Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.  We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

SUMMARY

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, located in Miami, Florida, continues the work of John S. and James L. Knight, two brothers who founded a company that became one of the dominant newspaper groups in the United States.  While their company no longer exists, the brothers’ principles still guide their independent foundation, which funds informed and engaged communities.

Today, Knight Foundation is an innovative, fast-paced, transformational philanthropy, willing to fund experiments as well as institutional programs.  It enjoys a rich past and a successful present, and it looks forward to an exciting future as the foundation undergoes a strategic review and planning process.  With an endowment of approximately $2.2 billion and annual grants of about $130 million, Knight Foundation’s focused grant-making has led to impact far beyond its size.

In 2015, Knight’s Community and National Initiatives program invested almost $50 million in civic innovators who help cities attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of engagement.   

• Knight invests in civic innovators – people who are taking hold of the future of their cities with big ideas for making cities more successful.
• Knight invests in ideas that leverage the power of places – because thoughtfully designed and programmed places can accelerate the things that matter to a city’s success.
• Knight invests in ideas that attract and keep talented people – as there is no better indicator of a city’s economic success then the percentage of college-educated people in its population.
• Knight invests in ideas that expand opportunity – by creating places where people of diverse backgrounds can connect across economic divides and which support the way people work in today’s economy.
• Knight invests in ideas that create a culture of civic engagement – because cities will only succeed when people feel responsible for actively shaping the future of their communities.

Knight works in 26 communities but with a strong focus on and resident program directors in eight of them: Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Jose, California; and St. Paul, Minnesota. 

THE POSITION

Reporting to the president/CEO, the vice president/Community and National Initiatives is an officer of the corporation and will serve as a part of the executive management team, which drives overall strategy for the foundation. Managing a team of 16 people, with eight program directors in resident communities and eight other staff members in the foundation’s Miami headquarters, the vice president will provide leadership in the creation, execution and measurement of the program’s strategy and its initiatives.  The ideal candidate will drive new initiatives along a continuum of ideas from the foundation’s communities and external sources, matched with personal vision, entrepreneurial bent and appetite for impact.  The vice president must exhibit deep knowledge of projects, program operations and business plans to ensure overall excellence.  

The vice president will develop strong and trusted relationships to enhance the foundation’s ability to attract thought leaders and partners.  Moving the program and organization to the next stage of learning and growth, this person will inspire the best possible funding ideas and initiatives to accomplish Knight’s mission of developing informed and engaged communities.  Additionally, the vice president will represent the foundation externally to grantees, funders, media, foundation communities and the general public.  The vice president will have exemplary collaborative skills to promote internal cooperation and external partnerships with other funders and organizations.  The vice president will take direction from the president/CEO to determine other duties and define goals.

The vice president will have the following Key Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of professional program staff in the planning, design, development, implementation and assessment of high-quality grant initiatives that align with the foundation’s strategy;
• Work with the president/CEO, trustees and senior staff to formulate programs and policies which reveal and reflect current trends;
• Exercise accountability and fiduciary oversight; monitor outcomes and apply learning to future grant-making;
• Attract, develop and retain high-performance team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, mastery and performance;
• Work with the vice president/Learning and Impact to monitor and evaluate funded projects and initiatives to ensure maximum community engagement and impact;
• Work with the Communications department and others to integrate programs and outreach, disseminate organizational learning, and increase visibility;
• Work with program directors to build effective, localized community strategies that draw from multiple Knight program areas, including Arts, Journalism and Media Innovation;
• Demonstrate ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups of people; integrate and operate effectively with peers and other associates within a collegial, yet demanding work environment;
• Maintain an understanding of the field of philanthropy; act as an ambassador who establishes strong relationships with peers at major foundations nationwide and expands Knight Foundation’s position as a leader in the field.

The ideal candidate should have the following Leadership and Personal Characteristics:

• Experience in directly related work, including progressive leadership in transformational change;
• Be entrepreneurial; able to “see around the corner” and identify trends; take risks as appropriate;
• Able to balance diverse agendas and points of view, foster big ideas and delegate as appropriate; organizationally savvy and a strong business acumen;
• Able to think strategically and have the ability to translate conceptual direction into concrete grant plans;
• Outstanding collaborative skills;
• An ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing;  
• A sense of caring with the ability to act with honor and character, and inspire others;
• Demonstrated experience managing diverse relationships, coaching and supervising people; being open and receptive;
• Independent judgment and discretion.

Applications, including cover letters and résumés, and nominations should be sent to the attention of Jane Phillips Donaldson and Mark Tarnacki at [email protected].

For more information about Knight Foundation, please visit knightfoundation.org.

Knight Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.