inclusion

Education

PhD in humanities or social sciences

Tools

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Job description

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of new IDEA initiatives
• Shape ACLS’s next phase of work broadening perspectives in American academia and supporting underinvested scholarly communities
• Manage and mentor a high-performing team of seven staff
• Cultivate new partnerships in philanthropy and academia
• Design and lead initiatives with meaningful impact for scholars, learned societies, higher-education institutions, and thought leaders
• Oversee the IDEA budget and operations
• Coordinate activities with Communications, Development, Finance, and other ACLS units
• Work with the President and Chief Development Officer to secure funding
• Maintain relationships with foundation partners and funders
• Propose and conduct travel for relationship cultivation
• Represent IDEA to the ACLS Board, constituencies, funders, and other groups
• Author or co-author reports
• Speak in external settings and present at selected convenings and conferences

Requirements

• PhD in the humanities or social sciences
• At least 6 years of management/administrative experience, such as department or program chair, center director, associate dean, dean, or comparable nonprofit responsibility
• Expertise in academic policy and culture, including hiring and tenure processes, undergraduate and/or graduate education reform, academic leadership cultivation, and diversity initiatives
• Experience fundraising from philanthropic foundations or individual donors
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration, relationship-building, diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to multitask and prioritize long-term projects and short-term assignments in a deadline-driven environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Analytical and creative problem-solving capacity
• Understanding of the relationship between strategy and operations and respect for operational expertise
• Willingness to adapt to nonprofit office norms
• Ability to take initiative, respond nimbly, and maintain adaptive leadership in a fast-changing policy and funding landscape
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel
• Must live within commuting distance of New York City
• Some travel required
• Must secure at least three years of unpaid leave, with possibility of leave renewal, if serving faculty
• Experience with relational databases such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM preferred
• Experience with Mellon Mays programs a plus
• Experience with grants management a plus

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in academic policy and culture, with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Proven ability to lead teams, manage budgets, and cultivate partnerships in philanthropy and academia while effectively communicating and presenting to diverse audiences.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• PhD In Humanities Or Social Sciences
• Management/Administrative Experience
• Fundraising From Philanthropic Foundations
• Expertise In Academic Policy And Culture
• Proficiency In Microsoft Office

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Budget Management
• Grants Management
• Relationship Cultivation
• Report Writing
• Project Management

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Analytical Problem-Solving
• Creative Problem-Solving
• Collaboration
• Adaptability

Industry Keywords

• Diversity Initiatives
• Higher-Education Institutions
• Philanthropy
• ACLS
• Mellon Mays Programs

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM