Managing Director, Healthy Children and Families

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation•Princeton, NJ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Managing Director leads the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Children and Families (HCF) portfolio within the Strategic Portfolios department. Reporting to the Vice President of Strategic Portfolios, the Managing Director works with department leaders and other senior Foundation staff to align portfolio initiatives with the Foundation-wide strategy. Together with the Associate Managing Directors, the Managing Director serves as part of the HCF management team and leads a matrixed team that includes staff from Research-Evaluation-Learning, Policy, and Communications. HCF works toward a future in which all families have the resources to raise healthy, thriving children and everyone can live with dignity. Its systems-change work focuses on tax and family care: advancing a more equitable tax system that strengthens family economic security and wellbeing, and making childcare, paid leave, and other family supports more accessible and affordable while valuing caregivers. The portfolio seeks to shift policies, power, and public narratives so that wellbeing shapes how the economy serves families. The Managing Director leads strategy and program development, implementation, monitoring, and refinement; oversees portfolio operations, budgets, and grantmaking; and manages and develops staff. The role also builds partnerships with grantees, communities, public systems, advocacy groups, employers, and other foundations, and represents RWJF externally. The position is assigned to the Princeton, New Jersey office and follows RWJF’s Hybrid: Flexible Purpose model, with on-site participation and travel as required by responsibilities and organizational needs.

Requirements

Commitment to the Foundation’s mission, vision, and values.
At least 8 years of relevant work experience, including at least 4 years of progressive experience in a complex management and leadership role with direct supervision, staff support and development, and extensive project management.
Education and experience equivalent to an advanced degree, such as an MA, MPH, or MBA.
Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with understanding of structural racism and systemic biases and their effects on health.
Ability to identify equity issues and analyze power, and apply equity and justice principles to economic inclusion for children and families, including attention to gender, class, sexual orientation, and disability through a race lens.
Experience building coalitions and equitable partnerships with organizations and communities using transparent, accountable, community-centered approaches.
Experience applying equity principles throughout grantmaking, from relationship development through program development, implementation, and evaluation, including disrupting inequitable philanthropic practices.
Ability to build trusting relationships, incorporate perspectives of children, families, and caregivers, and use asset-framing and plain language.
Experience applying lessons from truth, repair, and transformation processes, including reparative practices, to strategy and programming.
Ability to steward a team’s vision, evolve strategy, set priorities, make timely and well-reasoned decisions, and deliver results informed by field dynamics and strategic trade-offs.
Experience building equitable coalitions and partnerships that advance economic inclusion for children and families, strengthen community power, and support community-led priorities.
Experience using systems-change approaches, evidence, and learning to advance health equity through tax and/or care systems, particularly for marginalized children and families.
Strong networks in tax and/or care systems that advance economic wellbeing and inclusion.
Experience defining success and measuring progress over short, medium, and long terms.
Ability to lead with care and adaptability through uncertainty and organizational change, providing staff with stability and role clarity.
Demonstrated ability to coach and develop staff, delegate, and support shared leadership in a matrix environment while fostering trust, belonging, inclusion, and shared accountability.
Ability to lead with emotional intelligence, inspire others around a shared strategic vision, and bring humor and fun to the workplace.
Ability to balance inclusive participation with timely, transparent decisions and clearly communicate decision rationales.
Expertise creating and managing budgets aligned with strategy and priorities.
Sound judgment and ability to make difficult decisions responsively and clearly, explain rationales transparently, and invite constructive challenge.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to synthesize and present complex information clearly and compellingly and identify innovative opportunities while maintaining a systemic-change focus.
Ability and willingness to work in a flexible, purpose-driven hybrid model, including regular travel to and visibility at headquarters, site visits, and external meetings.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years of experience with equitable philanthropy practice or working in philanthropy, the public sector, advocacy, movement-building, or intermediary institutions responsible for deploying significant resources toward social change.
Six or eight years of progressive management and team leadership experience may qualify candidates for consideration for higher placement within the salary range.

Responsibilities

Align portfolio programming, implementation, and budgeting with the Foundation’s Strategic Framework, Generational Goals, forthcoming 10-year outcomes, and Strategic Portfolios department goals.
Lead development and evolution of the portfolio’s strategic plan, including programming, convening, coordination, reporting, and monitoring progress with internal and external partners.
Oversee strategy implementation, equitable grantmaking, program development, and execution by program staff.
Develop and refine strategy using literature reviews, field research, evaluations, progress indicators, and learning from organizations, partners, and people most affected by health inequities.
Communicate portfolio strategy, plans, activities, learning, and performance to Foundation colleagues, senior management, the Board of Trustees, and external partners and the field.
Collaborate with leaders across Communications, Research-Evaluation-Learning, Policy, and other departments to maximize the strategic impact of programming.
Oversee an interdisciplinary, matrixed team and influence and align work across functions where formal authority is limited.
Lead collaborative development of an annual portfolio workplan and allocate financial and personnel resources to deliver it.
Create and manage annual budgets with the Associate Managing Directors and Program Finance staff.
Lead portfolio training, structures, and processes, including meetings, workstreams, and retreats.
Foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment; support staff development, performance, professional growth, and agency; coach staff; and address interpersonal conflicts.
Build regional and national partnerships with nonprofits, grassroots and advocacy networks, public systems, employers, foundations, and other partners.
Work with national partners to influence state and national decisionmakers, advance the field, and spark innovation.
Build trusting relationships with grantees and external partners and represent the Foundation in media and at events.
Evaluate grant proposals for strategic alignment, strength, equity and racial justice considerations, potential impact, value, and organizational capacity.
Promote fair, timely, and consistent proposal review aligned with Foundation priorities and equitable grantmaking policies and processes.
Collaborate across Foundation departments to monitor financial status and oversee the portfolio budget and cash payment system.
Approve and recommend grants to senior management in accordance with Foundation program policies.
Perform other duties as assigned.