Director, Growth Initiatives

Summary

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as the Director, Growth Initiatives, and play a key role in expanding JFF's impact as an impact platform. Working closely with the CSIO and executive team, you will develop and execute the organizational growth strategy. This involves leading mergers and acquisitions, developing key partnerships, and identifying new business ventures. You will manage multiple complex projects, mentor internal and external stakeholders, and build JFF's internal capacity to sustain growth initiatives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, and new business ventures, ideally within the education and/or workforce development ecosystem. JFF offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and a flexible work environment.

Requirements

• You bring a wealth of experience in mergers, acquisitions, and execution of new business ventures, ideally within the education and/or workforce development ecosystem
• You have experience directing multiple workstreams and delegating work across various projects to support team and organizational priorities
• You have a track record of success with operationalizing new and bold ideas, bringing clarity to ambiguous situations by taking in multiple inputs at the same time, evaluating the choices on the table, and charting a path forward
• You have experience leading change management efforts, including success in helping teams, functions, and organizations navigate transformative change and growth
• You have led complex strategic planning processes including designing, implementing and evaluating new initiatives and can positively impact both strategic and tactical work
• You possess comfort and facility in exercising influence without authority and know how to effectively engage, motivate, and communicate with cross-organizational teams and external partners
• You are analytical, highly organized, and proactively problem-solve in the face of challenges or changing priorities; You thrive at managing up, asking questions, and raising concerns
• You have the ability to take initiative and are comfortable working independently and as a team player who can productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside your organization
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission; ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work
• You model inclusive leadership, working effectively with staff, and building and stewarding an organizational culture that embraces belonging and well-being
• You build positive, effective, collaborative cultures and teams wherever you work
• You are a curious and adaptive learner, with a willingness to take in new information, perspectives and data to inform your work
• You demonstrate a growth mindset and a desire to continuously improve in your work and approach
• You are willing to travel on occasion; The frequency will vary according to mix of projects

Responsibilities

• Deliver impactful results through effective project leadership & relationship management
• Partner with the CSIO, CEO, and other senior leaders to develop, lead, and monitor new initiatives that enable expansion and increased impact
• Lead cross-organizational teams executing multiple, concurrent high-profile, strategic growth initiatives with new partners or coalitions, with accountability for high quality deliverables and timely results
• Ensure the success of multiple complex projects by providing mentorship, direct feedback, thought partnership, and coaching to internal and external stakeholders
• Contribute to business and partnership development through design and scoping, proposal development, relationship management, and opportunity pursuit in keeping with JFF’s strategic priorities
• Build JFF’s internal capacity (systems, teams, and skillsets) to institutionalize, sustain and scale growth initiatives, handing off projects and opportunities over time to new leadership within program units or JFFLabs
• Collaborate with colleagues to address organizational changes needed to support successful implementation of new initiatives, including structures, processes, and systems
• Troubleshoot complex challenges that arise during implementation efforts
• Partner with the Marketing and Communications team to leverage JFF platforms and networks to make sure our deal/parentships announcements build JFF’s influence in the ecosystem as a trusted and innovative partner
• Prepare proposals, reports, and presentations to advance and accelerate JFF’s impact
• Lead and direct bold growth strategy development and execution
• Lead portfolios of work centered around mergers, acquisitions, and execution of new business ventures
• Set a vision and strategy for organizational growth aligned to the North Star goal, impact framework, strategic plan, and revenue goals for JFF – in partnership with CSIO, S&I team, and Executive Team
• Anticipate and monitor trends and events in the broader workforce, education, tech, and corporate space
• Based on market insights, support the identification, exploration, and execution of new business ventures or operating models for the organization, including issues related to structure, funding, and mission-alignment
• Partner with the operations, finance, program, and people teams to support the overall alignment of capabilities and capacity to the strategy
• Lead the development and maintenance of key external partnerships on behalf of and as directed by the CSIO
• Drive revenue and growth by enabling us to close deals/partnerships to meet JFF's impact and revenue goals

Preferred Qualifications

New hires at the Director II level at JFF typically bring 12+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions

Benefits

• Gratifying work experience
• Competitive salaries
• Comprehensive benefits program
• Flexibility
• Choice
• JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote
• Annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees
• New employees receive office equipment as needed