Director of Strategy, Learning and Impact Search conducted by: waldronhr.com
About Humanity United Humanity United is a foundation dedicated to bringing new approaches to global problems that have long been considered intractable. The foundation builds, leads, and supports efforts to change the systems that contribute to problems like human trafficking, mass atrocities, and violent conflict. HU is part of the Omidyar Group, which represents the philanthropic, personal, and professional interests of the Omidyar family. To learn more about the foundation, please visit its website here. The Position & Key Priorities In this newly formed position, the Director of Strategy, Learning and Impact will focus on strategy, analytics, research, results measurement, and learning. Success for this position will mean that the Foundation s strategies create measurable, sustainable social change and that Humanity United becomes a best-in-class learning organization that consistently learns from its failures as well as its successes. This is a truly unique and exciting opportunity to join a team and organization at the cutting edge of philanthropy and learning. This role will report to and support the Head of Strategy, Learning and Impact in the provision of strategic analysis and advice into the development and implementation of the Foundation s strategic initiatives. The Director will also be responsible for collaborating with, and learning from, other organizations in the broader family of Omidyar Group entities, with respect to strategy, learning, and impact matters.
The Position & Key Priorities cont. In addition, the role will oversee (in collaboration with the Foundation s program investment teams and learning and impact staff) the design and implementation of a new learning model for Humanity United that covers organizational, initiative, and individual-level learning. The learning model will enable Humanity United to understand and evaluate both immediate programmatic impacts and how those impacts contribute to sustainable systems-level social change. Strategy: Support the continued development of a systems-based framework and approach for Humanity United s strategic planning. Create an integrated cycle of planning, monitoring and evaluating, learning, and adaptation across the organization. Facilitate and coordinate the review of, and updates to, Humanity United s overall strategy, including recommendations on developing new programs and/or modifying current ones. Prepare summaries of Humanity United s strategy to help instill clarity internally and coordinate communication efforts for that purpose. Provide support and oversight to the Investments staff who are embedded in various program areas, which includes assisting at the country-level with designing evaluation strategies and tools, data collection, verification, analysis, and reporting. Provide strategic analysis and recommendations to support Board and executive management s decision-making and resolution of strategic issues. In partnership with the Learning and Impact staff, develop relevant policies and procedures pertaining to strategic planning, learning, and impact. Reflect the direction and learnings of the broader Omidyar Group of organizations, which are representative of the interests of Humanity United s founders, in developing the Foundation s strategies. Partner with the communications team to ensure that accurate and compelling data is integrated into key communications messages.
The Position & Key Priorities cont. Learning: Manage Strategy, Learning and Impact strategies, practices, activities, and staff in a way that results in improved impact. Oversee with Learning and Impact staff the development of a learning model for Humanity United that identifies and instills capabilities and processes that will enable the Foundation to become a best-in-class learning organization. Support the learning processes and capacity of Humanity United s partners, including grantees and co-funders with Learning and Impact staff. Support and respond to the learning needs of Humanity United s staff as they relate to creating an enabling environment for the Foundation s work. Instill capabilities, processes, and pathways internally to ensure learning this includes the use of cutting edge research to keep abreast of trends and innovations, in order to provide strategic feedback and course correct to the Foundation s strategic trajectory. Build internal alignment, capacity, and support for the next stage of our evolving learning, knowledge management and sharing, and evaluation approaches. Promote a culture of reflection, learning, and data-based decision making. Impact: Lead efforts to analyze and measure Humanity United s impact, innovation, and influence within the systems in which it operates, including working with and learning from the Foundation s founders and its sibling organizations in the Omidyar Group. Develop, implement, and manage internal systems for conducting ongoing outcomes measurement and assessment. Consolidate all current tools and practices for measuring impact to ensure cohesive, consistent, high quality data collection and analysis. Provide assistance and support to grantees to help strengthen their capacity to practice integrated planning, learning, and evaluation. Summarize and report impact of grants on recipients and communities against overall program goals. Develop and implement monitoring, reporting, and compliance training for staff, including building core competencies of learning and impact for staff through training. Contribute to strong evaluation and impact planning perspectives to all strategy development, grantmaking and initiative reviews, and application discussions.
The Ideal Candidate Humanity United seeks a Director of Strategy, Learning and Impact who can be a nimble, cuttingedge, yet practical strategist to support building the organization s systems-based approach for its programming. Working closely with leadership and cross functionally, this position will support a thoughtful, balanced, and long-term view of strategy for the Foundation. A veritable thought partner, this individual will work collaboratively with organizational leadership to help guide its strategic pursuits coupled with deploying a system of learning and measurement so that Humanity United can continue to evolve into a leading philanthropy. The ideal candidate will bring an analytical mindset to create rigorous tactics and systems to execute on an ambitious international agenda. The Director must have a proven track record of performance measurement with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, tool design, and validation. Key to success in this position is the ability to take learnings and convert them into actionable strategies that support the overall work and mission of Humanity United. The Director will work with staff across the organization and must understand how to build relationships in order to be seen as a trusted and credible advisor, while also being adept at managing up and through influence. As such, the ideal candidate will bring a sense of humility to this work, seeking to understand, listen, and leverage the knowledge and expertise of others. Oftentimes representing and standing in for the Head of Strategy, Learning and Impact, the Director will need to bring a strategic lens to the work and understand how to apply that to various content areas. Humanity United works on issues that can change unpredictably, which inherently requires a high degree of flexibility and willingness to work in an ambiguous environment. The ideal candidate will need to possess an ability to adapt to changing priorities, strategic frameworks, and definitions of success. A proven track record in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments is a must. This role not only provides the opportunity to lead strategy work within Humanity United, but to also play a pivotal role in furthering learning and strategy in the philanthropic world as a thought partner in the communities of practice within the Omidyar Group. Candidates must be passionate about Humanity United s mission and values, and have demonstrated success in the international social impact sector. A cultural competence to work with colleagues and partners across the globe is essential.
Minimum Qualifications A minimum of ten years of post-graduate experience as a strategy professional, with at least five years leading a strategy function is required. Applicants must also have at least seven years of demonstrated experience as a collaborative manager, overseeing both people and processes. Candidates must also possess an advanced degree; an MBA and/or PhD is preferred. Experience in the human rights, peacebuilding, or comparable fields is highly desirable. A background in assessment related specifically to impact investing is a plus. This position is based in San Francisco, CA and requires an ability and willingness to travel both domestically and internationally, as needed. To Be Considered Humanity United is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To be considered, please go to http://candidateportal.waldronhr.com and submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission and fit for the role. The search for a Director of Strategy, Learning and Impact is being assisted by a team from Waldron: Jeff Waldron, Managing Director Direct: 415.529.2150 Jeff@waldronhr.com Alison Kaneko, Search Director Direct: 415.678.5001 Alison@waldronhr.com Mary Pelleriti, Engagement Manager, Executive Search Direct: 415.529.2057 Mary@waldronhr.com Ximena Ospina, Associate, Executive Search Direct: 415.529.2261 Ximena@waldronhr.com
Waldron is honored to work with Humanity United in the search for a Director of Strategy, Learning and Impact. Humanity United does amazing work, and we are doing our best to recruit a talented team member who will accelerate this mission. As the consulting partner strategic leaders choose to help attract, engage, and inspire effective leaders, Waldron provides a unique combination of executive search, leadership development, and career transition services across sectors and industries. Our passion is helping people and organizations realize their full potential and increase their impact. Seattle Portland San Francisco waldronhr.com