Position Title: Director, Board Relations & Special Projects
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: President
Other Key Relationships: Board of Directors, Family Office Staff, Family Foundation Boards and Staff, External Community Leaders and Partners, Consultants
Location: New York, NY
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
The MJS Foundation, Inc., is a private family foundation formed in 2011 to further the philanthropic goals of its founders. The foundation maintains an interest and commitment to bettering the lives of New Yorkers, especially those in need. Specific philanthropic interests include: NYC educational, cultural and social service programs; autism, special education & related services; health care, including mental health services; and limited support to the Stony Brook-area community. The MJS Foundation also provides management support to three additional foundations: Nick Simons Foundation (NSF), Nick Simons Foundation International (NSFI) and Foundation for a Just Society International, Ltd. (FJSI).
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director will serve as the President’s trusted adviser, oversee operations to support a staff of 9, support the President’s board relations, and implement special projects at a transitioning organization. She/he will build strong relationships with team members across related organizations and partnerships.
The Director will assist with representing the President in various internal and external roles, including accompanying the President on all engagements and travel. This position is ideal for a strategic thinker with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and a high level of poise, emotional intelligence, and a demonstrated ability to navigate overlapping organizational landscapes.
This role will focus on providing high-level support across Foundation management, board engagement, leadership assistance, and administrative functions. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong collaboration skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex organizational and personal dynamics.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Foundation Management:
- Serve as a trusted thought partner to the President, assisting with the planning and decision-making process across multiple foundations.
- Analyze the President’s evolving roles, responsibilities, and involvement in foundation-related initiatives, offering insights that ensure alignment with her strategic and personal goals.
- Collaborate with the President in both short-term management and long-term planning for the foundations, including executing changes on specific boards (e.g., NSF) and guiding the development of future-focused strategies.
- Liaise with legal and tax advisors as needed, ensuring compliance and strategic alignment with foundation-specific objectives.
- Support ongoing Foundation management, helping the President navigate key shifts in direction and ensuring the foundations’ initiatives are positioned for future directions.
Board Engagement and Leadership Support:
- Provide strategic support to the President in her board roles, offering decision-making frameworks, administrative assistance, and guidance on board engagement strategies that adapt to the President’s changing personal and professional dynamics.
- Conduct research and evaluation of potential new board members and governance strategies for select organizations.
- Assist the President in major fundraising initiatives, contributing to strategy development, planning, and execution.
- Support the process of winding down or stepping back from specific initiatives or organizations as required.
- Attend board meetings with or on behalf of the President, providing necessary support including preparation, notes and follow up on action items, and ensuring active engagement with key stakeholders.
Administrative Leadership and Support:
- Manage the strategic alignment of the President’s calendar and commitments, ensuring optimal time management, preparation, and work-life balance.
- Draft, edit, and prepare email communications, focusing on strategic objectives, including special or unique requests.
- Collaborate with MJS staff and external partners on ongoing and new strategic projects, offering administrative support as needed.
- Develop a sustainable and adaptable model for administrative support, ensuring cross-training for coverage and efficiency across responsibilities.
Qualifications and Skills:
- At least 7 years of progressive experience in leadership roles, with a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives and managing complex organizational dynamics.
- Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, with strong experience in strategic management, foundation governance, and executive support.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, capable of engaging effectively with diverse stakeholders, including boards, donors, legal and tax advisors, and team members.
- Strong understanding of non-profit dynamics, including fundraising, financial management, and long-term planning strategies.
- Proven experience in board management, including evaluating governance strategies and supporting key initiatives.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft strategic messaging and manage high-level administrative correspondence.
- Resourceful and strategic-minded, with the ability to adapt to evolving organizational and personal needs, ensuring optimal support for leadership and initiatives.
- Familiarity with legal and tax compliance related to foundation management, ensuring strategic alignment and risk mitigation.
- Willingness to travel.
Additional Information: This position requires a proactive, adaptable, and highly organized individual who can anticipate the President’s needs and provide strategic support across a variety of initiatives. The role will require close collaboration with the President, her staff, and external partners, ensuring alignment with both immediate and long-term objectives.
Qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.