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Arabella Advisors

Associate Director

Arabella Advisors, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60290


Associate Director, Partner Solutions (Hybrid in Chicago, IL; Durham, NC; or Washington, D.C.)Associate Directors are experienced operations professionals with strong project management skills who oversee a portfolio of fiscally sponsored projects.This role is ideal for experienced relationship managers interested in leading management for a portfolio of complex projects and overseeing and managing account teams in that work. They work within an assigned team and with project staff members, donors, and other stakeholders to ensure all the operational pieces move forward successfully and efficiently. This role requires deep relationship building and thought partnership with project staff and internal teams.This position generally reports to a Director, Partner Solutions. Advocacy-focused projects are a growing component of our work, so this would be a great role for someone with experience in the operations and compliance of nonprofit advocacy initiatives.Client ServicesIndependently project manage a portfolio of complex fiscally sponsored projects by leading workstreams, fostering team communications, and overseeing the execution of work completed by junior staff members. This includes:Build strong relationships with project staff, earning trust through clear and consistent communication, strong project management and adherence to accountabilities, and consistently approach client service with a problem-solving mindset.Provide expert operational leadership, grounded in Client Service Standards, including sound contract management, financial management and legal compliance to ensure projects remain financially sound and compliant with IRS, federal, and state regulations.Grants management including overseeing the contract and subgrant processes from initial review and due diligence to drafting and implementation.Oversee and manage the complexities of incoming funds, including proposal oversight, spend down tracking, and reports to funders.Highlight concerns, propose solutions, and notify internal stakeholders of trends within the portfolio.Deftly manage towards multiple deadlines and continuously ensure priorities align with the needs of all stakeholders, pulling in subject matter expert teams as needed.Manage relationships between multiple stakeholders, including internal team, funders, programmatic staff, and grantees.Participate in advocacy training, applying learnings to recognize and enforce advocacy and lobbying regulations to ensure your portfolio of projects adheres to ensure compliance with IRS, federal, and state regulations.Ensure project data is accurately maintained.Lead scoping, pricing, and monitoring of ongoing profitability of assigned projects within portfolio.People Management

Oversee and manage performance accountabilities including setting individualized goals and managing to role expectations for each direct report.Contribute to professional growth and satisfaction of early career staff on your project teams by providing appropriate direction, support, guidance, and mentorship on project work.Promote a firm culture that centers equity and belonging; develop and share relevant skills and issue-area expertise.As needed, people manage a team of 3-5 junior staff members, including performance management and a focus on developing, motivating, and mentoring direct reports.Oversee time keeping for direct reports; liaising with assigned capacity director as needed.Convey, support, and as appropriate, translate firm messages from leadership to direct reports.Other Responsibilities

Participate in specialized team initiatives as assigned.Support the development of more efficient processes, systems, and technology as assigned.Participate in training and learning activities throughout the year.Support new business development by meeting with potential clients, evaluating projects, and developing collateral, proposals, and budgets as assigned.Implement and adhere to department and organizational policies and procedures.To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need

Required6-8 years of relevant professional experience.Experience with operational policies and processes such as finance, HR, compliance and legal in the nonprofit, philanthropic, or business sector.Strong project management and elevated stakeholder management skills, including delegation, conflict management, and management of highly sensitive situations.Excellent time management skills, effective prioritization, ability to meet deadlines, and drive multiple projects simultaneously.Demonstrated proficiency with budgeting, forecasting, and/or reviewing nonprofit financial statements.Experience with grants management (either as incoming or outgoing funds), including due diligence and reporting.Ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovation and creative solutions.Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with diverse teams and audiences.Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate difficult messages; adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs.Ability to use available resources and feedback to continually pivot, adapt, and grow.Preferred

Familiarity and/or experience working within a fiscal sponsorship structure is a plus.Familiarity with the rules governing 501(c)(3)’s and 501(c)(4)’s.An appreciation for efficient processes and a desire to improve them.Ability to facilitate team and project-level learning.Deep experience with or understanding of nonprofit (c3 & c4) advocacy compliance.Guide projects in compliantly structuring lobbying and politically related activities.Experience in tandem/shared 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) contracts. Experience with grantmaking for lobbying or political purposes.Experience working with funders in the advocacy/political space.Experience with complex restricted funding, such as voter registration, project grant rule, etc.Our Core Competencies

The ability to provide excellent service, including being able to address complex service matters, implement and communicate service changes to everyone involved, and to coach teammates on how to apply the firm’s service standards.The ability to manage large-scale and cross-firm projects, including delegating and managing all resources, identifying and implementing improved processes, monitoring consistency across project teams, and providing direction and support to teammates.The ability to facilitate and negotiate among stakeholders with conflicting needs and to generate consensus among decision makers.The ability to help effectively communicate difficult messages; to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs; and to coach teammates on crafting content.The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including encouraging and facilitating effective compromise, drawing on the capabilities of all team members, and leading team-level knowledge sharing.The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually develop mastery in your role and facilitate team and project-level learning, including coaching others.The ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovative solutions and facilitating coordination with others.The ability to elevate the voices of marginalized colleagues and mitigate power dynamics with staff with less formal authority.Working with Us

While this position can be Hybrid in Chicago, IL; Durham, NC; or Washington, D.C., please note that all Arabella Advisors’ offices have reopened, and we work in a hybrid environment.We reopened our offices in Summer of 2022 and work with a hybrid workplace strategy to ensure continued flexibility for our staff, while deepening our strong culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. We expect that after their initial onboarding, all Arabellans will have the choice of two hybrid schedules. Our hybrid schedule options include Flex, with 1-2 days per week in the office, or Office-based, with 3+ days per week in the office (or more if preferred) and the remaining days working at home/remotely. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.About Arabella’s Partner Solutions TeamThe Partner Solutions Team provides operations and back-end services and support to fiscally sponsored projects housed at multiple 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. Projects range from new and innovative public interest organizations to donor collaborative initiatives to grants administration programs and cover a diverse range of focus areas. Candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to better understand the complex infrastructure and role of our team.Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values.Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.Total Rewards (compensation and benefits)This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our compensation ranges are based on salary ranges for similar sized organizations in the professional services sector and adjusted for local labor market rates and differentiated by geography.Annual Pay Ranges for This PositionChicago: $80,000 - $90,000DC: $85,000 - $95,000All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:

Health insurance- On average Arabella pays 86% of the medical premium, 80% of the dental premium, and 100% of the vision premium.Paid time off- 16 days’ vacation, 10 personal days, 11 company holidays (7 federal and 4 more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday), 20 hours’ volunteer leave, 8 weeks’ parental leave.401(k) retirement plan- We offer a 4% employer match on a dollar-per-dollar basis, and there is no waiting or vesting period; all funds contributed by you and Arabella are yours to keep on day 1.Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan and fitness.Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking.Bonus incentive opportunities.Access to professional development opportunities.How to Apply

Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses, and all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.

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