Portfolio Director, Raymond John Wean Foundation

Portfolio Director

The Portfolio Director is directly responsible for developing and managing the scanning, planning, coordination and implementation efforts associated with each of our high priority areas of investment: Early Childhood, Educational Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Community Revitalization, and Public and Civic Sector Leadership. This position requires an individual adept at actively managing a grant portfolio within a high priority area, as well as coordinating across these priority areas to engender cross-sectoral coordination and achieve maximum impact.

The Portfolio Director position is responsible for the research and development, design and launch of new Foundation initiatives that will make up this network-impact program. This strategic grantmaking approach presents significant (up to $500,000 annually) and long-term (up to five years) investments cultivating or, as necessary, creating a vibrant and powerful network of organizations and/or individuals working in common cause across sectors to achieve collective impact in each of the Foundation’s five priority issues.

More specifically, the Portfolio Director is responsible for:

• Facilitating the strategic and systematic thinking and planning associated with each high priority area of investment that take the form of new Foundation initiatives. This includes convening and staffing local, and as appropriate national, advisory panels to guide the scanning, planning and implementation of high priority investments.
• Engaging the community in thinking through and participating in the design, launch and implementation of these initiatives.
• Deepening relationships with key partners and cultivating new relationships to expand the Foundation’s network and partners (media, academia, practitioners, policy makers, etc.).
• Leading and supervising the review of local, state and national data on the issue/population of interest to inform the planning work.
• Building professional and resource-related relationships externally with government and other nonprofit and philanthropic partners to leverage resources and maximize purpose and strategy-related benefits & efficiencies in particular as those resources relate to our high priority areas of interest and investment.
• Contributing to a healthy work environment that encourages cooperation, communications, problem-solving, dialogue and respect.
• Developing multi-year budgets for each high priority area of investment reflective of priorities, available resources, board and chief executive perspective and desired impact.
• Tracking, analyzing & recommending actions related to key trends on issues of high interest and priority.
• Managing special projects as assigned by the President.

This position reports to the Foundation’s President, and the Portfolio Director will share management responsibilities for administrative staff that reports to him/her part of the time. The Foundation currently has five staff members and, including this position, is growing to seven staff. Each staff member has a clear area of responsibility, and the Foundation’s expectation is that staff will work as a team in support of and in good communication with one another.

Performance Objectives

Within her or his first 90 days, the Portfolio Director will work with the President to articulate performance objectives. These objectives will outline how the design of the network-impact program will be completed, how the program will be implemented, and how progress in meeting those objectives will be assessed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The ideal Portfolio Director candidate should be a seasoned professional in a field of practice with an issue-based orientation. He/she needs to be able to examine a field of practice and program, and identify what is missing and what would improve the potential for impact on those issues. Such a candidate should also be a creative self-starter who works collaboratively with all in the community, and has a blend of the following:

• Prior successful experience working with or in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector - developing and implementing strategies and programs, including plans to accomplish explicit goals and objectives.
• A minimum of 10+ years utilizing a variety of funding and investment strategies to address seemingly intractable community issues. Strong project and budgeting-related financial knowledge.
• Tact, diplomacy and cultural sensitivity, with a demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of networks – from church basements to board rooms – and an ability to meet people where they are.
• Entrepreneurial, and energetic, with a positive, aspirational outlook on community development work. Demonstrates initiative, autonomy (when appropriate) and drive.
• Able to bring simplicity to complexity. Able to quickly grasp details pertaining to highly complex social issues. Passion for understanding and seeking solutions to critical social problems.
• Passion for and/or experience in at least two of our high priority areas. Possesses intellectual curiosity and dedication to lifelong learning.
• To increase the capacity of the talented Wean Foundation staff, this person must have experience hiring, managing and supervising consultants.
• Experience designing and implementing programs and initiatives.
• Experience convening, managing and/or staffing advisory committees including boards.
• Experience managing multiple tasks, resolving conflicts and developing processes for operationalizing goals. Can manage tactical implementation with risk taking and ambiguity.
• Strong analytic, oral and written communications and organizing skills.
• Must currently (or shortly after accepting the position) reside in the Mahoning Valley
• Possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, Master’s degree preferred

COMPENSATION

This exempt, salaried position has an attractive compensation and benefits package consistent with Director level roles in foundations of similar size, scope, and scale. The benefits package is comprised of medical, dental, vision, retirement and vacation time as well as other benefits, including a supportive work environment and free parking.

Application Instructions

For complete details and how to apply, please visit http://www.deweykaye.com/jobswatch.

Candidates must submit materials no later than Monday, May 21, 2012.

Please direct all inquiries related to this position to Dewey & Kaye.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is dedicated to creating and supporting a diverse workplace, and the Foundation encourages applications from minority candidates.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer