Managing Director, Bellagio Programming Operations – The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation : The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to health care and nutritious food.

The Rockefeller Foundation offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes health insurance programs, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment, a generous 401K, parental leave, and various forms of paid time off, all to help our employees feel energized, cared for, and engaged.

As an organization, we focus on six values to advance our culture and continue our success. We are dedicated to being Transparent, Optimistic, Accountable, Collaborative, Trusted, and Equitable. We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members’ diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all employees at the Foundation to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.

The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status, or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.

Position Overview

The Rockefeller Foundation (RF) is seeking a Managing Director (MD) to lead operations for the Convenings & Networks team, which sits within Innovation at the Foundation. The Innovation team builds and applies unique capabilities in data science and convenings and networks to advance the Foundation’s priorities to end energy poverty, accelerate an effective and equitable pandemic response, amplify RF’s impact as a platform for global change, and develop focused impact opportunities.

The Convenings & Networks team is a primary driver of the Foundation’s Connected Leaders Platform. The Connected Leaders Platform (CLP) supports breakthrough solutions and collective action. The CLP attracts leaders to our network, facilitates connections, and supports the integration of the network’s resources, skills, and perspectives. We believe that building connections between leaders, either deep and focused through convenings or broad and diffuse through broader network engagement activities, can drive major change.

The Convenings & Networks team leads RF’s efforts to strategically convene key stakeholders, support networks, and connect leaders across networks to envision a common future, ideate, align on an agenda, and advance knowledge and partnerships for sustainable impact. The centerpiece of our convening work is RF’s Bellagio Center, where we annually host ~1,000 people through ~60 convenings and ~120 one-month-long residencies. Convenings held at Bellagio have launched the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiatives, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and the Global Impact Investing Network, among many others.  Using techniques such as human-centered design, we build methodologies to develop and customize tailored convening experiences that produce distinctive outcomes that advance the signature priorities of the Foundation. We also grow and nurture RF’s network of leaders that come through Bellagio, and through new partnerships such as 17

Rooms with the Brookings Institution.

The MD partners with the VP, of Innovation to manage the core operational infrastructure for Bellagio Programming. This includes the selection process for Bellagio convenings and residencies, monitoring, learning & evaluation and communications, and storytelling. The MD’s primary goal is to ensure that the Bellagio Center is programmed with excellent convenings and residents through efficient and effective selection processes. The MD will also lead the insights generation to continuously improve operational practice and derive inspirational and compelling stories that capture the unique magic of the programming at the Bellagio Center. The MD will be a master of operational process, a creative and flexible problem solver, and a collaborative partner with functional teams across the RF, especially colleagues in Bellagio, Italy.

Pay Range: $192,850 – $259,815. This represents the present low and high end of the Foundation’s pay range for this position. Actual pay will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to experience.

Currently, The Rockefeller Foundation employees are expected to work on a hybrid basis, generally 2 days in the office and 3 days remote. Hybrid work arrangements vary by team and are subject to change at any time depending on public health conditions and/or the organizational needs of the Foundation.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the VP of Innovation in leading the strategy, policies, implementation, and partnership with the
• Bellagio team in Italy to successfully realize outstanding Bellagio convenings and residencies
• Lead Bellagio convening and residency selection, intake, and follow-through activities with excellence and harmonize processes between convenings and residencies
• Manage the operational center of excellence for the Convenings & Networks team, including developing the team members, harmonizing best practices, and creating pride in the work
• Design and run Convenings and Networks team processes to ensure financial, people, and project management and ensure timely and high-quality workflows
• Lead Convenings & Networks Monitoring, Learning, & Evaluation processes, including surveys, a distillation of key insights, and knowledge management for continuous improvement and impact reporting and storytelling
• Lead Convenings & Networks communications and storytelling, as it advances RF’s mission, vision, and values, to capture the impact of the Bellagio Center
• Oversee a portfolio of key vendors and partners, including a travel management provider for Bellagio
• Lead the build and usage of Convenings & Networks IT infrastructure, including a CRM system to power network engagement activity
• Build strong internal relationships with key stakeholders across the Foundation to establish effective partnerships related to Bellagio, including the VP, Bellagio Operations, and the Bellagio, Italy team
• Partner with the VP to build, manage, and execute on budget
• Special Projects including partnering with the VP on the management of selection committees and advisory boards

Education, Experience, and Skills

• An advanced degree in business or management is preferred as is previous experience in a non-profit organization or foundation or equally dynamic goal-oriented global enterprise.
• Minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience designing and managing complex operational systems and processes.
• Experience managing selection processes for competitive awards.
  Experience in setting agendas and timelines for their work and for that of others to meet the demands of a complex dynamic function and Executive.
• Has a track record of effectively managing budgets and forecasts, developing, and monitoring strategic plans, and managing their work and the work of others under significant time pressures and to high-quality standards.
• Ability to travel when necessary.
• Computer proficiency in project management software, CRM system development, MS Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Internet search skills and ability to learn new applications quickly, including project management software.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Balances Stakeholders: Anticipates and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Cultivates Innovation: Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Develops Talent: Develops people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Values Differences: Recognizes the value of different perspectives and commits to inclusion, equity, and diversity in every aspect of work.