Vice President of Programs, Borealis Philanthropy

About Borealis Philanthropy
From Black-led movement-building, to queer and trans liberation, to disability justice and inclusion, community organizers are working every day to bring about transformational change. Borealis Philanthropy exists to listen to, invest in, and support them. Our staff of experts come from the communities we serve, and bring their lived experiences, values, and visions to the work of supporting community-driven change through grantee and funder collaboration.

As a philanthropic intermediary, Borealis Philanthropy builds bridges between funders and organizers by creating opportunities for impact-driven investments. We team with funders to conceive, develop, and implement grantmaking initiatives that resource the many innovative organizations within each of our respective grantmaking funds. In partnering with philanthropy, we remove barriers to funding for grassroots organizations and invest in intersectional movements building a future that serves all of us.

Where We Are

While Borealis Philanthropy has been quite public about what we believe it takes to fund transformational change as a social justice intermediary, we know the reality that it is rare for intermediaries like ours to consistently be set up for long term success and sustainability.

As Borealis Philanthropy enters our tenth year of partnering with funders and movement leaders and organizers to build the liberatory future we believe possible, we are leaning more deeply into our theory of change, and intentionally investing in the next decade of resourcing justice movements by building an infrastructure to actualize our organizational potential.


Our Values
Alchemy + Healing, Atrevida + Audacity, Accountability + Integrity, Ubuntu + Interconnectedness

Position Overview
Job Title: Vice President of Programs (2 positions)
Reports to (Title): President
Department: Programs
Employment Classification: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt
Base Annual Compensation Range: The full-time salary range for this role is between $175,000 - $263,000, with exact salary depending on experience, and new staff rarely start at the top of the range.
Location: Remote

Job Overview
Borealis Philanthropy seeks two dynamic and visionary Vice Presidents to co-lead our programmatic efforts. The ideal candidates will possess a unique blend of strategic thinking, grantmaking expertise, leadership skills, and a commitment to intersectional equity, and racial and social justice. They will also bring a strong orientation around and practice in movement strategy, possess deep experience in equity- and community-centered grantmaking practice, and understand the strategy of managing and sustaining large-scale philanthropic intermediary institutions. These Vice Presidents will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization's programs, fostering collaboration, and driving impactful change through a restorative and forward-thinking lens. They will additionally play central roles as collaborators to the organization’s President and Executive Leadership Team in leading Borealis Philanthropy through a critical period of growth and expansion.

The Vice Presidents provide senior leadership and strategic oversight for all grantmaking and movement support efforts within Borealis. They are responsible for establishing department-wide policies and standards, leading strategic planning and critical decision-making, selecting and overseeing fund directors and program managers, managing budgets, approving major expenditures, and maintaining strategic partnerships. The Vice Presidents will also be responsible for the successful implementation of a new program leadership structure and for ensuring that the organization’s grantmaking and movement support activities are delivered effectively and efficiently.

As key members of Borealis’ Senior Leadership Team, the Vice Presidents of Programs will work closely with colleagues, including the President, Chief of Staff, Vice President of Finance and Operation and Vice President of Advancement, to develop the organization’s strategic vision and priorities, to respond in a timely manner to organizational opportunities and challenges, to ensure greater collaboration between teams and departments, and to promote a healthy, safe, and diverse workplace where Borealis employees can thrive within a culture of care. Senior leaders are expected to work actively to balance the needs and priorities of their assigned department(s) with those of the organization as a whole and Borealis’ diverse network of partner donors, grantees, movement leaders, and other organizational stakeholders.

The ideal candidates for these positions will bring a passionate commitment to social justice and racial equity, high emotional intelligence, a proven track record of effective relationship- and team building, as well as strong experience in program design, management, and assessment within a philanthropic institution. They will be strategic thinkers with the ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to
complex problems.


Responsibilities

Cultivates & Leads the Program Team

-Lead the Program Team into the future with a bold and visionary approach. Inspire and motivate team members to embrace innovation and solutions-oriented and forward-thinking strategies.
-Provide inspirational leadership both internally - across multiple teams and departments, and externally - across multiple sectors and stakeholder groups.
-Serve as a vocal and empathetic advocate on behalf of members of the Borealis’ team and support leaders, organizations, coalitions and Movements.
-Ensure the transition to the newly approved program leadership structure, including the assignment of management and supervisory responsibilities.
-Develop an annual overall workplan for the program department to set strategic priorities, promote cross-team collaboration, and identify and approve new initiatives.
-Lead and facilitate regular meetings with individual program leads as well as the program leadership team as a whole.
-Design, implement, and evaluate new programs and initiatives to support the growth and expansion of the Programs Department.
-Develop and oversee evaluation and assessment tools and processes to measure program effectiveness and outcomes.

Strategy, Program Development & Program Support

-Oversee and support the strategic development of an assigned cohort of 4-5 collaborative funds in alignment with Borealis’ organizational priorities and mission.
-Shape the development of and contribute to the management of Borealis’ programmatic strategy and annual departmental budget and work plan.
-Review and approve all grants generated from their respective cohort of funds.
-Troubleshoot emergent issues and challenges in the work, taking on a solutions-oriented and restorative approach to issue resolution.
-Stay informed on emerging trends, and scan for gaps and opportunities in supported funding strategies and initiatives.
-Manage strategic partnerships with key stakeholders such as donors and grantees to assess developments in the field and strategic points for philanthropic engagement and partnership.
-Contribute to the continuous learning, evaluation, and feedback of supported Funds, using findings to inform improvement, planning, and future investment.
-Strategically think about how to evolve and sharpen grantmaking strategies to move the work of Borealis and support Movements forward.

Internal Staff Development, Support & Supervision

-Demonstrate inclusive leadership while managing and providing support to an assigned cohort of 4-5 Fund Directors and 1-2 direct reports focused on cross-fund capacity building and Movement Support.
-Serve as a champion of, internal advocate for, and supporter to Fund Directors and Program Team members.
-Deliver as-needed coaching and advice to Fund Directors to support them in meeting their desired goals and objectives.
-Work in partnership with the Director of People of Culture and Executive Team to fund, organize, and broker staff access to responsive professional development and growth opportunities.

Cross-Fund Capacity Building & Movement Support

-Oversee and support the design, assessment, and implementation of successful capacity-building partnerships and initiatives.
-Co-lead the development of a short and long-term vision and strategic plan for Borealis’ Movement Infrastructure and Capacity Building initiatives.
-Monitor partnerships with outside organizations, consultants, and leaders in support of Borealis’ cross-fund capacity building and movement infrastructure agenda.

Team, Departmental, and Organizational Collaboration

-Foster a culture of collaboration, mutual care, and support among Funds and Program Team members.
-Develop and maintain strong, positive, and collaborative working relationships with other Borealis operational departments and external teams.
-Work in partnership with the Program Team members, the Executive Team, and Communications Department to develop content for annual forums, conferences, publications, and convenings.
-In partnership with the Development Department, support donor cultivation and department-wide campaigns and fundraising activities.
-Represent the Program Team at meetings with other internal departments, strategic partners, and other outside funders/entities.

Board Management

-Partner with the President in managing program-related activities of the Board of Directors.
-Identify opportunities for the Board to learn about programmatic work and champion it in the sector and throughout their networks.

Other Duties

-Submit and approve expense reports and approve timecards by stated deadlines.
-Attend all staff meetings and required trainings and events.
-Participate in organizational development and change processes, including serving on committees or special project teams.
-Model Borealis’ culture and values; align outcomes, practices, and communications within the organization’s culture.
-Manage special projects and other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

-Bachelor’s degree with ten (10) years leading programs in nonprofit and philanthropic entities.
-Five (5) years in philanthropy as a grantmaker in-field or within social movements preferred.
-Five (5) years of experience leading and supervising staff.
-Five (5) years of fundraising experience.
-Experience using systems and tools such as Salesforce, Zoom, Google Suite, Slack, Asana.

Competencies

-Proven track record of leading people and processes within complex organizations, including managing teams to successfully reach their performance goals.
-Demonstrated success in remote and diverse work environments.
-Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, iteratively and creatively with a diverse set of stakeholders, to co-create processes and solutions that meet the needs of the organization, as well as our grantee and donor partners.
-Excellent interpersonal communication skills, energy, and enthusiasm with the ability to build long-term relationships and represent the organization to external audiences.
-Outstanding verbal and written communications skills, including the ability to write and present materials to a diverse set of audiences.
-Demonstrated flexibility, self-awareness, professional integrity and cultural competence – including commitment to Borealis’ values, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
-Demonstrated problem-solving, solution development, and analytical skills.
-Ability to be flexible, adaptable, and to think conceptually, strategically, and learn quickly.
-Ability to meet deadlines, adhere to project plans, and work on several projects simultaneously.
-Ability to identify and mitigate risks to the program.

Work Environment (Conditions and Physical Demands)

This job operates in a professional, virtual, home office or co-working environment, with local and national travel. In line with Borealis’ commitments to racial equity and disability justice, our current policy is that no staff member travel or attendance at in-person meetings is required at this time. If team members are interested in attending in-person events, Borealis will, as needed, work to make reasonable accommodations to ensure their health and safety.

This role routinely uses standard office equipment, including a laptop computer and cell phone. The employee is generally required to spend long periods of time sitting, typing, and working at a computer. May require the ability to occasionally lift and transport items. Accommodations will be made based on ability and accessibility.

Commitment to Disability, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Borealis is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. Borealis is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive staff team. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, women, trans and gender non- conforming people, people with disabilities; and/or formerly incarcerated people.

How To Apply
Please submit a resume with a cover letter that incorporates answers to the three questions below. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled. Priority deadline for applications is July 25, 2024.

1. Why are you interested in working for a philanthropic intermediary that centers racial equity and the intersections with class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability?

2. How do the above values connect to your own lived experience?

3. How would you build community/develop relationships with different constituencies (staff colleagues and/or grant applicants and/or grantees and/or donors) in a national fully remote environment? Please try to make your answer as specific as possible to the work of the department to which you are applying.