Chief of Staff – Mertz Gilmore Foundation (MGF)

The Mertz Gilmore Foundation (MGF) is a private, independent grantmaking institution with assets of approximately $120 million and a staff of ten. The Foundation strives to center justice and equity in all aspects of our grantmaking, finance, and operations and uses a variety of philanthropic strategies, including annual grantmaking of approximately $10 million across four program areas:

• Democratic Values
• Climate Change Solutions
• New York City Communities
• New York City Dance

Located in a historic brownstone in the Gramercy Park area of New York City, MGF was established as the Mertz Foundation in 1959 with proceeds from Publishers Clearing House, a family business started by Joyce Mertz and her parents, LuEsther and Harold. MGF was later renamed in honor of Joyce and her late husband, Robert W. Gilmore. The institutional values set forth by the Mertz Gilmore family have guided the Foundation throughout its history. The Foundation’s legacy is strong, and future is bright due to our:

• Accomplished grantee partners – grounded in responsive, trust-based relationships with Foundation’s staff – and a culture of listening to those partners, providing funding based on their expressed needs and exploring together what works;
• Board of Directors with diverse philanthropic and nonprofit knowledge and experience;
• Peer-respected staff that are talented, caring, and principled;
• Long-term leadership in two of the most pressing issues of our time (climate change funding began in the mid-1980’s and the democracy program in 2012); and
• 50-year history supporting the arts and community empowerment in New York City.

To learn more about MGF, please visit our website.

The Role

Location: New York City

The Foundation currently operates on a hybrid in-office basis, with a 2 or more days per week in-office

Reports to: President

Member of a three-person Executive Team chaired by the President and including the Chief Financial Officer

Reports: Manages the programs, grants, and facilities teams

Position Summary:

• The Chief of Staff serves as the President’s strategic thought partner and right hand on all people, culture and operational management. The ideal leader will embrace all aspects of the role as an leader of people and culture, a change agent, analyst and decision-framer, project manager, systems & process developer, staff manager and cross-organizational collaborator.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Support of the President:

• Partner with President to set strategic priorities: for example, help identify areas of focus, and metrics for success. Revisit those metrics regularly and evaluate progress against them.
• Lead annual planning processes, in the context of the broader philanthropic landscape and organizational needs, by acting as a project manager and ensuring alignment with the President and Board of Directors.
• Review President’s external opportunities, including advising on and planning future travel/meetings in relation to organizational and strategic priorities and supplying background information on current and potential new partners, and managing database of stakeholders and partners.
• Monitor priorities: ensure the President’s involvement in projects or decision-making takes place at key times, where input and authority are most beneficial and needed.

People and Culture/Human Resources Development and Management:

• Lead all aspects of staff development, including annual goal setting processes, needs assessments and partnering with managers to provide staff with appropriate learning and development opportunities.
• Manage and supervise staff and teams including program, grants and facilities teams. Provide coaching and development support as needed.
• Establish systems and models for staff recruitment, on-boarding and training; train managers to ensure consistency in organizational culture of providing staff support
• Manage staff relations: coach staff on development, professional growth and conflict resolution.
• Ensure appropriate systems are in place to assess and resolve. Work with outside counsel, as needed.
• Effectively manage the Foundation’s benefits health and wellbeing offerings including, for example, the Employee Assistance Program.
• Manage all human resources policies and development, including the development and on-going maintenance of an Employee Handbook and Human Resources Information System (HRIS), and the use of benefits and policies by staff.
• Propose the creation of new systems and processes to streamline operations that promote staff leadership and effectiveness.
• Manage and oversee annual review of human resources policies, including researching best practices in human resources policy management.
• Partner with the President and Chief Financial Officer on the development of a compensation philosophy and the process and systems to annually evaluate staff performance and compensation.
• Lead the design of an inclusive processes for the development and implementation of Core Values. Consider new ways to ensure employee engagement to inspire performance and organizational successes.
• Manage cross-functional, organization-wide projects and initiatives; bring together important stakeholders and help drive decisions.

Culture & Change Management:

• Partner with President to create an organizational environment that creates a culture of trust, respect, mutual accountability and reflects the Foundation’s values and future mission and vision.
• Develop methods of operating that bring new practices for systems and policies, resulting in increased coordination across teams and elevated staff engagement. These practices range from developing new contact management systems to clear and transparent protocols for IT management.
• Initiate and develop learning and training opportunities for staff and Board that advances the Foundation’s equity and justice values and lead to a increased level of creativity, inclusion and engagement.
• Lead opportunities to increase trust and coordination between the President and program team to engage partners and stakeholders in effective ways that increase Foundation’s impact and advance the organization’s vision.
• Manage Foundation retreats, including with staff and Board, as well as Foundation conferences and special events.
• Develop and manage processes that lead to improved internal decision-making and clarity of roles within and across teams.
• Manage consultants and other supports for communications, including President and Foundation blogs, letters, newsletters and reports.

Board Management:

• Partner with President to prepare and distribute materials in advance of Board meetings. Create planning documents to support staff in preparing for Board meetings, collect data from across the organization, such as financial updates or program materials, and create dashboards that lay out the information in a concise and clear format.
• Work with President to update Board policies, board member orientation materials, and support with board recruitment.
• Partner with Chief Financial Officer to prepare financial materials for Board meetings.
• Attend Board and Committee Meetings.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Strong candidates for this role will possess a majority of the following professional and personal attributes and competencies:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Alignment with the Foundation’s values, including deep commitment to social, racial and gender justice and being a demonstrated champion and leader in DEI with community-driven experience, preferably within economically disadvantaged communities.
• Experience managing organizational complexity and enhancing an organization’s capacity and impact.
• Experience in and/or passion for grounding organizational culture and grantmaking in equity and serving as a fierce internal and external champion for DEI.
• At least 10 years of senior-level operations, systems improvement, strategy development and project management experience, preferably gained in a nonprofit, mission-oriented or philanthropic foundation setting, although consideration will be given to leaders from the private sector who can demonstrate a mission-commitment and values-alignment through prior experience.
• Experience in human resource management, including policy and system development and implementation.
• Strong people leadership and management skills with a track record of empowering a diverse group of professionals, entrusting and amplifying the work of others.
• Outstanding communications skills and diplomacy, including the ability to listen to, relate well to, and inspire a wide range of people at all levels.
• A master organizer and project planner with the ability to get things done, consistently look ahead and anticipate needs before they arise.
• Brings a strong strategic mindset, and isa A natural problem-solver who is analytical and structured in thinking. Ability to create order by identifying systems and processes in need of adjustment. A strong understanding of operations with a clear ability to synthesize information and recommend a plan of action.
• Driven by intellectual curiosity and with a steady presence, this leader will bring outcomes- oriented leadership to the advancement of the Foundation’s goals.
• Demonstrates high emotional intelligence, isself-aware and perceptive and serves as a connector ensuring awareness of every key project, connecting the dots across the organization. A positive can-do perspective, empathetic, flexible, curious, with a track record of respectful collegial relationships.
• Demonstrates loyalty and selfless by being confident enough to be candid when needed, while also humble enough to work behind the scenes.

Compensation & Benefits:

• A competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package will be offered.
• Compensation will be equitable and commensurate with experience within an anticipated base salary range of $190,000-$215,000.

The Mertz Gilmore Foundation offers an extensive and generous benefits package, including payment of 100% of the medical (health, dental, vision) insurance premiums for staff and dependents. Mertz Gilmore also offers other benefits including life insurance, long-term disability protection, and a retirement plan (with an employer contribution).

• Mertz Gilmore Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
• We are actively seeking to build on our diverse and inclusive team with a wide range of backgrounds,
  perspectives, and skills to support the incredible diversity of grassroots organizing across the country.
• Leaders of color, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ+ applicants, and/or leaders from historically marginalized or low-income communities are encouraged to apply.

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact:

Tory Clarke

Partner, Bridge

tory.clarke@bridgepartnersllc.com

Neeta Mehta

Bridge Partners

neeta.mehta@bridgepartnersllc.com

Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, so we urge your prompt consideration of this impactful leadership role.