Results for America (RFA) is the leading national nonprofit organization helping policymakers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal” so that one day, all government leaders use rigorous evidence and quality data to inform important policy and funding decisions. We believe that data-driven and evidence-based policy decisions could significantly increase the impact of the over $1 trillion that governments spend annually to advance economic mobility and racial equity.

The Opportunity

RFA is building a new Rapid Response Unit (RRU) to contribute to and advance the organization’s ability to meet its strategic goals. The RRU will work on a shifting portfolio of time-limited, high priority projects determined to be critical to RFA’s success in its core impact areas. Functioning as a nimble group of internal consultants, members of the RRU team members will:

• Embed in RFA’s existing program teams to diagnose and solve pressing problems and crises and/or to develop new opportunities adjacent to existing programs.
• Incubate new areas of work that sync with RFA’s overall strategy and commitment to impact, but that do not have an immediate home and responsible team within the organization.

The key hire on this new team is the Director, who will co-develop an operating model for the unit, build and manage the team to execute on that model, and lead the more significant projects within the pipeline. Across all these efforts, the Director will be guided by a commitment to RFA’s ultimate goal of “lives changed and dollars shifted.” The Director, Rapid Response Unit (RRU) will report to the EVP and Chief Impact Officer.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Founded in 2012, RFA spent its first three years partnering with policy innovators to build the credibility of evidence-based policymaking, securing early and important wins in education, expanding its work to multiple levels of government and driving awareness and demand through carefully orchestrated education and communication campaigns. During its second phase (2015-2018), RFA worked to demonstrate the power of evidence-based policymaking in ways that resonate with an even broader universe of elected officials and policymakers. Now in its third phase of work, RFA intends to demonstrate that governments at all levels can make faster, more lasting progress in accelerating economic mobility for residents when they use evidence and data in decision-making. By creating specific issue-area wins, RFA will further cement support for evidence-based policymaking among all policymakers as the “new normal.”

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES & IMPACT

During the first year, duties for this position will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Build and Manage RRU Operating Model [15%]

• Refine the strategy for the RRU and ensure it aligns with RFA’s overall theory of change and contributes to broader organizational impact.
• Identify the optimal RRU team structure and processes required to execute on projects.
• Hire and organize two staffers.

Refine and Implement a “Request for Resources Process” [10%]

• Pilot “request for resource” process, including the point of entry/role for the Executive Team, and iterate on the process and request tool.
• Advise Executive Team on RRU deployment.
• Report out to the Executive Team on a regular basis regarding RRU deployment, activity, progress, and impact.

Project Advisory Support, Oversight, and Management [50%]

• Provide strategic direction and advice on all RRU internal consulting projects, including ensuring that all projects have clear definitions of impact, KPIs, and roles and responsibilities.
• Lead major projects.

Team Management [25%]

• Manage the RRU team.
• Coach RRU team members to develop strong skills/expertise necessary for RRU work, including:
  • Basic data analysis (i.e., Excel pivot tables),
  • Synthesis of ideas and data-based findings,
  • Problem solving, and
  • Clear written and verbal communication.
• Build a strong team culture, capabilities, and operating model to meet internal client needs.
• Co-develop a clear career path for RRU staff, including professional development opportunities.
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All RFA employees are expected to participate in the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

QUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Education and Professional Background

• 12+ years of experience in a planning and project management role in a nonprofit, public agency or similar; previous consulting experience a plus.
• Deep experience with planning, managing, and executing large-scale cross organization projects.
• Deep experience in identifying and solving problems collaboratively with leaders across an organization.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing interdisciplinary teams.

Technical Skills

The leader of the Rapid Response Unit will have deep expertise in at least one of the following skills, with proficiency in all of them:

• Strategic thinking, including identifying and implementing new areas of work.
• Facilitation of decision making and synthesis of ideas.
• Excellent project design and management skills, with the ability to think strategically and to layer in clear structure and prioritization to projects.
• Rapid analysis and problem solving.
• Excellent oral, written communication, and presentation skills, including the ability to analyze and report out on new information quickly.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a unique ability to build and manage supportive relationships across an organization.

Competencies

• Understands the big picture and helps teams stay focused on impacting “dollars spent and lives changed.”
• Adapts quickly to new topics, contexts, and challenges.
• Manages time effectively and can balance more than one project at once.
• Builds and maintains strong internal and external relationships.
• Strong commitment to the Results for America mission and vision, and a drive to always bring the conversation back to RFA’s ultimate goal of lives changed and dollars shifted.
• Strong commitment to RFA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments.

SALARY & BENEFITS

At Results for America, all staff members currently receive a compensation package that includes:

• A salary aligned with RFA’s position level and salary bands and against similar nonprofit organizations. The approximate starting range for this position is $125,000 - $145,000 and is negotiable depending on experience.
• A suite of benefits that includes a choice of medical and/or vision and dental care, paid time off, a 403b retirement plan with employer match, and education and commuter benefits.

This is a full-time, exempt position.

TO APPLY

More information about Results for America may be found at: results4america.org We are partnering with Allison Kupfer Poteet and Rachel Burgoyne of the national talent consulting and search firm NPAG. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website.

RFA is an equal opportunity employer that values/celebrates diversity and that follows a policy of making all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, partnership status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses or stalking, military status, veteran status or any other category protected under federal, state or local law.