Director, Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact - 92nd Street Y

Job Summary:

The Belfer Center Director is responsible for leveraging the power of external partnerships and collaborating within 92NY’s diverse programming centers to strengthen and extend the reach of 92NY’s core values – intellectual exploration and dialogue, community, thought leadership and innovation as a driver of social change. 

 

Accountable for ensuring the Belfer Center approaches both onstage and online programming in increasingly collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and innovative ways, the Director will devise and create new communities, stakeholders, and methods of fostering dialogue as well as increasing revenue streams.

 

Through partnerships within the organization and outside entities, the Director will enable the Belfer Center to be the catalyst for exploring and expanding opportunities for successful collaboration and programming across multiple platforms of delivery that increase revenue streams and fuel rapid, broad-based, and sustainable institutional growth.

 

This role is highly entrepreneurial and a one-of-a-kind opportunity for someone looking to blend innovation, social impact, and new initiative development in the context of a large, community-focused nonprofit.

Job Responsibilities Include:

• Lead strategic new initiatives that encompass a range of programmatic themes, as well as scaling existing 92NY programs for a global audience including:
  • Social Impact Accelerator: You will lead the first pilot cohort of a new social impact accelerator that will support the development of initiatives that address today’s ‘Crisis of Community’, creating new social infrastructure to help communities thrive. You will lead all aspects of implementation, project management, community management, and make recommendations for how the accelerator will adapt beyond the pilot cohort.
  • Share Our America: You will lead Share Our America through its next phase of impact with a focus on building strategic collaborations with mission-aligned organizations and funders seeking to reduce division and disconnection in the US. You will manage work with outside consultants and team members across 92NY to create new resources and build coalitions to help leaders enact change in their organizations and communities.
• Develop new programming and revenue streams, including earned and contributed revenue. You will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the financial expenses and budget of the initiatives you lead and assist in securing funding for those initiatives. You will also be accountable to funders and other stakeholders for the financial health of the programs you oversee.
• Develop, lead, support and performance manage a skilled, productive team that works positively and collegially and are continually focused on the delivery of the Belfer Center’s strategic goals and mission.
• Evaluate and react to development and evolution of the social good landscape, including changing trends, opportunities for growth, and challenges.
• Leverage storytelling, social media, and technology to attract new audiences and build new communities across demographics and locations.
• Structure, negotiate and execute partnerships with media outlets, NFPs, NGOs, and for-profits which create content and drive increased visibility for 92NY and demonstrate commitment to social good.  
• Build and maintain strong direct relationships with key partners.
• Coordinate closely with other center directors and programming staff to embed innovation throughout 92NY. Collaborate with cross-departmental teams to structure and execute successful initiatives, develop work plans, and conduct analysis and evaluation.

Experience, Education, & Skills Desired:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience preferred.
• 8+ years experience of designing and delivering successful, high-profile social impact programming and revenue generating events/conferences.
• Proven capability of managing detailed projects from conception through to delivery and evaluation.
• Critical and analytical thinking capability – can identify and solve problems creatively, quickly, and effectively.
• Confident approach to work with the ability to actively and diplomatically disagree.
• An excellent communicator, both oral and written.
• Team player and proven team builder accompanied by strong facilitation skills.
• Ability to establish credibility and be decisive along with the ability to recognize and support the organization's preferences and priorities.

Work Environment & Requirements:

40 hours/week between regular hours Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm.

There may be occasional activities outside of these hours and/or on weekends.

 

Hybrid work environment, with 3+ days/week in the office which is subject to change in the future.

 

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter with salary requirements.

 

Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we are only able to contact those applicants whose experience most aligns with the position profile.

 

 Compensation Range

  $100,000 - $125,000

 

The actual compensation offered will be based on a number of factors including, but not limited to the qualifications of the applicant, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

 

Who You Are

We find that there are a few elements that make a Belfer Center team member - and person in this role - successful:

• Entrepreneurial & Self-Starting: You are able to take ownership of a goal and marshal the resources you need in order to move the work forward. You have good judgment and are comfortable asking for clarification, resources, or support as needed. You are excellent at managing yourself, prioritizing, and asking for help. You know how to spin many plates at once, field lots of details, and step back to ensure alignment with the strategic vision. You have demonstrated your ability to create new programs, systems and workflows from scratch.
• Innovative: You enjoy thinking outside the box and using your experience to try something new or different. You bring experience in human-centered design, lean or agile methodologies and enjoy sharing your experience with others.
• People- & Community-Oriented: You enjoy building relationships with people from all backgrounds, at all levels of seniority. You bring experience managing stakeholders and partnerships. You have experience in community and/or coalition building and sharing your knowledge with others.
• Accountable: You are familiar with Financial and Contractual commitments, and you are financially mindful and capable of creating and maintaining a budget.
• Adaptable: You thrive when working in ambiguity, and when evolving and pivoting your focus as the work, project, or context requires.
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communicator: You know how to structure your thinking and deliver communication clearly in both written and verbal form. You naturally pick up on the context at hand and connect your communication to what will be most effective to the listener, recipient, or group. You may bring experience managing external communications, marketing or thought leadership efforts.
• Humble: As a small team, we all wear many hats: there is no task too big or too small for you. You are able to give clear assignments and constructive feedback to others you may oversee or work alongside and can work in a collegial manner with others.

 

About The Belfer Center

The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact is 92NY’s social impact laboratory, building and scaling initiatives that address society’s most pressing challenges. We do this by incubating new initiatives that build on 92NY’s nearly 150-year history as a center for culture, connection, and enrichment.

 

The Belfer Center invests in the capacity of local change leaders, sustains their connection to one another, and scales the networks that emerge to unlock sustainable, positive change. Since our founding in 2013, we have launched 20 initiatives that have collectively activated 100+ million people to date. The Belfer Center has collaborated with 50+ organizations, corporations, and social impact investors, and our largest initiative, GivingTuesday, is now its own nonprofit that raises billions each year for organizations and individuals.

 

We are a small team (5 full-time team members), and the iterative, experimental nature of our work creates a start-up feel in our organization. We believe in testing, learning, evolving, and adapting — moving fast, while being deliberate in the choices we make about our work.