Managing Director, Civic Innovation and AI

The Rockefeller Foundation•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Managing Director, Civic Innovation & AI is responsible for designing and stewarding civic innovation – including responsible AI – as jobs infrastructure within the Foundation’s U.S. portfolio, strengthening public systems in ways that measurably improve employment outcomes. This role ensures innovation and AI are not deployed as isolated pilots or tools, but as durable system capabilities that strengthen public institutions, improve workforce attachment, shorten time-to-reemployment, and support job creation at scale. Operating with a portfolio-wide mandate and clear programmatic decision rights, the Managing Director sets strategy, guardrails, and learning agendas that guide how civic innovation and AI are integrated across community, sectoral, and national efforts where they materially improve job outcomes and public system performance. The role also ensures the Foundation remains forward-looking and grounded in how AI-driven economic disruption is reshaping labor markets, institutions, and pathways to good jobs. Reporting to the Vice President, U.S. Economic Opportunity & Civic Innovation, this role works closely with the Managing Directors for Community Investment Strategy and National Partnerships, as well as policy, sector, and catalytic finance colleagues, to ensure civic innovation is (1) grounded in community implementation realities; and (2) positioned for adoption and scale through institutions, policy, and capital. In partnerships with national platforms, this role typically leads on strategy, guardrails, and outcomes. The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity in food, health, energy, and finance, including through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.

Requirements

Generally expected to have 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in civic innovation, public sector modernization, economic policy, workforce systems, or related fields, with demonstrated impact at a regional or national level.
Bachelor’s degree required
5+ years of proven experience designing and leading systems-level initiatives, including strategy development, cross-sector collaboration, and implementation within complex institutional environments.
Strong understanding of AI-driven economic and labor market dynamics, with the ability to translate emerging trends into concrete portfolio choices, safeguards, and implementation priorities.
Practical experience deploying innovation and/or technology solutions within public sector environments, including familiarity with governance, procurement, data, change management, and operational constraints.
Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment.
Experience overseeing portfolios, initiatives, or investments with accountability for outcomes, learning, and impact.
Strong judgment in prioritization, sequencing, and risk management, with the ability to operate effectively in ambiguity while maintaining strategic clarity.
Executive presence and credibility with public sector leaders, philanthropic partners, and technical experts, with the ability to represent the Foundation externally.
Ability to travel as required.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Design and steward the Foundation’s civic innovation and responsible AI approach, establishing priorities, guardrails, and learning agendas that guide how innovation and AI are deployed across the portfolio and where the Foundation invests – and what it will not do – to stay focused on job outcomes and public-system performance.
Lead the Civic Innovation & AI strategy by identifying priority public-system bottlenecks where innovation and responsible AI can materially improve employment outcomes and public system performance, and sequencing initiatives to balance ambition, institutional readiness, and scalability.
Translate AI-driven economic and labor market dynamics into strategic insight, monitoring emerging trends and evidence, and converting complex, uncertain developments into clear implications for investment, program design, and portfolio strategy.
Oversee the identification and stewardship of responsible AI use cases that improve workforce and employment outcomes, ensuring they are implementable within real public systems and aligned with governance, ethical, and operational standards.
Ensure civic innovation efforts generate decision-relevant, transferable insight through cross-site learning, clear hypotheses, and measurable outcomes, and work across portfolios to distinguish context-specific results from scalable models.
Integrate civic innovation across the U.S. portfolio by partnering with community, sector, policy, and finance teams to embed innovation into workforce systems, economic development strategies, and institutional reform efforts, while clarifying decision rights, roles, and operating norms to reduce duplication and fragmentation.
Partner with national partnerships leadership to determine which approaches are ready for broader adoption and through which pathways (institutional uptake, policy integration, funding alignment, and capital strategies).
For national platforms and intermediaries that scale across states (e.g., multi-state workforce transition platforms responding to AI disruption), serve as the programmatic strategy lead (guardrails, success metrics, and learning agenda) while partnering with the Managing Director, National Partnerships, as the primary relationship owner for partner management, co-funding, and scaling pathways.
Represent the Foundation externally in key forums and partnerships, positioning it as a pragmatic, systems-oriented leader in civic innovation and responsible AI focused on strengthening public institutions and delivering measurable job outcomes.
Provide direct management and leadership for the Civic Innovation & AI team, including supervision of a Director and Senior Associate, supporting team development, performance management, and effective execution aligned with portfolio priorities.