Senior Advisor

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal is a group of organizations working to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world.

Inspired by our founder, we reach across communities and sectors to bring together innovative thinkers who can scale up proven ideas and catalyze new ones. We learn from their experiences, amplify their resources, and support them as they lead.

Pivotal includes Pivotal Philanthropies, focused on charitable grantmaking and impact investing; Pivotal Initiatives Fund, focused on policy and advocacy work; and Pivotal Ventures, focused on direct investments and partnerships.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

This individual works across multiple entities within the Pivotal ecosystem. This role leads multi-entity principal learning, donor coordination and network building, cross-functional project and operations management, and supports the Vice President to make timely, informed decisions. This role provides strategic oversight for designing and facilitating executive and team rhythms of the business and leading initiatives that advance the team’s strategic priorities and operational effectiveness.

This role is expected to have a duration of 12 months. Applications will be accepted through October 9, 2026. Pivotal reserves the right to begin interviews and make a hiring decision before that date.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Support to the Vice President

Provide strategic counsel and advisor to the Vice President to enable effective decision-making and alignment across principals and team operations.

Independently lead and make decisions on complex, high-priority projects and initiatives on behalf of the Vice President, exercising significant judgment in situations involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

Advance key priorities within and on behalf of the Vice President.

Provide oversight to ensure alignment with critical priorities and manage the Vice President’s agenda, time, calendar and workflow to those priorities.

Strategic Planning, Budget Alignment, and Investment Process

Lead multi-entity annual and long-range planning process, including setting annual priorities, coordinating budget and operations guidance, and managing timelines and deliverables.

Manage Senior Lead to manage Investment process and routine budget reporting and management.

Manage daily relationships with family offices to ensure clarity and alignment across principals’ priorities.

Drive implementation of the multi-entity strategic framework and measurement of progress against annual priority results.

Strategic Oversight of Philanthropic Partnerships

Oversee and lead partnerships strategy to advance a network of the Principal’s high-priority philanthropists and emerging philanthropists.

Tailor philanthropic engagement plans for individuals and groups, map how engagement plans intersect and align with existing program strategies, partnerships and initiatives, supervise funding decisions, and, as appropriate, leverage the Principals’ philanthropic voice and engagement.

Serve as a relationship manager or connector, managing key relationships with philanthropists and their teams and/or aligning with other relationship managers and functions at Pivotal Philanthropies to activate legally compliant strategies/partnerships and offer insights into the book of business, approach, and Principals.

Cross-Org Projects & Strategic Initiatives

Coordinate and head cross-team functions including correspondence and network management, communications, learning and donor partnerships.

Build and manage consultant and contractor capacity to execute cross-team functions

Plan and Execute Principal Learning Program

Through engaging the team and Principals, design tailored and cross-principal learning curriculums.

Stay current on philanthropic models, tools, and approaches to bring learning efforts to team and principals.

Develop “blue sky” ideas and lead exploratory work to advance vision and mission, such as incubations, functions, initiatives and partnerships, establishing the process and rules of engagement to ensure strategic alignment with organizational priorities and resources.

Support team collaboration to increase impact by seeing opportunities for shared learning and cross-strategic initiative partnerships.

Rhythm of the Business (ROTB)

Lead ROTB planning and implementation across principals and team to develop alignment, priority setting, and coordinated decision-making.

Coordinate across team, family offices, and principals’ activities to ensure effective planning and communication.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

To perform this role successfully, individuals must demonstrate the skills and behaviors aligned with our Pivotal Principles that define what success looks like across all roles. These competencies reflect the expectations for how we work together, lead, grow, and deliver impact for all employees regardless of function or level.

Build and Maintain Trust

Act with integrity and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.

Is Inclusive – Advance a culture of equity and belonging.

Act with Integrity – Tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, meet your commitments, and act ethically.

Collaborate – Build trusting relationships and treat people with dignity and respect.

Drive Impact

Deliver high-quality work that is aligned with Pivotal Strategic Initiatives.

Solve Problems – Identify issues and seek diverse perspectives to develop potential solutions.

Propel Work Forward – Take initiative, prioritize work appropriately, and complete work on time.

Center Stewardship – Use resources responsibly, consider and manage risk, and follow Pivotal policies and procedures.

Learn and Grow

Demonstrate a commitment to continuous individual and organizational development.

Contribute Constructively – Participate in advancing individual, team, and organization-wide well-being and resilience.

Occupy Growth-Mindset – Embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and focus on improvement.

Share Knowledge – Document work appropriately, assess outcomes, and share explicit and tacit learning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum of 12+ years of experience in senior-level project management, organizational strategy, or cross-functional leadership roles, or an equivalent combination of advanced training and experience.

Demonstrated experience leading large scale and complex philanthropic initiatives and partnerships.

Demonstrated experience working in confidential, high-trust environments with principals

Demonstrated experience owning and making decisions on high-stakes, complex, cross-org projects.

Experience managing significant budgets, including planning, tracking, and decision support.

Proven track record to design and implement effective strategies to advance org-wide priorities.

Ability to make informed decisions on behalf of executive leadership, with a high degree of discretion and judgment.

Excellent written and oral communications skills, including experience presenting to senior leaders.

Proficiency using Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint).

Fluency in use of systems necessary to role (e.g., Salesforce, Workday).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience advising or supporting executive leaders, such as a CEO or President, with preference for expertise in supporting non-profit or foundation leadership

Prior work experience in a multi-entity organization or mission-driven organization with governance structures.

Experience setting and driving rhythm-of-the-business calendars and executive meeting structures (e.g., board, ELT, leadership retreats).

Experience building social impact efforts through building donor partnerships

Exposure to project management platforms and tools.