Director of Strategy & Administration, Philanthropy

About HCC/CCI

Henry Crown & Company/CC Industries is a Chicago-based, privately-held company that manages business, philanthropic, and family interests on behalf of a multi-generational family.  The business ventures fall into broadly-defined categories: wholly-owned operating companies, public and private equity investments, and real estate. The enterprise also supports individual and collective giving through Crown Family Philanthropies and provides traditional family office services across generations. The enterprise employs approximately 350 professionals in the areas of investment management, corporate development, financial operations, tax, research and innovation, human resources, information technologies, and legal.

Crown Family Philanthropies (“CFP” or the “Foundation”) is the philanthropic division of Henry Crown and Company and supports the Crown Family’s philanthropic and grantmaking endeavors. In 2009, after more than 60 years of family grantmaking under the name Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, CFP was developed to represent and facilitate an array of family grantmaking practices. Today the legacy of Arie and Ida Crown lives on in the work continued by their descendants, who remain dedicated to the Jewish tradition of tikun olam, or “repairing the world.” Supported by a professional staff, CFP is led by more than 50 family members across multiple generations who come together to set strategy and make grantmaking decisions.

Why Work for Us? 

We are a private enterprise with more than a 100-year legacy and track record of financial success, supporting our communities, and taking care of our employees.  We plan strategically with a long-term time horizon and an integrated approach to access superior opportunities and optimize financial results.  Integrity, collaboration, and dedication are cornerstones of our workplace culture that create rewarding professional experiences.

Position Description

CFP seeks a Director of Strategy and Administration to oversee strategic planning, operational execution including data management, and the centering of equity across all of our work. Reporting to the CFP President and serving alongside other Foundation leaders, the Director will support all Program Teams with their strategic direction and data management focusing largely on the design and launch of new program areas.  The Director will also oversee “Ways of Working” at CFP including architecting and managing major internal processes that support how the organization operates including supporting talent development efforts. Additionally, the Director will support the President with all Board Meetings and other strategic priorities of the President’s Office.

The Director of Strategy and Administration will oversee an Equity Lead and a Data Evaluation Analyst. The team will ensure that CFP’s direction and strategic planning relies on the sharpest analytics/assessments and centers equity at the core of the family’s collective grantmaking. The Director role will allow CFP to continue to be both responsive to the family’s engagement and leadership, while also being proactive with its assessments of how to maximize the impact of its grantmaking dollars. More broadly, the Director will advise initiatives and efforts across the philanthropy to ensure cohesive strategic thinking and alignment across grantmaking areas, operations, and family engagement.

Responsibilities

• Serve as project manager for key operational initiatives, including the CFP Talent Plan
• Provide strategic assistance across all Program Teams in support of their Lead Pursuits focusing on areas that are new or are being re-designed
• Collect and share key insights and best practices across the Program Teams 
• Support Program Teams in the evaluation of the impact of their work, with a special focus on key external programs requiring external evaluation (e.g., SC2, Chi-Rise, TAP)
• Provide support for the ongoing development of Data Dashboards across Program Teams; including support for creating robust data management systems, data review and cleaning, data analysis, and ensuring insights are actionable and clearly communicated to both Program Teams and family Trustees
• Support the CFP President in preparing materials for Board and Board Subgroup meetings
• Serve on the CFP Leadership Team and run Leadership Team meetings; Support President’s Advisory Team as needed
• Provide leadership on new special initiatives, including setting strategy, developing processes, and supporting the build out of the work, including operational support 
• Support and facilitate the Equity Lead to ensure the Foundation’s operations, grantmaking, and strategic planning are consistently implemented through an equitable, inclusive framework

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in strategy and operations, ideally in philanthropy or the non-profit sector 
• Minimum of 5 years of experience effectively leading/supporting teams
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Economics, Social Sciences, or related field 
• Talented, inspirational leader with outstanding relationship and meeting facilitation skills
• Detail oriented with keen conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking skills and an inquisitive nature
• Analytical mindset 
• Significant experience managing operationally diverse and dispersed teams
• Superb organizational skills including ability to prioritize agendas and manage conflicting needs
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a demonstrated track record of communicating complex issues succinctly; ability to listen and synthesize multiple inputs
• Demonstrated ability to act with humility, sensitivity, and discretion
• Growth mindset with an eagerness to receive feedback and seek opportunities to grow

Additional Information
Henry Crown and Company and the Crown Family Philanthropies division are committed to creating a diverse environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals experiencing disability and BIPOC are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At HCC we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

The Starting Salary Range: $190k-$220k. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location. To see an overview of all our benefits please go to our career portal here.