Senior Strategist - Organizational Learning & Knowledge Management

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Strategist – Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management is a direct report and key advisor to the Chief Transformation Officer and a member of the leadership team for the Office of Equity, Strategy, and Learning (OESL). The Senior Strategist is responsible for developing and improving organization-wide systems and practices that foster a culture of collective learning, knowledge sharing, and adaptation to achieve organizational goals. The Senior Strategist also contributes to organization-wide change processes for priority-setting, improving organizational culture, and strengthening organizational competencies critical for advancing First 5 LA’s systems change work.

The successful candidate will demonstrate successful leadership in advancing collective learning and knowledge sharing in large-scale, multi-stakeholder efforts within an organization or programmatic investment and will exhibit adaptive leadership, systems thinking, change management, communication, and people management skills. The individual must possess a high level of emotional intelligence to cultivate and maintain trusting relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and partners.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Strategist is expected to exemplify the organizational values of collaboration, integrity, learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the execution of their key areas of responsibility:

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management
• Strategic Planning, Prioritization, and Strategy Refinement
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Organizational Culture
• Office Operations

Essential Duties:  

Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management

• Works in partnership with Human Resource and Talent Management (HRTM) and other Senior Strategists in OESL to identify the knowledge and capabilities needed to achieve operational effectiveness and advance First 5 LA’s systems change work
• Works with the Chief Transformation Officer to develop and implement an organization-wide learning agenda and knowledge management plan, tracks key organizational learning metrics, and shares observations about First 5 LA is doing will and areas for improvement to inform adjustments to the learning and knowledge management plan
• Identifies specific knowledge to be managed at an organization-wide level, develops, and adapts approaches and tools to facilitate rapid learning and knowledge sharing across the organization, and collaborates with the Information Technology team to identify technology required and coordinate roll out
• Develops and facilitates organization-wide learning exchanges that help staff understand the context in which they do their work and that invite external stakeholders – including grantees, strategic partners, community members, and consultants – to help First 5 LA test its assumptions, and inform its thinking, strategy execution and refinement
• Develops and manages a repository of best and emerging practices and tools that colleagues can access and contribute to in support of the work across the organization
• Advises teams across the organization to support team-specific learning efforts and integration of First 5 LA’s values into First 5 LA’s internal and external work
• Works in collaboration with the Executive Director’s Office on organizational engagement and internal communication to share best practices, highlight bright spots and areas of improvement, and keep colleagues apprised of organization-wide initiatives, activities, and learnings
• Works in collaboration with the Office of Communications to explore and implement ideas for effectively communicating what we are learning and insights internally and externally
• Presents to First 5 LA Board and other stakeholders, as requested, to communicate progress and provide opportunities for engagement on the various aspects of the OESL’s work
• Represents First 5 LA on relevant external committees, work groups, and at conferences/meetings
• Keeps abreast of advancements in organizational change management, organizational learning, and knowledge management to inform the work

Strategic Planning, Prioritization, and Strategy Refinement

• Works with the Chief Transformation Officer to develop and implement approaches for increasing organization-wide understanding and application of the impact, culture, fiscal, and process imperatives guiding strategic plan implementation.
• Works as a thought partner to the Senior Strategist – Strategic Planning and Refinement to catalog learning for real-time adaptations and to inform strategy review cycles
• Provides resources that help build staff capacity to use data to inform strategy development, implementation, and adaptations
• Works in collaboration with the Office of Data for Action to promote use of First 5 LA’s Impact Framework data to inform strategy design, implementation, and continuous improvement
• Partners with Manager, Operational Excellence to support continuous improvement and apply learning for business process improvements that support strategic plan implementation
• Works with other Senior Strategists within OESL to create and facilitate regular organization-wide learning and reflection sessions in support of real-time strategy adaptations and three-year strategic plan refinement cycles

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Organizational Culture

• Works in collaboration with organizational leaders and teams across functions to help develop and implement strategies for improving organizational culture, anchored in First 5 LA’s values
• Works in collaboration with the HRTM team to ensure the human resources and talent development strategy is aligned with strategic plan implementation, DEI, and learning goals
• Supports HR Business Partners in synthesizing and distilling learning from de-identified qualitative and quantitative data collected by the HRTM team to inform the human resource and talent management strategy and continuous improvement

Office Operations

• Contributes to the development and improvement of structures, practices, and processes to strengthen operational effectiveness of OESL
• Contributes to the preparation of the budget and long-term financial plan for OESL and assists the Chief Transformation Officer in the management of resources in accordance with First 5 LA policies and procedures
• Works with the OESL Project Manager to provide direction on the procurement and management of contracts with consultants as needed
• Represents First 5 LA on relevant external committees, work groups, and at conferences/meetings
• Actively seeks to build own professional skills and competencies to fulfill essential duties and responsibilities and improve performance
• Adheres to all First 5 LA policies and procedures, ensures behaviors align accordingly, and contributes to learning that supports improvements
• Keeps apprised of all laws, regulations, statutes, rules and policies that govern and affect First 5 LA

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.  

QUALIFICATIONS

Job-Specific Competencies:

• Organizational Learning & Knowledge Management: Knowledge of organization change management, organizational learning, and knowledge management processes and tools; adept at designing and facilitating collective learning and the sharing of tacit knowledge within organizations; skilled at building strong relationships and credibility with internal stakeholders across functions and levels to advance the work able to collect, validate, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data; able to use data to test assumptions and prompt new ways of thinking; able to help various audiences understand data, and use it to design and refine their work
• Adaptive Leadership: Is flexibleand accepts change as part of the organization’s evolution; embraces complexity and uncertainty and is nimble enough to shift direction as needed; open to feedback and welcomes a variety of viewpoints; encourages creativity and innovation aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities; able to communicate persuasively, both orally and in writing, in varied settings and different audiences 
• Strategic Management: Able to manage projects of various sizes, complexity, resources, levels of risk, and timelines in a highly organized manner and with attention to detail; able to navigate internal and external constraints and address workload issues within and across teams; demonstrates effective administrative planning and prudent management of resources
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates self-awareness, humility, empathy, and personal accountability; has a temperament that inspires trust, collaboration, and partnership between individuals, teams, and levels of leadership; ability to navigate divergence, find common ground among team members, and resolve conflict diplomatically

Organization-Wide Competencies

• Commitment to organizational mission and values: Mission-driven and self-directed, with a demonstrated passion for First 5 LA’s work to strengthen families and improve child outcomes; strives to model organizational values through daily actions and behaviors.
• Possesses Customer-Focused Mindset: Ability to identify appropriate and relevant stakeholders; identifies internal and external stakeholders needs (customers); is responsive to stakeholder needs, considers impact when making recommendations.
• Collaborative: Collaborates with peers to drive results in alignment with organizational and operational goals in support of the organization’s mission; is able to work in cross-functional teams; is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, public officials and the general public.
• Communicates Effectively: Communicates effectively both written and oral; strong presentation skills; demonstrates ability to develop and deliver relevant and appropriate communications; delivers messages in a direct manner; able to tailor messages appropriately to various audiences.
• Demonstrates Integrity and Judgment: Follows through on commitments letting others know of his/her true intentions; ensures decision-making or recommendations are fact-based, and others understand the decision/recommendation before moving forward; considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Demonstrates Critical Thinking: Applies critical thinking, logic and reasoning to analyze complex problems and information; identifies relative strengths and weaknesses of options, solutions or approaches.
• Demonstrates Strategic Thinking: Identifies key issues and relationships relevant to achieving long range goals or vision; develops alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and organizational values to develop a point of view on a course of action to accomplish goals; develops priorities with the right balance of short and long-term wins.
• Demonstrates Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Supports equal and active participation and mutual respect; supports participation of people and groups with diverse identities, races, ethnicities, abilities, characteristics, cultures, socio-economic statuses, opinions, and beliefs; continuously challenges assumptions, and is mindful of unconscious bias, and leverages differences; understands historical and current context and root causes of inequities within society, systems and institutions

Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: organization development, strategic planning, grantmaking, organizational learning, knowledge management, research, and/or evaluation
• 5+ years of progressively more responsible leadership in managing collective learning or knowledge management efforts in a workplace or community context
• Significant experience working in collaboration with colleagues and external partners with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, political and religious views, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientation with demonstrated track record of treating everyone with respect and dignity

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in the fields of social science, health, education, or a related academic field
• Advanced degree preferred but not required

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to use virtual engagement formats (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Sli-do, etc.)
• Ability to use widely supported internet browsers

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• Valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions
• Valid automobile liability insurance

Travel Requirements:

• This position will be remote during the calendar year 2021. When staff return to on-site work, this position requires travel locally, statewide and nationally as needed

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee will sit, talk, hear and use hands up to 2/3 of the time. The employee will stand and walk up to 1/3 of the time. The employee is routinely required to carry and/or lift up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.