Interim Program Strategy Manager

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal is a group of organizations working to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world. Inspired by our founder, we reach across communities and sectors to bring together innovative thinkers who can scale up proven ideas and catalyze new ones. We learn from their experiences, amplify their resources, and support them as they lead. Pivotal includes Pivotal Philanthropies, focused on charitable grantmaking and impact investing; Pivotal Initiatives Fund, focused on policy and advocacy work; and Pivotal Ventures, focused on direct investments and partnerships.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

The Interim Program Strategy Manager serves as a grant maker and project manager on the Program Strategy team. This role performs work on behalf of Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation and related 501(c)(3) entities ("Pivotal Philanthropies"). This individual works in close partnership with Program Strategy Directors, other team members, and stakeholders across Pivotal Philanthropies to successfully implement strategic initiatives and projects and make and manage grants. This position tracks their assigned ecosystems and partners with teams internally to advance strategic goals. This role is expected to have a duration of 12 months. This means that, absent some change, the position will end within that timeframe as defined in the offer letter.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy Execution Project manage the implementation of strategic initiatives or projects, ensuring milestones are successfully met with oversight from program leadership. Support Program Strategy Director and/or Senior Director in executing approved strategies and/or strategic initiatives, expanding capacity and serving as a proxy in meetings and events as needed. Develop strong internal partnerships to support programmatic work, routinely communicating with stakeholders and making connections and recommendations to advance the work. Partner with Program Strategy Director/Senior Director to successfully manage a diverse portfolio of grants and strategic initiatives, maintaining flexibility as organizational needs evolve. Grants & Grantee Management Support the deployment of charitable capital at scale leveraging a variety of philanthropic approaches. Identify and manage a portfolio of grantee partners, coordinating resource movement to aligned partners. Partner with Program Strategy Director/Senior Director to follow internal procedures for grant and strategy development and deployment, coordinating closely with internal stakeholders. Maintain regular check-ins with grantee partners, sharing updates and gathering inputs across the strategy portfolio. Support the tracking of progress of grants individually and at the portfolio level, evaluating impact and course correcting where needed. Adapt to different grantmaking styles and modalities, applying best practices to fit context. Ecosystem Engagement Partner with Program Strategy Director/Senior Director to find opportunities for partner and ecosystem collaboration and make connections to improve efficiency and outcomes. Track, synthesize, and share developments and news within assigned ecosystems. Actively engage in the philanthropic community, building relationships and staying ahead of trends. Represent Pivotal Philanthropies’ interests and priorities in external forums, such as meetings and discussions as needed. Internal Coordination Report about the strategy initiatives and/or ecosystem trends across the larger Program Strategy team and/or company, as needed. Draft materials and updates for internal knowledge sharing across the organization and for the Principal's benefit. Continuously track progress and impact using measurement and evaluation frameworks. Make consistent, effective, and strategic use of organizational systems of record (e.g. Salesforce) to maintain actionable data, streamline processes, and promote knowledge sharing. Track data and information, particularly about the impact, through company platforms (such as Salesforce), ensuring high standards of data quality and completeness within assigned portfolio(s). Coordinate with Communications teams to amplify the programmatic work and its impact. Support Program Strategy Director/Senior Director on budget and planning and executing grants according to annual payout schedules. Teamwide Influence & Strategic Partnership Provide flex capacity, juggling multiple priorities as programmatic needs evolve over time, including global work as applicable. Communicate in a clear and timely manner with team members to enable the team to extend its reach while staying tightly coordinated. Collaborate closely across teams, engaging key stakeholders in work as needed. Offer timely, humble feedback to others, contributing to a culture of transparency and shared accountability. Model intellectual rigor and mission focus, bringing perspective to the unique opportunity Pivotal Philanthropies has to advance social change in the United States. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

To perform this role successfully, individuals must demonstrate the skills and behaviors aligned with our Pivotal Principles that define what success looks like across all roles. These competencies reflect the expectations for how we work together, lead, grow, and deliver impact for all employees regardless of function or level. Build and Maintain Trust Act with integrity and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment. Is Inclusive – Advance a culture of equity and belonging. Act with Integrity – Tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, meet your commitments, and act ethically. Collaborate – Build trusting relationships and treat people with dignity and respect. Drive Impact Deliver high-quality work that is aligned with Pivotal Strategic Initiatives. Solve Problems – Identify issues and seek diverse perspectives to develop potential solutions. Propel Work Forward – Take initiative, prioritize work appropriately, and complete work on time. Center Stewardship – Use resources responsibly, consider and manage risk, and follow Pivotal policies and procedures. Learn and Grow Demonstrate a commitment to continuous individual and organizational development. Contribute Constructively – Participate in advancing individual, team, and organization-wide well-being and resilience. Occupy Growth-Mindset – Embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and focus on improvement. Share Knowledge – Document work appropriately, assess outcomes, and share explicit and tacit learning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum 7-9 years of experience in philanthropy, communications, and/or social impact fields, or an equivalent combination of advanced training and experience. Established knowledge of the philanthropic ecosystem advancing economic justice and efforts to end gender-based violence, including familiarity with relevant grantee partners, peer funders, field leaders, and movement infrastructure in the U.S. Demonstrated grantmaking experience, with the ability to independently apply grantmaking practices, assess opportunities, manage grantee relationships, and move work forward without requiring foundational onboarding to philanthropy or grantmaking. Proven ability to quickly build credibility and hold sensitive, trust-based relationships with grantee partners, peer funders, and other external stakeholders, including in complex or high-context environments. Familiarity with measurement and evaluation approaches in philanthropy. Knowledge of current diversity and inclusion initiatives in the U.S. philanthropy and non-profit sectors. Proven ability to design effective strategies and strategic initiatives that advance impact goals. Ability to synthesize complex information and lead a project from conception to completion, engaging relevant stakeholders throughout. Ability to remain objective and serve as an honest broker when synthesizing and presenting information, avoiding bias or over-interpretation. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive communications, content tailored to varied audiences and formats, negotiation experience, and track record of producing memos, strategy documents and presentations. Experience working with and on behalf of a senior leader. Experience managing vendors. Proficiency using Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint). Fluency in use of systems necessary to role (e.g., Salesforce, Workday).

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

The Salary range for this position is $195,500-205,000. This position is based in Pivotal's Seattle, WA and Washington, D.C. office. Benefits will be provided by your employer of record and currently include medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and long-term care insurance, fertility benefit, caregiving support, 144 hours of vacation, 96 hours of sick leave, 401k, HSA, FSA, and more. Eligibility for and the amount of benefits provided are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, in Pivotal’s discretion, with or without notice. Pivotal values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants seeking employment. All employment decisions at Pivotal are based on the candidate’s or employee’s capabilities and qualifications without regard to race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), color, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, caste, veteran or military status, marital, parental, or familial status, disability (including sensory, physical, or mental disability), medical condition, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, political ideology, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law. Pivotal complies with federal, state, and local equal opportunity and disability laws and makes reasonable accommodation consistent with those laws for applicants and employees with disabilities. Please contact View email address on click.appcast.io for assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process. Applications may be submitted via the Pivotal Careers page.