Company Name
Skoll Foundation
Company City
Palo Alto
Company State
CA
Job Location
Palo Alto, CA | U.S. Remote consideration
Company Information
The Skoll Foundation seeks to catalyze transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators who together advance bold and equitable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
Jeff Skoll, the first employee and first President of eBay, created the Skoll Foundation in 1999 to pursue his vision of a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all. The Foundation is part of the Jeff Skoll Group, which also includes Participant (formerly known as Participant Media) and the Capricorn Investment Group.
The Foundation aspires to fundamentally shift the trajectory on urgent global problems including pandemics and global health systems, racial justice, climate change, effective governance, and inclusive economies. The Foundation does this by connecting social innovators around the world, investing in their solutions, and championing their work. The Foundation is committed to finding new ways to streamline its operations and support the organization as it drives transformational social change globally. Learn more about the Skoll Foundation at www.skoll.org.
Job Description
This position will lead the strategic vision and execution of the Skoll Foundation’s convening programs, inclusive of both virtual and in-person events. The Managing Director (MD) reports to the Vice President of Partnership and Community Engagement while working in close collaboration with peers across Skoll staff and the executive team to advance the Connect and Champion work of the Foundation. This role is a Connect and Champion team lead.
The MD will drive and manage all components of our convenings including the flagship annual Skoll World Forum. The MD will also connect the Skoll Foundation’s convening strategy to execution; envisioning, planning, and implementing new ways to convene and connect our network of social innovators working in more than 130 countries.
To be successful, the MD must have a robust awareness and understanding of complex global issues and experience identifying diverse leaders to connect and engage in dialog to drive impact. This person should be skilled in complex project management, executive-level communications, and partner cultivation and management. This person will be intellectually curious, thoughtful, creative, humble, and highly organized, with top-notch communications and relationship-building skills.
Job Qualifications
- 10+ years of leadership experience with a track record of substantial event and convenings oversight and production
- A track record for innovatively translating strategic thinking into action plans and output, with a reputation for inspiring creative thinking and fostering problem-solving
- Experience in building, developing, coaching, and mentoring teams
- An entrepreneurial spirit, with the ability to embrace opportunity and overcome challenges
- Excellent written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively partner with senior leadership and staff
- A collaborative, flexible, and collegial orientation, combined with institutional savvy and executive presence
- Proven ability to motivate staff, grantees and other business partners; high degree of integrity and honesty
- Strong ethical leadership and commitment to the core values of the organization
- Commitment to lifelong learning and appreciation of the need for adaptation as a catalyst for growth
The MD should have firsthand experience with social entrepreneurship and innovations challenges. Direct experience with grassroots social change, investigative journalism, convening, policy advocacy, or entrepreneurial organizational development and capacity building is strongly preferred.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Skoll, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
How to Apply
Apply online.