Managing Director of Funder Engagement
Given the state of our democracy and the shifting social and political climate over the last several years, PACE's aspirations have grown to meet the moment. We're living through a period of American democracy where many of our deepest issues and injustices are at the surface. With that comes both
challenge and opportunity. At PACE we take both head-on, grappling with what's difficult in order to contribute to what's possible. And we try to have some fun and make it interesting in the process. We are a small staff with ambitious plans, and each member of the PACE team plays a central role in bringing to life the conversations, convenings, and impact that we advance together.
We have a hard-working, fun-loving, and thoughtful culture with a high attention to detail and quality, and we place a priority on relationships. We move frequently between deep learning/reflection and urgent action/projects. We believe that delivering consistently top-notch work requires flexibility, especially as more people strive to find balance in their lives. As such, our team maintains "core hours" of 11:00 AM-4:00 PM Eastern, Monday through Thursday, during which team members are expected to be available for
collaborative work time with each other. Outside of these hours, everyone manages their own schedule to fulfill their responsibilities (which we know may include caregiving and other personal/family obligations). We dedicate Fridays to personal learning and reflection. That said, there are occasional peak moments of engagement and travel that may necessitate commitments beyond core hours.
PACE is committed to creating an inclusive work environment that advances pluralism and racial equity. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourage applicants of all races, religions, gender identities or expressions, familial statuses, sexual orientations, ages, disability
statuses, and other protected classes to apply.
● Design and develop agendas and curate inclusive and engaging experiences for meetings and events (including identification of and outreach to speakers/content experts with diverse perspectives and experiences); such experiences will include:
○ Member Meetings (twice annually; convened in hybrid way [with virtual + in-person attendance options])
○ Funder briefings/webinars (quarterly; convened virtually)
○ Collaborative summits and/or other programming TBD (as needed)
● Develop, launch, and manage PACE's "Learning Labs" which will be topic-specific communities (sometimes known as "affinity groups") dedicated to deep learning among members and the wider civic field on specific issues or practices (topics like civic learning or effective governance).
● Maintain relationships with PACE members and support them in finding ways to maximize their experience with PACE, which may include:
○ Refining and managing the member onboarding and orientation process, and ensuring PACE has a personal touch-point with each member (new and long-standing) at least once per quarter
○ Identifying points of "connective tissue" and making connections with other
members, prospective partners, or other leaders exploring similar issues or topics,
which requires:
■ Maintaining awareness and understanding of member and field-level
priorities, interests, and activities;
■ Representing PACE at meetings, events, and conferences as needed to stay up-to-date and relevant;
■ Ensuring member voices are fully integrated in—and participation is
maximized across—all streams of PACE work and offerings
○ Proactively reaching out to members and the broader network about PACE activities to ensure they are apprised of our offerings and know how to engage
○ Developing goals and metrics for engagement that are aligned with PACE's
Measurement and Evaluation framework
○ Working to understand the demographics, interests, and needs of the membership, and ensuring it is inclusive of people from all identities and experiences, and continues to grow in its representation
○ With MDLE and Program Lead, ensure alignment and cohesion between various streams of learning, experimentation, and member-serving work
○ With the Communications Lead, ensure clear and consistent communication to funders, which may include creating newsletters, supporting our ability to "Learn out Loud" through blogs, videos, and other storytelling mechanisms
○ With the Operations Lead, ensure efficient and smooth coordination and
management of logistics and details related to meetings and events
○ With the CEO, consider PACE's external affairs and thought leadership priorities, including identifying opportunities to engage in other channels and networks to advance PACE's work and messages
○ Contribute to the team's efforts to collectively advance our strategic plan, racial equity framework, team learning agenda, and professional development
● Experience creating and project-managing events for professional audiences
○ Have led the creation of events/meetings from idea stage, to launch, through evaluation
○ Comfortable being "out front" as the leader and behind-the-scenes as the manager
○ Applies best practices and principles of adult learning
● Content knowledge within PACE's priority areas of focus (such as civic learning, bridge building, and national service). This does not mean specialization or expertise in these areas are necessary, but that there is a general familiarity with (and willingness to learn about) the ecosystems we operate within
● Strong intercultural competencies, including the ability to build bridges across difference, identify and navigate cultural differences in our work, and bring equitable mindset and practices into program design and network building
● Strong writing and communication skills—including ability to bring people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives along with ideas and concepts that might be new or otherwise unfamiliar
● Proficient in Google Suite, and comfortable communicating through Zoom and Slack Candidates for the MDFE role will stand out by being:
● Aligned with and committed to the vision, mission, and principles and racial equity
commitment of PACE
● Self-starting with significant initiative, intuition, autonomy, and drive; able to work
independently with little need for close management but also enjoys working collaboratively
with a team
● Personable, relatable, and relationship-oriented—ability to work well with many types of
people and bring out the best in those around them
● Thoughtful and insightful—ability to see the "big picture," appreciate multiple perspectives, and consider the potential opportunities, benefits, challenges and/or consequences of ideas and concepts
● Focused on paying attention to detail, is able to produce consistently high-quality work, is comfortable being tasked with multiple priorities, and demonstrates a commitment to clear
communication and follow-through
1. What approach, spirit, or philosophy do you bring to creating meaningful experiences for diverse groups of people?
We are open and
interested in learning from people across the spectrum of experience and industry.