Arena Careers

Founded in 2015 by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal expands opportunity and equality for all people through high-impact investments, philanthropy, partnerships, and advocacy. We accelerate social progress by removing barriers that hold people back.

We strive to be creative and innovative in our work and flexible in the approach we take to solving problems. To date, we have invested in over 150 organizations, including nonprofits, private sector companies, venture funds, and advocacy groups that are on the frontlines of the issues we work on. Some areas we currently focus on: women in technology and innovation; women in public office; women and girls of color; adolescent mental health; paid family and medical leave; and caregiving.

Inspired by our founder, we reach across communities and sectors to bring together changemakers who can scale up proven ideas and catalyze new ones. We learn from their experiences, amplify their resources, then step back so they can lead.

Our impatience with the status quo is fueled by an optimism that progress is always possible.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

The Senior Program Strategy Manager team is responsible for strategy development; managing large-scale, high-priority, and cross-organization projects with the goals of ensuring effective decision making, driving cross-team collaboration, and effectively implementing in order to drive impact at scale; managing the rhythm of business and strategic vision for the Program Leadership Team; and providing support and leadership to help the Program Team maximize its impact.  This role provides critical counsel and support to the VP of Program Strategy and Program Leadership Team to advance priorities within the team and across the organization.

This is a Limited Term Employee (LTE) position and is expected to have a duration of 3 years. This means that, absent some change the position will end within that timeframe as defined in the offer letter

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy development:

• Partner with VP of Program Strategy (“VP”)to explore new areas/issues for Pivotal’s programmatic work; this includes:Research to understand the scope, key issues, barriers, and solutions. Landscaping to understand other players in the space (funders, major organizations, leaders). Exploratory conversations with external experts to understand new areas (both inbound and proactive, as needed). Analyzing and synthesizing insights (quantitative and qualitative), key learnings, and recommendations for various audiences and purposes. Being the interim “expert” on various topics throughout the strategy development phase.

• Partner with the VP and Program Leadership Team (“PLT”) to shape how we do our work / impact modelsThink end-to-end about how we do our work, including what modalities and tools we use and what guardrails/guidance exists for how we do that work. Put together resources and guidance for the team as the thinking evolves. Shaping our cross-org engagement models in service of our impact.

• Partner with the VP to lead other high-priority strategic initiatives based on evolving priorities of the organization.

• Across all strategic work, effectively manage projects/processes to meet internal timelines and ensure key partners are engaged appropriately (in alignment with below).

• Provide ongoing advice, counsel, and support to the VP to enable effective decision making and maximize impact.

Project Management:

• Directly manage and set direction for high-stakes, complex projects that cut across the Program Team (“team”) and the organization, including:Effectively engaging key cross-team and cross-org team members and external partners in alignment with project goal, including running processes to select external consultants/partners and managing them as needed.

• Independently figuring out methods / procedures and developing work plans for projects, ensuring they are completed successfully and in alignment with timing and budget.

• Provide project management support for impact-related cross-org working groups, managing the workflow, effectively running cross-org meetings, synthesizing inputs and leading decision-making processes, managing key deliverables, and coordination across workstreams.

• Make decisions and develop resources/guidance that shape team operations and practices.

• Project manage and develop strategic approaches for key priorities for the team, as directed by the VP.

• Lead and make independent decisions on projects for the VP, as appropriate, in cases acting as a proxy.

High impact member of the Program Team and partner to the VP:

• Manage PLT activities including: setting meeting agendas; teeing up issues for decisions; designing offsite goals and agendas; facilitating meetings/offsites and strategy sessions; and managing workflow, decision-making, and approvals and advise on governance and effectiveness.
• Develop and manage PLT rhythm of the business, synchronizing projects across the team, developing tools to track progress, and ensuring regular check-ins enabling teams to prioritize work, strategically weigh in and make critical decisions about key moments throughout the year.
• Advance key leadership priorities within the Program Leadership Team and on behalf of the VP to drive Pivotal’s strategic work
• Provide flexible capacity to lean in on high-priority cross-organization projects and fill in gaps on the team to ensure we can continue to achieve impact goals as team structure and needs evolve.
• Evaluate and triage in-bound requests from principal, ELT, PLT, and other key internal and external partners, whether responding directly or passing to the members of the Program Team with an eye toward impact and saving team time.
• Develop briefing documents, and other materials for high priority Program Team engagement opportunities and messaging for external speaking events.
• Develop and implement tools and ways of working to cultivate collaboration and improve cross-team communication.
• Be a thought partner, collaborator, and mentor to colleagues to help set the team up for success, especially as it relates to cross-org or cross-team projects.
• Meaningfully advance the work of the team and organization across key areas, building positive relationships to influence outcomes, coach others, and maintain momentum of key initiatives.
• Apply a racial and gender equity lens to across all work and ensure equity is considered in process improvement efforts.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or behavior required to be successful in this role.

• Ability to keep a strategic perspective and identify issues, bring relevant and innovative solutions and adapt quickly to obstacles. Analytical and strategic thinker and problem solver with ability to parse and distill complex information and evaluate intangibles in decision making with a high level of attention to detail and accuracy in work product.
• Ability to quickly learn about new topics, synthesize learnings, and communicate about them in a data-informed way, while maintaining a learning posture, humble disposition, and ability to acknowledge own limitations and expertise with resolve.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, as well as presentation skills, including expertise in executive communications, ability to communicate respectfully, candidly and skilled in developing memos, strategy documents and presentations.
• Skilled at working with senior leaders across an organization, senior leadership teams, and external consulting teams, providing a high level of service.
• Excellent technical and data analysis skills, including strong quantitative data analysis skills, pulling insights from data, and synthesizing mass quantities of research rapidly.
• Deep listening skills accompanied by empathy; ability to resolve sensitive problems of a strategic or complex nature respecting diverse perspectives and fostering team belonging and equity..
• Acts professionally, ethically with sound judgment in decision-making and discretion with confidential matters and sensitive information.
• Able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, prioritizing effectively, driving high quality work forward efficiently and completing in a timely manner.
• An ease with ambiguity, white space and patience in difficult circumstances.
• Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.
• Sense of humor essential.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10-15 years of directly relevant professional experience, including 7+ years of senior project management experience.
• Deep experience working in and on social progress, including experience and expertise in philanthropy and program areas related to gender equity.
• Experience acting as a strategic advisor and thought partner to senior-level leaders (experience working in consulting/business preferred).
• Track record of successfully owning, managing, and making decisions on high-stakes, complex, cross-org projects, with extended timelines, significant budgets, and complex stakeholder management with the objective of advancing org-wide priorities.
• Track record of quantitative skills for data analysis and experience setting, analyzing, and managing significant budgets.
• Experience working on complex problems and collaboratively crafting innovative solutions that have the potential for transformational change in the lives of people around the world.
• Knowledge and direct experience with strategy development, grant making and management, and relationship/ stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of best practices in philanthropy, social impact, project management, and change management.
• Track record of successful making decisions that shape policies and practices.
• Experience working with and on behalf of senior leadership.
• Deep knowledge of and deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices and issues and willingness to continuously learn and grow in this area.
• Willingness to travel for work related priorities, team engagement, and events.

Base annual compensation range for this role is from $202,200.00 - $216,300.00. Remote may be considered for exceptionally qualified US-based candidates in certain geographic locations who are willing to travel.

This is a Limited Term Employee (LTE) position and is expected to have a duration of 3 years. This means that, absent some change the position will end within that timeframe as defined in the offer letter. The limited duration of the position does not alter the at-will nature of the position or work at Pivotal Ventures.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability and long-term care insurance, fertility benefit, backup caregiving solution, 144 hours of vacation, 96 hours of sick leave, 401k, HSA, FSA, discretionary annual target performance bonus and more.

Pivotal values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants seeking employment. All employment decisions at Pivotal are based on the candidate’s or employee’s capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran, military, or marital status, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please contact peopleandculture@pivotalventures.org.