Vice President. Barr Foundation. Position Description. Winter 2016

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1 Vice President Barr Foundation Position Description Winter 2016

2 THE ORGANIZATION: Based in Boston, the Barr Foundation seeks to invest in human, natural and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. With assets of $1.6 billion, Barr is among the largest private foundations in New England and has contributed more than $710 million to charitable causes since With the arrival of a new President and the active engagement of the founding trustees, the Foundation has engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning effort, resulting in an updated mission, the articulation of core values and Barr s approach to philanthropy, and revised strategies for Barr s programs in Arts & Creativity, Climate, and Education. Barr will also be adopting a more regional approach going forward, by focusing both on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and across New England; the Foundation also intends to engage in a selective way in national initiatives aligned with its program strategies. Across all of its programs, Barr seeks to work in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts and culture for vibrant, vital, and engaged communities; advance solutions for climate change; and expand educational opportunity. Barr is currently governed by three trustees: the co-founders of the Foundation and its president. Over time, the board will grow and governance will be shared with others, as the Foundation continues its evolution from a family foundation to a legacy foundation that will ultimately be governed by a majority of non-family members. As part of this transition, and in an effort to provide clarity and direction to future trustees, the cofounders articulated a set of core values that they hope will guide Barr s work well into the future: Strive for excellence: We aim for the highest standards of performance, integrity, and service in all dimensions of our work. Invest in leaders: We support effective, visionary, and collaborative leaders, as they motivate others, drive change, and produce results. Act with humility and modesty: We approach our activities with respect for our partners, an understanding that solutions reside with those we serve, and recognition of the privilege inherent in philanthropic work. Adopt a long-term perspective: We take the long view, considering the implications of today s decisions for future generations. Embrace risk: We pursue ambitious goals, which requires a comfort with the risk of failure. Demonstrate curiosity: We actively solicit new perspectives to inform our work and are committed to collaboration and partnership. For more information on the Barr Foundation, please visit: Barr Foundation, Vice President: page 2

3 THE OPPORTUNITY: The Foundation recently completed strategic planning and the focus now shifts to the thoughtful execution of these ambitious and bold plans. As we do so, and recognizing that these plans will continue to be refined as we learn, the Foundation is seeking a Vice President (VP) a new role at the Foundation to lead in the execution and ongoing shaping of Barr s plans. As Barr enters a period of anticipated growth and expansion in the years ahead, the VP will play a pivotal role in partnering with the President and the trustees in maximizing the impact of the Foundation and leading Barr through this next stage of its evolution. This is an exciting and compelling opportunity for a senior-level professional eager to apply his/her talents and skills to shaping a new, high-impact leadership role to support the ongoing development of a significant legacy foundation. THE ROLE: Reports to: Jim Canales, President and Trustee Location: Boston, MA Direct Reports: Four program leads for the core programs of Arts & Creativity, Climate, and Education; the Director of Operations; and the Director of Evaluation (to be hired by the new Vice President) The Vice President will play a pivotal role in Barr s success and achievement of its mission and will work closely with the president to provide overall organizational leadership. S/he will: partner with the president, program and communications teams to develop and refine strategies as well as to ensure the effective translation of Barr s articulated vision into reality; manage and mentor senior colleagues responsible for programs and operations; enhance internal communications and the deepening of an active learning culture; build an evaluation and assessment function; identify opportunities for streamlining processes and creating efficiencies; drive talent development; and ensure coordination with Barr s affiliated family office colleagues who support finance, human resources and information technology. In the president s absence, the VP will serve in his stead. Specific areas of focus are: Program Strategy Engage substantively with the trustees, president, and program leaders to further shape Barr s program strategies Ensure that each program s vision translates into a holistic portfolio of initiatives and grants that further Barr s mission In partnership with the Director of Communications, support the targeted, strategic integration of communications to advance Barr s programmatic objectives Barr Foundation, Vice President: page 3

4 Team Management and Organizational Effectiveness Drive a collaborative process for the development of organizational budgets and measurable goals Translate organizational goals into individual priorities; clarify objectives, accountability and alignment across the program and operations teams Coordinate internal communications, meeting structures and effective information exchange Identify opportunities that leverage cross-organizational strengths; simultaneously review and clarify competing needs With a macro view of annual activities, identify opportunities to create efficiencies, streamline deadlines and balance organizational workflow (grant cycle, reviews) with individual workflows Partner with Barr s operations and grants management teams, and the affiliated family office teams in finance, human resources and information technology, to ensure financial planning, budgeting, and all functional supports are optimized to meet programmatic goals Identify, address, and resolve any barriers to effective program delivery Learning and Evaluation Measure, on an ongoing basis, programmatic progress against articulated strategies Recruit and mentor a head of learning and evaluation Support the development of tools that allow Barr to learn from, and improve through, its programmatic work; ensure the integration of that learning into program strategies moving forward In partnership with the Directors of Communication and Evaluation, ensure that we are documenting what we are learning and sharing it effectively with multiple audiences through our various channels Talent Development and Culture Attract, develop and mentor team members and help them to achieve desired level of performance Authentically integrate Barr s core values into every aspect of organizational culture Drive an effective performance management process that values each individual s contributions Develop professional development plans and career paths for program and operations teams Grantmaking Lead the Special Initiatives portfolio for Barr, building partnerships and identifying grantmaking opportunities focused in three key areas: research, leadership and effective philanthropy Ensure that all Special Initiatives grant investments and grantmaking criteria align clearly to reinforce and accelerate outcomes within all of Barr s core programs (Arts & Creativity, Climate, and Education) Barr Foundation, Vice President: page 4

5 QUALIFICATIONS: This is a compelling opportunity for a proven leader and manager with a strong track record of success in: building and mentoring effective teams; creating a positive performance culture through the setting of clear priorities; and guiding thoughtful investment in people and systems in a growth environment. Qualifications include: Fifteen or more years of senior leadership experience within social sector or philanthropic organizations, with demonstrated results in driving the execution of ambitious strategies Track record of building, supporting and facilitating teams, including demonstrated success as an effective coach and mentor to staff Deep analytic and problem-solving aptitude, balanced with humanity and the humility to know that he/she does not have all the answers Creative and inquisitive, open to addressing challenges in new ways Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to digest and distill complex subject matter into easily understood and well communicated language A personal style characterized by humility, self-awareness, warmth and accessibility, in the context of holding oneself and others to high performance standards Deep personal commitment to social impact and, ideally, at least one of Barr s core program areas A Bachelor s degree is required, and advanced degree preferred The Barr Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search. For more information, please contact Kathleen Yazbak and Babette Meyer at (508) or apply@viewcrestadvisors.com Barr Foundation, Vice President: page 5