Managing Director, Strategy Implementation (Job ID: 2025-3756)

The Brookings Institution • Washington, DC

34d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks! The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level. We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy. With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors. The Executive Office (EO) moves the Brookings mission forward by supporting and guiding the research programs, external affairs, and business operations of the Institution. The EO consists of the President's office and the President's support team and aims to communicate regularly and transparently with Brookings staff about what's happening at the institutional level. Position Location: This position is hybrid. Hybrid positions combine regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC office with the option of two days of remote work each week. The Managing Director, Strategy Implementation is responsible for designing and leading a high-performing organizational function that accelerates strategic execution and transformation excellence across the Institution. This position will shape a scalable, future-ready framework that strengthens organizational resilience, enhances performance, and fosters adoption of new ways of working to achieve the goals outlined in Brookings' multiyear strategic plan. The role provides clarity, structure, and support in navigating complex change, translating cultural and behavioral dimensions of transformation-such as mindset, adaptability, and collaboration-into measurable and sustainable practices. This is a three-year term appointment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Organization Development, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in consulting, implementation, or enterprise program management; minimum of 8 years engaging directly with executive clients.
• Advanced certifications in Change Management, Lean Six Sigma, or Organizational Development a plus.
• Proven success leading large-scale, cross-functional implementation projects.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to influence C-suite stakeholders.
• Strong business acumen and strategic problem-solving skills.
• Expertise in change management, process optimization, and technology adoption.
• PMP or similar certifications a plus.
• Must be comfortable working independently and making decisions.
• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Must be thoughtful, responsive, and sensitive in response to employees' questions or concerns.
• Deep expertise in organizational transformation, change enablement, and continuous improvement.
• Proven record of translating strategy into execution and benefit realization.
• Strong governance and systems thinking mindset-balancing agility, control, and risk.
• Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to influence and inspire at C-suite level.
• High emotional intelligence and analytical acumen.
• Experience designing structures that embed capability, accountability, and adaptability at scale.
• Strategic thinker with a consultative mindset and client-first orientation.
• Confident leader capable of navigating ambiguity and driving results under pressure.
• Collaborative team player with a focus on developing people and processes.
• Commitment to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Must be authorized to work for any employer in the US.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Advanced certifications in Change Management, Lean Six Sigma, or Organizational Development a plus.
• PMP or similar certifications a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develops and leads the implementation of the organization's strategic plan across all research programs and business units.
• Engages the Brookings community to translate strategic goals into actionable workstreams, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
• Establishes and operationalizes a governance model to track progress, escalate issues, and support decision-making.
• Ensures alignment between strategic initiatives, budgets, and resource allocation.
• Develops and manages dashboards, performance indicators, and reporting processes to measure progress toward strategic objectives.
• Identifies risks, dependencies, and barriers to implementation, and proactively recommends corrective actions.
• Facilitates regular strategic reviews with executive leadership and stakeholders.
• Manages an in-house implementation team and assesses the need for, sources, and manages consultants, as needed.
• Drives cross-functional engagement to foster ownership, accountability, and collaboration.
• Supports stakeholder engagement, communication, and change management best practices to ensure organization-wide understanding and adoption of the strategic plan.
• Builds confidence and alignment through transparent communication, storytelling, and shared success metrics.
• Equips leaders with tools, templates, and processes to manage strategic execution within their areas.
• Builds internal capacity for challenge identification and prioritization, change management, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Coaches change leaders and teams on outcome-based thinking, and organization alignment.
• Develops documentation, playbooks, and frameworks to ensure continuity and momentum throughout the strategic implementation timeline.
• Serves as a trusted strategic advisor to the Vice President, Chief of Staff and the broader Executive Leadership Team (ELT) on transformation priorities and readiness.
• Cultivates strong partnerships across functional areas to ensure unified transformation delivery.
• Represents the transformation agenda at board, executive, and enterprise forums, providing insight on progress and impact.

Benefits

• Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings.
• Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility.
• For more information, please visit Brookings Benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees