Vice President, Advisory

 Background

Continuing the Rockefeller family’s legacy of thoughtful, effective philanthropy, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) was founded in 2002 as a non-profit organization that is currently advising on and managing more than $400 M USD in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations, and major foundations. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has grown into one of the world’s largest philanthropic service organizations and, as a whole, has facilitated more than $3 B USD in grantmaking to nearly 70 countries.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors accelerates philanthropy in pursuit of a just world and serves as a fiscal sponsor for more than 120+ projects, providing governance, management, and operational infrastructure to support their charitable purposes. The Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors team is responsive, creative, and flexible, innovating and adapting to the individual needs of clients and the evolution of the philanthropic sector. RPA is committed to building trusting relationships with all stakeholders. The qualified candidate should demonstrate commitment to RPA’s values and mission:

At Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, our mission is to accelerate philanthropy in pursuit of a just world, by providing deep global expertise to make philanthropy more thoughtful, equitable and effective.

We believe that philanthropy can help create a better world.

We make decisions that center people and communities.

We believe that philanthropy has a responsibility to pursue equity.

We uphold the highest standards of integrity and trust.

We are committed to learning and sharing knowledge.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors values diversity in all senses—people, viewpoints, ideas, and approaches—and recruit staff and board members who reflect the communities in which we live, work, and serve. We strive to be an organization where talented people flourish and promote a healthy work environment that respects our colleagues’ professional and personal lives.

Purpose of the role

The role of Vice President, Advisory is a recognized leadership position in the field of philanthropy that will lead projects to develop and implement major grantmaking programs for our clients. You will develop proposals for new programs and relationships and oversee the formulation of strategic recommendations to develop and implement programmatic and financial plans for overall strategies of program areas, grantmaking criteria, application and review processes, and reporting systems.

Projects and clients vary and one day you could be leading projects on health and healthcare, racial equity, justice or reproductive rights for a family trust or foundation and then the next, working on democracy or climate and environment projects for a corporate client.

Whom we seek

This is a unique opportunity, and we are seeking a visionary and strategic leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial and fast-paced environment, works well with ambiguity, and enjoys both being an external lead with clients and developing and leading internal teams. It is the perfect role for an accomplished and experienced relationship and project manager who is adept at being both strategic and hands on.

You will have a proven track record in overseeing the development of strategies and working to translate data into conceptual frameworks as a peer thought partner that provides trusted guidance and support to clients. Underpinning the role are the requisite skills, knowledge, passion, and ability to support our clients to navigate their philanthropic journey.

Primary responsibilities

The job holder will have the following key responsibilities:

Strategic leadership and management

Communicate the advisory strategy and its relationship to the organization's mission, vision, and values to clients, motivate people to commit to this and to do extraordinary things to achieve the organization's business goals whilst providing leadership and governance for the Advisory team while fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Portfolio management

Initiate, govern, and lead the delivery of projects within a significant area of responsibility, using an appropriate program and project management methodology to ensure that intended outcomes are identified and achieved.

Project scope

Lead the planning and delivery of complex wide-ranging information gathering, analysis, and stakeholder consultation activities and specify, negotiate, and agree on engagement deliverables, ensuring integration across existing client activities where present.

Stakeholder management

Develop and implement stakeholder engagement strategies and plans across the program to identify relevant stakeholders, create mutually supportive working relationships, and ensure that each stakeholder has an appropriate share of voice at both project and program levels.

Project risk and issue management

Ensure that risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints are managed appropriately at the project level. Where risks or issues threaten the delivery of the project, develop, and agree with the client and team on recovery plans.

Resource management

Oversee the management and planning of the annual department budgeting process and external client engagement budgets, providing forecasts, and presenting variances with narrative at appropriate review points to ensure effective utilization.

Project assurance

Lead the design and delivery of project assurance reviews, enable the delivery of assurance reviews by independent third parties, and ensure that appropriate actions are taken to resolve any issues identified to give senior stakeholders confidence that the project can deliver to time, budget, and quality.

Business analysis

Interpret the business needs and identify recommended solutions to business problems at a business unit level. Develop proposals for new programs and relationships including innovative funding programs or initiatives. Develop, present, and manage philanthropic initiatives as opportunities arise.

Complexity and problem solving

Make sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems to help others get to the heart of complex situations and find strong solutions. Use expertise to act as an organizational authority on planning, organizing, prioritizing, and overseeing activities to efficiently meet business objectives, develop and implement policies and identify, assess, prioritize, and manage risks.

Supervisory responsibility

Take responsibility for all decisions related to the management of the department regarding personnel actions, acquisitions, and utilization of resources, procedures, and control systems. This includes the development of budgets for all existing projects and new proposals, contracts, subcontracts, and service agreements. 

Desired qualifications and experience

• More than 12 years’ experience related to grantmaking and/or consulting.
• A bachelor’s degree and graduate work or equivalent experience required.
• Experience and increasing responsibility and proven effectiveness in working with boards, donors, programs, grant seekers, and non-profit organizations.
• Experience with grantmaking in a variety of fields and constituencies is required. A demonstrated combined history of working with personal, family, and corporate philanthropy is ideal.

• Strong people-management skills, including self-awareness and ability to delegate.

Location Type: Hybrid

Travel: 25% - 35% for client work as needed

Reporting to: SVP, Advisory

Manages:  4-6 team members          

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time

To apply for the post

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how you fulfil the requirements set out in the job announcement.

If you have any questions about the role or organisation and would like an informal chat ahead of submitting a formal application, please reach out to Zoe Oldham at zoeoldham@darylupsall.com

The deadline for application is Sunday October 15th 2023

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors celebrates the uniqueness of our staff, our partners, and the communities we serve. We are committed to inclusion with the goal of cultivating a culture of belonging and acceptance. We strive to embed this value in our philanthropic work to advance a more just, equitable and sustainable world.