Greenwich, CT

Deputy Director, Connecticut Opportunity Project, Dalio Education, Dalio Education

The Organization

Deputy Director, Connecticut Opportunity Project, Dalio Education

Dalio Education seeks a dynamic Deputy Director for the Connecticut Opportunity Project (CTOP), a division of Dalio Education that advances a social investment strategy to strengthen youth-serving organizations in order to positively impact young people who are disengaged or disconnected from school, work, and/or pro-social institutions.  Dalio Education invested more than $6 million in CTOP in FY21, and plans to invest approximately $7 million in FY22, including investments in six grantee partners as well as costs for technical assistance and other capacity building supports.

Dalio Education is hiring for this newly created position for two primary reasons.  First, CTOP is expanding its scope of work and beginning to map out its future.  In addition to the Director and operational support provided by Dalio Education, CTOP’S current staff consists of three Portfolio Directors who take the lead in working with six grantee partners, helping them develop quarterly and annual milestones against which the arc of their progress – toward attaining the organizational and program capacities needed to produce positive youth outcomes reliably and sustainably – can be monitored and understood.  In addition to managing general operating support grants, the Portfolio Directors also bring technical assistance, consultation, and coaching to the grantees to assist them in their work.  The Portfolio Directors are led and supported by the CTOP Director, David Hunter, who is only able to work part-time and, as the CTOP portfolio of grantees grows, will not be able to continue to supervise and manage the day-to-day work of the initiative alone.

The second reason we have created the position of Deputy Director is that we need to begin now planning and taking concrete steps to assure CTOP’s sustainability for the foreseeable future.  As part of this process, David will lead a thoughtful succession planning effort to ensure that CTOP doesn’t lose momentum when he retires in the future.  As such, the Deputy Director will work very closely with David through a mentoring relationship.  Among many other contributions, David created the social investment program model for CTOP as well as the key performance indicators for the program.  David will help transfer this knowledge to the Deputy, with the goal of having the Deputy earn promotion to become Director by the spring of 2023.

Long-term sustainability will require not only developing new lines of work and planning for a successful leadership transition without losing momentum or focus, but also finding strategic partners who commit to supporting CTOP’s mission by investing in CTOP itself and/or in its grantee partners.  We need to build our capacity to develop, nurture, and maintain such relationships with external partners and stakeholders.  Over time, we expect the Deputy Director to take leadership in this line of work, among others.

The Deputy will help set priorities for CTOP, which includes supporting the work to plan for CTOP’s long-term sustainability, as well as helping develop strategies, manage the Portfolio Directors, and represent CTOP with external stakeholders.  The Deputy will also collaborate with Dalio Education leadership in creating and executing a long-term revenue diversification strategy that earns, raises, and aggregates capital for CTOP and its grantee partners. 

Organization Overview:

Dalio Philanthropies is the Dalio family’s philanthropic enterprise, furthering the philanthropic enthusiasms of family members.  Dalio Philanthropies operates with a lean team that enables family members to develop their philanthropic passions, to learn from their passions as they pursue them, and to achieve positive outcomes and impact in those areas.

Led by Barbara Dalio, Dalio Education operates as an entrepreneurial team within Dalio Philanthropies.  Dalio Education believes in the value that diversity, equity, and inclusion brings to a team and encourages each member of the team to embrace these values as intrinsic to their journey of personal growth and professional development.  And as noted above, CTOP currently operates as a division of Dalio Education.

Within a carefully developed social investment framework, CTOP’s mission is to find, invest in and help strengthen youth-serving organizations in Connecticut so they can work effectively, reliably, and sustainably with young people ages 14 to 22 who are disengaged or disconnected in order to help them re-engage in, and complete, secondary education (or its equivalent), then either pursue a pathway to employment or pursue post-secondary education such as a technical certification, military enlistment, or an academic degree – with the ultimate goal that all young people will achieve satisfying employment that supports their agency and self-sufficiency.  CTOP makes large, multi-year general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that work with Connecticut’s most at-risk young people helping them improve their lives and prospects.  CTOP also invests in leaders who are developing organizations and who are dedicated to helping severely disconnected young people in their communities.

Position Summary:

Dalio Education seeks a highly motivated, talented, and dynamic individual to serve as CTOP’s Deputy Director to help CTOP achieve its mission.  We seek an accomplished leader who has a growth mindset, is excited about learning through mentorship and experience, and is passionate about helping leaders and organizations who serve young people who are disengaged or disconnected in Connecticut.

Working alongside the Director, the Deputy Director will help plan for and advance CTOP’s growth and sustainability, manage and support the Portfolio Directors’ front-line activities, serve as the initiative’s primary spokesperson, and support Dalio Education leadership in forming collaborations and maintaining excellent relationships with funders, community organizations, and public institutions central to CTOP’s mission.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about CTOP’s mission; who thrives in a fast-paced environment and excels at leading through partnership; who is adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity, and excited about shaping CTOP’s future; and who can work within CTOP but also contribute to the success of Dalio Education’s other teams as the situation warrants.

Position Location: 

 Connecticut
Given the current state of the pandemic, this position will abide by the current work-from-home status of the organization, but when appropriate, based on public health guidelines, will work from the Sound View office in Greenwich several days a week and will require significant in-state travel and time in the field (60%).

Reports To:

Director, Connecticut Opportunity Project, David Hunter

Direct Reports:

Three Portfolio Directors (the Deputy Director will assume responsibility from the Director for supervising the Portfolio Directors at some point over the initial 6 to 12 months of the mentoring relationship).

Role Responsibilities:

Top priorities are subject to change and include, but are not limited to:

Learn from the Director and work alongside him in setting priorities, developing and implementing strategy, and managing the Portfolio Directors (50%):

·       Set annual goals and metrics aligned to CTOP’s multi-year social investment strategy;

·       Supervise the Portfolio Directors and support their performance, growth, and development;

·       Contribute to CTOP’s future growth and sustainability through participation in the Leadership Group (Barbara Dalio, Andrew Ferguson, and David Hunter) and Advisory Group (Gordon Berlin, Sam Cobbs, and Carol Thompson Cole);

·       Provide leadership, strategy, and thought partnership to advance efforts to shape CTOP’s future, including standing up and launching CTOP as an independent organization when and if specific milestones are achieved within the coming years;

·       Manage the CTOP budget, inclusive of grant-making and operating investments, and provide regular reports to Dalio Education leadership;

Lead CTOP’s external relations and strategic communications by working in close collaboration with Dalio Education leadership, the CTOP team, and CTOP grantee partners (30%):

·       Serve as CTOP’s spokesperson when appropriate;

·       Work closely with the CTOP team in developing and implementing a strategic communications strategy to establish and advance CTOP’s brand;

·       Represent CTOP with grantee partners, prospective grantees, and other external stakeholders, and regularly engage with leaders and organizations to form and maintain strong institutional relationships;

Lead CTOP’s efforts, and support Dalio Education leadership, in creating and executing a long-term revenue diversification strategy that earns, raises, and aggregates capital for CTOP and its grantee partners (20%):

·       Collaborate with the CTOP Director and Dalio Education leadership to map out strategic growth options and choose among them;

·       Track CTOP performance metrics to create an evidence-informed basis for understanding the social return on investment that investments in CTOP and its grantee partners will yield;

·       Execute ad hoc projects, research, and initiatives as necessary to advance CTOP’s mission; and

·       Other duties, as assigned.

Position Requirements: 

The ideal candidate will possess the following professional qualifications:

·       A bachelor’s degree at an accredited higher education institution required and a master’s degree strongly preferred;

·       At least 10 years of relevant work in one or more of the following:  leading a nonprofit organization or a major division of a very large nonprofit; leading or managing a major program at a foundation where data are used to inform its strategic and tactical decisions; leading or occupying a major role in a consultancy focused on nonprofit performance management and/or developing business plans; and/or leading a public agency or a major division of a local government that focuses on helping communities to reach and serve youth who are disengaged or disconnected; and

·       Experiences that show cultural competency to work with individuals, groups, and organizations representing diverse social, ethnic, and racial populations – and the ability to build excellent relationships with stakeholders from various walks of life (e.g., colleagues, partners, practitioners, advocates, and community members).

The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, attributes, and values:

·       Integrity, transparency, honesty, compassion, and a strong ethical orientation;

·       Leadership orientation that values partnership and collaboration;

·       Growth mindset that values learning through mentorship and experience;

·       Strong judgment, emotional intelligence, creativity, and analytical skills;

·       Resiliency under pressure and the ability to thrive in a rapidly evolving and entrepreneurial organization;

·       Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize, and deliver high‐quality work in a fast-paced environment where excellence is expected but periods of ambiguity are to likely;

·       Ability to make hard decisions and act on them, but also to reflect on them subsequently;

·       Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills; and

·       Highly proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Applications.

Compensation, Benefits, and Relocation: 

Compensation for this role is competitive and commensurate with experience.  Dalio Philanthropies provides a full slate of employee benefits including, but not limited to, health, dental, life, vision, disability insurance, supplemental life insurance, subsidized childcare, and a 401(K) match program.  Dalio Philanthropies also offers competitive vacation and holiday policies, as well as competitive relocation packages if necessary.

Please note we do not provide immigration sponsorship for this position.  Dalio Philanthropies is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

All employment at Dalio Philanthropies is subject to an extensive background check.

How To Apply
https://klbconsulting.applytojob.com/apply/WsOoPbQMtp/Deputy-Director-Connecticut-Opportunity-Project

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