Director, Family and Individuals, ViaNova

Vital Impact • San Francisco, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

ViaNova partners with philanthropists to unlock their potential and turn their visions for a better world into lasting impact. We are a philanthropic advisory firm that specializes in supporting individual and family clients in their giving and in managing collaboratives and grant-making initiatives that create long-term change. Directors play an essential role on the ViaNova team leading client projects, developing client relationships, supporting business development, managing aspects of team or firmwide strategy, and developing team talent and culture. We anticipate that this Director will have a client portfolio of individual and family clients. This will likely include family foundations and individual donors and couples that are early - or at a pivot point in their impact journeys and are seeking guidance on the best approaches to advance their philanthropic commitments in a way that aligns with their values and preferences. We seek a candidate with core competence in strategic analysis and experience in professional services and consulting, and exposure to working with ultra-high net-worth families and individuals–through direct experience working in a family office, private wealth management or family foundation and/or through organizational or strategic consulting. In this specific role, you will need to thrive in being a trusted advisor to colleagues and clients. You are someone who understands that long-term, systemic change requires respect for what an individual or family philanthropist is up against, and a deep understanding of the complex logistics of impact, (e.g., when and how to move the human, financial, and even intellectual resources needed to accomplish a goal).

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent level of experience (9 years of experience without a Bachelor's degree)
• Minimum 5-7+ years of relevant professional experience
• Experience in philanthropy, professional services, management consulting, family office, or nonprofit management with regular and sustained interaction with ultra-high-net-wealth families, couples, or individuals highly preferred
• Proven ability to creatively and confidently facilitate groups (families in particular) to collaborate and feel empowered to make decisions
• A flexible mindset and interest in providing highly customized service to advance individual and family donors whether they are just beginning their philanthropy journeys or are deep into strategic grant making
• Experience with change management and coaching individuals or groups to navigate learning new skills, working together in new ways, and testing and implementing new structures and processes.
• Experience with strategy development and implementation including business and strategic planning and organizational design
• Strong project management skills to drive projects to completion, including the ability to lead complex projects, oversee and delegate to team members, build positive relationships with a range of philanthropic clients, and meet deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal and written and oral communication skills, to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs; and to coach teammates on crafting content, and demonstrated ability to synthesize large amounts of information on the page
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team
• The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually develop skills in your role and facilitate team and project-level learning, including coaching others
• The ability to take initiative for creating an inclusive environment and model and implement equitable policies, practices, systems, or strategies

Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic lead or project manager on a portfolio of 3-5 client projects ensuring client deliverables, client meetings, and presentations meet or exceed client expectations.
• Act as a thought partner to other project teams working with individual & family clients or in other areas of specific expertise.
• Develop, manage, and grow relationships with clients. The Director must have the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills necessary to build long-lasting and close relationships with their clients and advisors to their clients.
• In the context of project work, lead by example in creating an inclusive team dynamic where everyone’s voice is valued, delegate effectively to project team members, and provide support and training to help team members develop their skills and talent.
• Ensure the team is applying equity principles to the scope of work, asking at all phases: “What can we be doing to build more equitable processes and achieve more equitable outcomes?”
• Partner with senior leaders to qualify leads and pitch new opportunities with prospective individual and family clients or to advisors of individuals and families.
• Serve as senior lead on proposals, including advising or leading on scope design and pricing and closing the opportunity with the prospect.
• Stay abreast of developments of the field and use this information to hone services and business strategy; represent the firm at select conferences and events.
• Partner with the Practice Lead of Individual & Family Services to lead training and learning activities throughout the year.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and management of key components of the team and firm’s strategic plan, annual objectives, and key business performance metrics.
• Contribute to professional growth and satisfaction of junior staff in concert with Practice Lead of the firm’s individual and family practice by providing direction, support, guidance and mentorship on project work and by promoting firm culture that centers equity and belonging; develop and share relevant skills and issue-area expertise.

Benefits

• Health insurance - Vital Impact subsidizes medical, dental, and vision premiums for all levels of participation
• Paid time off – 16 vacation days, 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, with no waiting or vesting period
• Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan, internet, and fitness
• Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking
• Bonus incentive opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees