Director, Philanthropy Team Operations

About Us

Climate Lead empowers philanthropic leaders everywhere to take immediate and far-reaching climate action. Climate Lead equips new climate philanthropists with the information and insights they need to drive transformative solutions by serving as an impartial guide. We cut through the complexity by curating roadmaps in partnership with a diverse network of experts to help philanthropists make a bold impact on climate from day one.

Summary

This role leads the operations of the Philanthropy team, growing the team’s capabilities and increasing their efficiency. The Director also collaborates closely with important partners across Climate Lead on donor product production, planning, and budgeting. Reporting to and working closely with the Executive Vice President (EVP) - who leads the Philanthropy Team - the Director ensures the Philanthropy team is fully integrated into Climate Lead and has the tools to reach its ambitious goals.

Managerial Responsibilities

This role manages one direct report - Manager, Philanthropy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Team Priorities, Planning, and Budgeting

• Develop and implement processes to set the team's strategic objectives and projections/forecasts.
• Lead tracking and review of team objectives and projections. In close partnership with the EVP, update the Leadership Team and cross-team peers on progress, challenges, and any changes needed to achieve priority goals.
• Work closely with the Finance, People, and Operations team to develop and manage the Philanthropy team’s budget, lifting trends and hotspots to the EVP. 

Team Meetings, Retreats, and Communication

• Plan team meetings to advance priorities and foster learning.
• Lead planning and execution of team retreats to drive alignment, innovation, and team unity.
• Partner with EVP on communications within the team and strategically share with the broader organization as needed.

Strategic Cross-Team Collaboration

• Partner closely with Global Climate Strategies and Communications teams to promote strategic alignment and a strong culture of collaboration.
• Work with the Global Climate Strategies and Communications teams to help organize project teams for specific donor touchpoints/products. Spot and lift bandwidth trade-offs to ensure prioritization of the highest-impact work.
• Cascade key insights and themes to the broader organization about quarterly prospect reviews to predict upcoming needs for donor touchpoints/products.

Systems, Processes, and Data

• Design and deploy tools, systems, and processes that enable the work to flow within and across teams - enabling joyful collaboration and scale.
• Advance team’s capabilities to leverage data in decision-making and prioritization by sharpening definitions of priority metrics, simplifying data collection and cleaning, and strengthening analysis and dashboards. 
• Oversee optimization of Salesforce and the team’s knowledge management system, including new development, protocols, trainings, and driving adoption.
• Partner with people managers and Climate Lead’s People team to ensure smooth onboarding of new team members.
• Sign and approve budgeted contracts on behalf of the team.

Success Criteria

• Operational Excellence: optimizes processes and systems, consistently improving quality and efficiency while operating from a continuous improvement mindset.
• Drives Results: translates strategic priorities into operational reality; aligns work plans, team communication, accountabilities, resources, internal processes, and ongoing measurement systems to yield measurable and sustainable results; outcome-oriented; targets continuous improvement opportunities with the most significant potential for positive organizational impact.
• Strategy: takes risks in finding a better solution; thinks strategically and uses instincts to determine high-value strategies; demonstrates the ability to develop effective plans and tactics to achieve goals while also being able to influence and motivate others to support and implement those plans.
• Project Management: effectively manages time and resources; ensures others have the resources and support they need to be successful; leverages available resources; stays focused and informed on action items, issues, and tracking of results.
• Data Analytics and Visualization: collects, organizes, and stores data efficiently, securely, and cost-effectively. Effectively uses data analytics and visualization skills to track progress, share findings, and inform decision-making.
• Strong Emotional Intelligence and Management Skills: contributes to a positive working environment through excellent modeling of organizational values and culture; has a demonstrated track record of influencing others in a matrixed and collaborative environment; a natural manager and coach who provides supports and mentorship; brings cross-functional teams together to creatively solve problems that don’t have obvious or easy solutions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in team operations, project management, team planning, and some combination of research, data analytics, and budgeting, preferably in a fundraising or sales environment.
• Demonstrated analytical and organizational skills in evaluating existing processes, conceiving and implementing new business processes or strategies, and resolving operational challenges and bottlenecks.
• Knowledge of CRMs (Salesforce is a plus) and knowledge management systems.
• Experience designing collaborative processes and system requirements that enable efficient knowledge management, communication, and streamlined workflows within and across teams.
• Experience influencing project teams in a matrixed, dynamic environment is essential.
• Experience directly managing individuals preferred.

Work Environment

Climate Lead is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. This position operates in a hybrid environment based in our San Francisco, CA, office. Staff in the San Francisco Bay Area currently work in the office Tuesday through Thursday each week and typically work from home the other days.

Salary Range

The annual salary range for this position is $203,000 - $226,000. 

At the Climate Lead, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of or traits historically associated with race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.