About the Obama Foundation

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. 

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home. 

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us. 

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Location

Chicago, Hybrid

Purpose of the Role

The Manager of Strategy & Operations will be responsible for working with the External Affairs team to manage the development and implementation of the processes necessary to enable the team to function productively, efficiently and strategically. This role will ensure that the Senior Director and EVP of External Affairs is well briefed on the status of ongoing strategic initiatives, budget compliance and requests, and key cross-team Foundation projects and planning efforts. You will assist in the development and execution of the strategy to bridge operations between the External Affairs workstreams, be responsible for consistent project management with a strategic and operational approach across initiatives, and ensure the highest and best culture for all teams under the External Affairs umbrella. This role will report to and serve as a deputy to the Senior Director, External Affairs supporting and project-managing the day to day operations of the department. The External Affairs team includes: Public Engagement, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Marketing, Communications, Creative, Product & Tech, and Strategic Partnerships sub-teams.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • External Affairs Operations
    • Develop and implement processes to continually improve External Affairs team operations
    • Work with External Affairs leadership and chiefs of staff on budget and strategy development and tracking and coordinate execution of Foundation-wide budget and strategy initiatives for external affairs teams. 
    • Manage relationships and project management across collaborating teams such as Development, Legal, Obama Presidential Center Team, Team CEO, and Programs  to ensure effective tracking and deliverables of key external affairs projects.
    • Manage budget and participate in monthly finance meetings for External Affairs teams, briefing Senior Director and EVP on budget updates as needed.
    • Manage process for hiring, performance reviews and people team coordination
    • Work with the Senior Director, EVP and collaborating teams to report on External Affairs teams progress in monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting
  • External Affairs Strategy 
    • Work across External Affairs teams to ensure coordination and communication between workstreams and other departments
    • Manage process for development, tracking, reporting and project management for External Affairs strategic plan
    • Coordinate with the Strategy & Operations team to advise and prepare the Senior Director & EVP, External Affairs for key meetings, initiatives, and work streams and track and share progress on cross-team priorities and deliverables.
  • External Affairs Teams Culture
    • Develop and lead execution on plans to improve inter-team cooperation and culture
    • Plan team meetings, regular feedback sessions, step-backs, strategic planning sessions, and retreats.
  • Special Projects
    • Serve as a deputy to the Senior Director, External Affairs to ensure project management, timely response and follow up to key internal and external stakeholders regarding deliverables, special projects, speaking requests and external opportunities for the Foundation and Foundation leadership and principals. 
  • Perform other duties as assigned. 

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

  • A process for coordination between the External Affairs teams: Public Engagement, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Marketing, Communications, Creative, Product & Tech, and Strategic Partnerships is developed, implemented and tracked appropriately
  • The External Affairs team operates efficiently, effectively, and enables each team member to perform at their best
  • The External Affairs team has a world-class culture with the necessary systems and structures in place for continual feedback and improvement
  • Each member of the External affairs team has clarity on their individual goals and there is a process in place to set goals and regularly review progress to goal
  • The External Affairs team meets and exceeds monthly, quarterly, annual goals 

Required Qualifications

  • 5 - 7 years of experience developing and executing processes to lead high performing teams
  • 5+ years of experience with project management and strategic planning
  • 5 - 7 years experience with managing and developing budgets, some knowledge of financial planning helpful
  • Extensive experience with stakeholder engagement and change management
  • Experience building and managing teams to achieve project goals, improving team and organizational culture, and demonstrated ability to coach and manage junior-level staff, 
  • Excellent communication skills and experience working across teams including senior and C-suite leaders and ability to mobilize teams
  • Knowledge of writing scopes of work, managing and executing contracts in collaboration with other teams and business owners
  • Experience and knowledge of monitoring and evaluation techniques and principles to support strategic planning

The salary range for this role is between $87,020 and $108,775.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – 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 still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

In the interest of employee health and safety during the pendency of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Obama Foundation is requiring that all prospective employees present proof that they are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, or seek a reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.

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