The Organization
About the Rockefeller Foundation
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at the intersection of four focus areas – advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities – to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations that create unlikely partnerships that span sectors.
The Foundation currently maintains offices in New York, a study and conference center in Bellagio, Italy, and regional offices in Bangkok and Nairobi.
Programmatic Work
Since 2009, the Foundation has structured its programmatic work through a portfolio of interconnected Initiatives. Initiatives are intended to unfold through four phases. The Foundation scans the landscape in its four issue areas to identify pressing problems in the field. The Search phase is usually a short-term (four month) exploration, largely through research and convenings, of a problem the Foundation might pursue. It typically involves an assessment of the system impacting the problem and the development of a hypothesis about potential solutions. The Development phase (which unfolds over one to two years) tests potential interventions through demonstration projects and further research. The Execution phase, which requires Foundation Board approval, runs for eight to ten years with a defined strategic plan and budget.
The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces.
The Rockefeller Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Position Overview
The Rockefeller Foundation is looking for a Senior Speechwriter to lead speech development and writing as part of a content strategy that advances the influence and communications goals of the foundation.
Position Summary
The Rockefeller Foundation’s Communications Office is responsible for all key communications functions including media relations, website and digital communications, speechwriting, grantee engagement and knowledge integration. The office also leads the Influence Pathway, designed to maximize The Rockefeller Foundation’s impact, achieved by leveraging our brand, reputation, networks and convening power to achieve additional and significant impact above and beyond our grant dollars.
The Senior Speechwriter will develop and write speeches for the Foundation president as part of an integrated internal and external content strategy that advances the Foundation’s goals of building greater resilience and more inclusive economies; positions The Rockefeller Foundation as a leader in innovation; and grows the Foundation’s audience in both quality and quantity.
You might be a fit for this position if you are an accomplished and creative writer and strong editor; if you display a strong passion and deep knowledge of content strategy development; if you are flexible, nimble and a team player; and if you are entrepreneurial with a commitment to advance The Rockefeller Foundation’s goals collaborating with – and highlighting – the work of grantees and partners as appropriate.
Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to
• Research, edit and draft speeches, op-eds, articles and other content for the Foundation president and other senior leaders.
• Repurpose speeches for use as op-eds, blog posts, articles, talking points and other speeches.
• With the Vice President, Global Communications and the President’s Office develop and execute a thought leadership strategy for the RF president.
• Work closely with the President’s Office staff to plan the President’s calendar and ensure speeches are well coordinated with briefings and other materials.
• Lead the content development and writing of the annual report and other publications as needed.
• Work with Associate Director, Knowledge Integration to develop and deploy internal knowledge for external learning and engagement.
• Maintain speech database and the ability to access and collect content.
• Maintain database of talking points for use by RF staff.
Competencies
• Strategic ability to see opportunities, design innovative approaches backed by strong analysis and planning. Strong sense for messaging, themes and techniques that resonate. Skilled strategist who can also dive in and personally bring projects to completion as needed.
• Ability to articulate a content vision, lead and design the plan of action, and drive the writing of content that supports the goals of the organization.
• Execution and Implementation: Strong project management skills, deadline management, sense of responsibility and accountability and the ability to effectively multi-task. Ability to manage contractors to ensure timely, high-quality work product.
• Management: strong manager of workload and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Partnership and Relationship-Building: Strong professional representation of The Rockefeller Foundation, interpersonal relationship abilities, intercultural knowledge and appreciation, strategic partnership building.
• Integration: Ability to demonstrate inclusiveness, collaboration, respect and broad organizational interests.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal and communication abilities; exceptional listening, written, and oral skills. Accomplished at communicating and influencing both inside and outside the organization.
• Creative thinker. High energy. Action oriented. Self-motivated.
• High achievement. Pride in succeeding. Gives rather than takes credit.
• Sound, mature judgment and integrity. Personal qualities of humility and capacity for self-reflection.
• Commitment to the Rockefeller Foundation’s mission and core values – effectiveness, equity, integrity, innovation and leadership.
Education, Training and Experience
• A proven track record of high caliber content creation, speechwriting and communicating messages effectively across all media.
• 10 – 15 years’ experience as a speechwriter, journalist or related content-creation field.
• Highly skilled editor
• Familiarity and comfort with marketing, digital and social media tools and ability to measure and evaluate audience metrics
• Undergraduate degree required; Master’s degree preferred but not required. Study in media, communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, business, and/or computer science preferred but not required.
Compensation
The Rockefeller Foundation offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience. The Foundation provides a very generous pack