Managing Director, AI for Impact

Robin-Hood-Foundation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Robin Hood in New York seeks a Managing Director, AI for Impact to lead the organization's AI strategy and translate it into scalable programs. The role demands strong AI fluency and a record of technology product leadership, with the ability to align innovation with social impact.

Reporting to the Chief Program & Impact Officer, you will strengthen AI grantmaking, build partnerships, and oversee Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood, shaping investments that advance economic mobility.

Qualifications

• Strong AI fluency and experience leading AI-driven initiatives.
• Proven track record in technology product leadership and strategy.
• Experience guiding complex organizations and grantmaking.

Responsibilities

• Lead Robin Hood's AI for Impact strategy and set long-term direction.
• Oversee Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood and align funding with impact.
• Build partnerships with funders and stakeholders to source opportunities.
• Advise senior leadership on principled AI adoption and risk management.

Skills

AI strategy

Technology product leadership

Job description

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Managing Director, AI for Impact

Regular Full-Time Senior Management New York, NY, US

4 days ago Requisition ID: 1119

Salary Range: $190,000.00 To $240,000.00 Annually

About Robin Hood

Founded in 1988, Robin Hood is a 501(c)(3) public charity that finds, fuels, and creates the most impactful and scalable solutions lifting New Yorkers permanently out of poverty in New York City. We convene philanthropists, civil society organizations, government, businesses, nonprofits, community members, and those living in poverty to develop and advance programs and policies that can make the American Dream real here in New York City.

Our investments include best-in-class organizations providing legal services, housing, meals, workforce development training, childcare, education, and other vital services that give New Yorkers the tools to build better lives. The programs it funds are often the first of their kind and serve as demonstration models to identify what works before being replicated in other cities. Because our Board of Directors covers 100% of all administrative, fundraising, and evaluation costs, every dollar donated goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.

While Robin Hood's primary focus is on New York, its impact extends far beyond the borders of the city. Its pioneering, metrics-based approach has become the gold standard for charities around the nation as Robin Hood works to understand and evaluate the impact of its partners to ensure that its philanthropic dollars are utilized to maximum impact. Robin Hood also supports its community partners and their leaders with financial and strategic support and management assistance that allows those organizations to maximize their impact.

Robin Hood also understands that if we are to support families living in poverty on the path towards financial independence, we must become an effective partner with government. We do this by collaborating with government partners to build program and policy innovations that hold the promise of expanding economic opportunity in New York City - providing nimble risk capital for high-potential strategies. We also work to advance public policies that research tells us expand economic opportunity. In this way, we seek to leverage our philanthropic investments by finding ways to advance the highest-impact strategies at scale.

Robin Hood has the unique ability to be a catalyzing force for those living in poverty, bringing distinct constituencies together to develop and spread the most effective strategies to advance economic mobility in New York City and beyond.

Our Approach:

• Focusing on Results: We invest in best-in-class organizations operating effective programs. We fund research to understand how poverty persists and what strategies are effective in fighting it. And we track grant outcomes and apply cost/benefit analyses to ensure every dollar we invest demonstrably improves the lives of low-income New Yorkers.
• Building Institutions that Transform New York City: We offer management advice, strategic real estate consulting, board placement services, financial and communications coaching, leadership development, and other technical assistance to help our partners increase scale and impact.
• Driving Innovation to Solve Unmet Needs: We invest in new leaders, new organizations, and new ideas that have groundbreaking potential.
• Scaling What Works: We partner with government and other funders to grow proven solutions in New York City and beyond, so more people benefit from investments that work.

Position Overview

The Managing Director, AI for Impact is a new position for the organization, established to drive Robin Hood's AI for impact strategy. Applied thoughtfully, AI can accelerate new solutions and scale effective approaches across domains, including education, health, access to resources and supports, skills training, and more. At the same time, AI presents significant risks: without purposeful intention, it could deepen inequality, entrench disadvantage, and undermine upward mobility.

The Managing Director, AI for Impact will lead Robin Hood's efforts to realize AI's positive potential, with a clear understanding of its risks and a sustained focus on delivering meaningful impact in New York City and beyond. This is a role for someone with strong AI fluency and technology product experience who can identify big picture strategic opportunities and bring judgement about what makes technology projects succeed or fail.

Reporting to the Chief Program & Impact Officer, the Managing Director, AI for Impact is responsible for strengthening our AI-specific grantmaking, building the partnerships and relationships that help source funding opportunities, and expanding Robin Hood’s contributions to the field of AI and upward economic mobility. Internally, the role serves as a senior advisor on AI strategy, working closely with other organizational leaders, including the Chief Financial & Operations Officer, to ensure a consistent, principled approach in our AI adoption and application. The Managing Director, AI for Impact will directly oversee Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood, an internal venture studio and funding vehicle for tech-enabled solutions that address poverty