About W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions so all children can achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Upon establishing the foundation in 1930, breakfast cereal innovator W.K. Kellogg instructed future trustees and staff to “Use the money as you please so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children.” To this day, the foundation envisions, and works toward, a nation that marshals its resource to assure that all children have an equitable and promising future – a nation in which all children thrive.
To advance this mission, the foundation implements an array of change-making tools – grantmaking, impact investing, communications, contracting, networking, and convenings – and uses an innovative networked organizational design to prioritize investment decisions and maximize effectiveness toward achieving the desired ends and improvements for children and their families. A commitment to racial equity, community engagement and leadership development is woven into each endeavor as essential to the creation of a social context in which all children can thrive. Their grant-making focuses on education and learning; food, health, and well-being; and family economic security.
The overall work of the foundation is guided by the following values:
- We believe in helping people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations.
- We believe all people have the inherent capacity to effect change in their lives, in their organization, and in their communities. We respect individuals and value their collective interests, strengths, and cultures.
- We believe stewardship requires fidelity to the spirit and to the intent of the founder and the wide use of resources. We believe in being responsible, prudent, selfless, and exercising good judgment.
- We believe innovation of thought and action leads to enduring and positive change in both formal and informal systems.
- We value integrity of purpose and action, and believe it is essential to all of our affairs.
This is a powerful time to be on the front lines of innovative philanthropy, and we hope you’ll consider joining us! To learn more about the foundation, please visit www.wkkf.org and everychildthrives.com.
Opportunity
The Director of Transformation supports the development, implementation and execution of enterprise-wide transformation efforts, organizational redesign and change management efforts in service of maximizing overall organizational performance excellence at WKKF. The Director will provide leadership, strategic thought partnership and oversight to the Organizational and Effectiveness and Grant and Contract Services teams including the Concierge desk, in support of the networked organization.
A director at the foundation generally has the following responsibilities:
- Model and drive leadership, capacity building, accountability, care and concern, strategic thinking and business acumen within respective team(s) and across the foundation.
- Model organizational vision, strategy, values, DNA, purpose and culture, both inside and outside the organization.
- Drive results through successful accomplishment of organizational ends and avoidance of executive limitations.
- Empower, coach and develop people, modeling agile practices and demonstrating WKKF’s commitment to racial equity, community engagement and leadership.
- Engage WKKF staff and external constituents, delivering timely, consistent, aligned, authentic communications at all levels.
- Deliver industry insights and seek out and promote continuous learning and improvement within assigned area(s) of expertise.
- Deliver high performance through data driven decision making, problem solving, and results focus.
- Lead a high performing team:
- Provide clear and consistent communications on roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
- Concentrate on team effectiveness and provide timely performance feedback and coaching in a manner that engenders direction, alignment and commitment to performance excellence and strong customer service.
- Guide workforce planning and cross-functional skill development to ensure the team’s capacity, alignment, and readiness to meet current and future organizational priorities.
- Collaborate with relevant collaboration forum leaders and talent and human resources team to attract, retain, develop, and grow diverse talent with a strong commitment to the racial equity and community engagement components of our DNA.
Specifically, the Director of Transformation is responsible for the following:
- Serve as an active member of the Transformation Core team leadership team and Steering Committee
- Shape and guide long-term, foundation-wide transformation strategies, fostering cross-functional collaboration and enterprise alignment to drive systemic change in support of organizational goals and future priorities
- Guide and oversee the portfolio of work across the Concierge desk, Organizational Effectiveness and the Grant and Contract Services teams, integrating efforts across the foundation to ensure alignment with enterprise priorities and position the organization for sustained impact.
- Provide leadership to enhance the organization’s capacity for change, supporting enterprise transformation efforts and embedding practices that foster agility and continuous learning.
- Resolve issues within initiatives and when additional capacity or capabilities are required, highlighting major progress and trade-offs to the VP to support decision-making.
- Guide the Concierge desk, Organizational Effectiveness and Grant & Contract squads in executing organizational change, effectiveness, continuous improvement and transformation initiatives.
- Improve overall project performance and drive continuous improvement across the foundation by leveraging data and insights to inform strategy, measure progress, and strengthen organizational performance
- Provide coordination, management and integration of programming and operations efforts, internal procedures and policies, systems and performance standards.
- Serve as a liaison between the OE & G&CS functions and program and operations teams, gathering and analyzing data, investigating requests/concerns and developing recommendations to help inform decision-making for the VP- Transformation.
- Create and maintain a productive, high quality, integrated work environment that effectively utilizes human, financial and technical resources to accomplish desired outcomes.
- Foster an organizational culture of learning and continuous improvement, while maintaining effective and efficient service delivery and productivity.
- Develop collaborative relationships within philanthropy by serving on appropriate affinity groups, initiating foundation relationships and partnerships related to organizational quality and effectiveness to facilitate effective linkages, teams and partnerships.
- Provide leadership and oversight to enhance the experience of grant seekers and grantees, ensuring responsive service, clear communication, and alignment with the foundation’s values.
- Flag issues across functions and ensure consistent communication.
- Build and manage cross-functional workgroups and work with organizational staff in highly dynamic situations.
- Coordinate across multiple stakeholders and moving parts towards the larger goal.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Core Capabilities
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Proven leadership, coaching and mentoring skills (leadership, individual and team).
- Ability to lead, engage and develop a diverse team.
- Ability to build and cultivate strong relationships that foster collaboration and organizational success.
- Ability to navigate the political complexity of an organization.
- Builds and maintains effective and constructive working relationships, partnerships or networks of contacts with people who are, or might someday be, instrumental in achieving work-related goals.
- Ability to negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can settle differences with minimum noise; can win concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct/forceful as well as diplomatic; gains trust quickly of other parties to the negotiations; has a good sense of timing.
- Can maneuver through complex political situations effectively and quietly; is sensitive to how people and organization’s function; anticipates where the land minds are and plans approach; accordingly, views corporate politics as a necessary part of organizational life and works to adjust to that reality.
- Demonstrated knowledge and application of systems thinking, change management, project management and business process redesign.
- Ability to work effectively with persons from diverse cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds and ability to drive strong relationships.
- Good at figuring out the processes necessary to get things done; knows how to organize people and activities; understands how to separate and combine tasks into efficient workflow; knows what to measure and how to measure it.
- Asserts own ideas and persuades others, gaining support and commitment from others; mobilizes people to act, using creative approaches to motivate others to meet goals.
Desired Qualities and Characteristics
- Maintains Integrity: Acts in accordance with stated values. Deals with others honestly and ethically. Tells the truth regardless of the circumstances.
- Professional Rigor: Works diligently to find the right answers or solutions independently or with limited supervision. Arrives at conclusions after thorough research and pressure-testing.
- Strong Judgment: Can accurately assess exposure and risk in grants, contracts, and WKKF policies and recommend practical solutions and advice.
- Results-Oriented: Highly motivated to succeed. Produces high quality and timely results.
- Teaming Skills: Goes beyond technical competence to skillful interpersonal performance on teams
- Collaborative: Goes beyond working independently to with interdependently with others on the team.
- Intercultural Competence: Able to shift cultural perspective and adjust behaviors in culturally appropriate and authentic ways.
- Intellectual Curiosity: Interested in developing and mastering new areas of law, policy, and other topics impacting the Foundation.
- Flexible: Can adapt quickly and efficiently to changing priorities, deadlines, and projects.
Education/ Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in a field relevant plus a minimum of eight years related work experience in field relevant to assigned responsibilities, with strong networks and contacts and a minimum of five years of people leadership experience required. Advanced degree preferred.
- Change management or project management certification preferred.
- Fluency in English as well as Spanish, French, Haitian Creole or Indigenous (Mexico) or Native American (US) languages strongly preferred.
- Foundation or nonprofit experience preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $173,000 - $216,000 with a generous benefits package. The exact salary that will be offered to the Director of Transformation will be determined based on a consideration of the successful candidate’s skills, experience, and aligned with the foundation’s compensation policies.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Erin Reedy and Shannon O’Neill. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.