Program Director

ABOUT PISCES FOUNDATION

The Pisces Foundation works to advance a world where nature and communities thrive. With a focus on fostering collective action to address complex social challenges, the foundation supports the field building, movement infrastructure, and collaborations necessary for significant and sustainable change. The foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California with grantee partners across the globe. More information on the Pisces Foundation’s updated strategy can be found here.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Pisces Foundation seeks an experienced senior leader to serve in the newly created role of Program Director. This is a unique opportunity to help drive and implement the Foundation’s updated strategic approach in its continuing commitment to funding impact-oriented collective action.

Reporting to the President and leading a high-caliber staff of four, the Director will serve as a team and organizational leader implementing the Foundation’s updated and cutting-edge social impact approach in the Foundation’s two main programmatic areas: 1) an integrated approach to its work in the Environment; and 2) a new initiative directing investments that contribute to a more thriving, vibrant San Francisco. The Director will also serve as a principal advisor and trusted thought partner to the President and board, lead organization-wide program communications, oversee learning and evaluation, and design and support effective board meetings. This is a largely internal role, driving the effectiveness of the program as a whole to achieve program goals and impact.

Candidates must have 1) at least 15 years of experience in the nonprofit, private, philanthropic, or public sector, including significant experience directly managing others; 2) expertise in collective impact and collaboration for impact; 3) a deep understanding of social movements and the capacity to iteratively improve program implementation by thinking critically about theories of change; 4) domain expertise in areas of focus for the Foundation: Environment (water, climate and energy, environmental education) and/or San Francisco. Excellent strategic planning, project management, communication and writing skills are essential.

Candidates must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area. To promote collaboration and a dynamic work experience, Pisces uses a hybrid remote and in-office format from their San Francisco office. A fully remote work option will not be considered for this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Pisces Foundation is creating an integrated program team that is capable of collaboration across its two focus areas of environmental and local (San Francisco) grantmaking. In the context of a multi-focal strategy, the Program Director will:

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Have responsibility for the excellence and effectiveness of the program, including the implementation and impact of a Foundation strategy to achieve systems change and stronger, sustainable field-level infrastructure, collective impact, and leadership development.
• To achieve these aims, oversee and implement a single coherent program with shared strategy, team, and efforts across the Foundation’s two focus areas of Environment (water management, climate and energy, environmental education) and local (San Francisco) grantmaking.
• Design a rational rhythm for strategic reviews in coordination with the budget approvals.
• Lead the program team to maximize impact by an integrated approach to grantmaking, convenings, communication efforts and other methods.
• Develop cross-program and Foundation-wide grant initiatives with support and collaboration from the program team.
• Oversee grantmaking standards in collaboration with the Grants Manager.
• Oversee program budget spending to optimize impact with reasonably smooth grant volume flow and cash flow.

Management and Collaboration

• Serve as a trusted and sophisticated thought partner to the President, supporting effective interaction on core issues of strategic design, implementation, and impact.
• Supervise the Environment Lead, San Francisco Lead, Program Analyst, and Fellow; provide effective management, guidance, coaching, and mentoring.
• Create an inspiring and creative program team culture with open communication, cross-program impact, and learning.
• Provide excellent proactive management–including team goals, timelines, and delegation, as appropriate–to create the conditions for a highly effective matrix-management structure with project-based management.
• Lead occasional foundation-wide projects that advance the Foundation’s organizational goals.

Learning and Evaluation

• Have responsibility for effective learning and evaluation (LE) that connects program actions to program goals and field outcomes.
• Oversee execution of the LE process, including grant reports, SMART goals, logic models, the organization’s annual review, and strategic refresh.
• Enhance LE tools and processes in collaboration with LE consultant for recommendation to the President.
• Supervise LE consultant.
• Create a culture of learning within the Foundation, including developing ongoing learning agendas for staff and trustees.

Communications

• Have responsibility for effective and strategic communications that advance the work of the program and grantees.
• Have responsibility for the development and execution of the annual communications arc as approved by the President.
• Supervise communication consultant, and be a skilled writer and verbal communicator about the Foundation’s strategy and impact.
• Represent the Foundation to external entities when needed.
• Communicate directly with Pisces Foundation stakeholders via speaking engagements, written blogs, and social media.
• Support the President in representing the Foundation’s overall strategic approach.

Board Meetings

• Have responsibility for effective and coherent curation, preparation, and execution of board meeting agendas and materials that balance appropriate Trustee engagement and learning with staff preparation and production capacity.

Internal Relationships and Leadership

• Support the integration of a shared Foundation strategy, ethos, and approach.
• Provide excellent change management and internal communications to support transitions.
• Collaborate with the Grants Manager to ensure program standards are aligned with best practices, ensuring smooth team operations and effective collaboration to maximize impact.
• Maintain currency and fluency in key issues in the field, including but not limited to philanthropy best practices; how to effectively fund impact-oriented collaborations; field infrastructure, field-building, and its variants; and the Foundation’s work in the Environment (water management, climate and energy, environmental education) and San Francisco.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An advanced degree is preferred, and at least 15 years of relevant experience in the nonprofit, private, philanthropic, or public sector, including experience directly managing others.
• Expert in collective impact, collaboration for impact, and leadership, with a deep understanding of plural social movements and the capacity to iteratively improve program implementation by thinking critically about theories of change.
• A leader in one or more program domain areas of water, climate and energy, environmental education, or San Francisco. Strong interest in all other areas.
• Ability to excel in creating and leading a diverse, energetic, and high caliber staff; ability to motivate individuals and foster team spirit. Excellent manager with demonstrated success in building and elevating teams and individuals as direct reports, collaborators, or peers.
• Strategic and creative thinker with experience in the development and execution of strategy to achieve social goals and forge new ground.
• Expert understanding of the complex interactions among the water, climate and energy, and environmental educational domains; the environmental and social justice fields; and place-based grantmaking strategies.
• Strong team orientation and the demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within and across teams to reach common goals.
• Ability to represent the Foundation and build relationships when needed with stakeholders, including staff, board members, partners, and grantees, respectfully and authentically. Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Flexibility, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to help others is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively in formal work products including written reports, board memos, blogs, emails, etc., and in formal and informal meetings and presentations. Experience adapting communication styles to different cultural environments and audiences.
• Demonstrable commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills with attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work.
• Commitment to the Pisces Foundation’s mission and strategy.
• Willingness to travel when needed to advance the aims of the organization.

LOCATION AND SCHEDULE

To promote collaboration and a dynamic work experience, the Pisces Foundation operates with a hybrid remote and in-office schedule, working out of the Foundation offices in downtown San Francisco 2 – 3 days a week. A remote option is not available for this role. Candidates must live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pisces Foundation offers an excellent compensation package that includes platinum-level health, dental, and vision insurance, FSA, life insurance, bereavement leave, paid time off, and holidays.

The starting salary for this role is $210,000 – $240,000, depending on skills and experience. Our salaries are competitive, reflect our geographic location and field, and are commensurate with experience. Pisces Foundation participates in multiple compensation surveys for grantmaking organizations and conducts an annual review of market-based salary trends.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

We know there are strong candidates who may not have all the qualifications listed above. If you have skills and experiences that would be an asset to the role, please apply. The Foundation encourages people of color, those from under-resourced communities, immigrants, LGBTQ+, and others with diverse backgrounds and with a variety of skills, experiences, and ideas. We are an equal-opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

TO APPLY

Martha Montag Brown & Associates, LLC has been retained to conduct this search. Interested and qualified candidates should click "Apply" below to email a resume and substantive cover letter to search@marthamontagbrown.com. All correspondence will remain confidential.