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Full-timeDescriptionThe Senior Manager of Research and Operations leads the research and product creation function and supports the department’s business operations. The Philanthropic Consulting department of Blue Trust does business externally as Calvin Edwards & Company.
Principal Accountabilities:
1. Research Lead
- Personally performs billable work that bills annually at a 2+ multiple of base compensation.
- Frames and executes research projects to bring information to bear into challenging stewardship decisions.
- Takes complex input data and articulates through writing in a clear but comprehensive manner.
- Willingness/mentality to take research all the way from initial proposal to final report but utilizes analysts to maximize efficiency.
2. Research Management
- Assigns client work to analysts, acts as project manager for most projects. Oversees project manager role if assigned to analyst.
- Ensures all client research/analysis work, of all analysts, is on schedule and completed on time
3. Business Management
- Interfaces with internal/external partners (Blue Trust, National Christian Foundation, etc.) to obtain/coordinate work.
- For each product, ensures all product processes and standards are met, and that the resulting product is high quality (meets specs in research project’s Proposal Memorandum).
- Maintains and constantly updates/upgrades tools for product creation (templates, processes, protocols, checklists, writing standards, etc.)
- Constantly monitors products, and client needs and reactions, to initiate incremental improvements; and creates new products as needed (upon client need and proactively).
- Periodically revamps/overhauls/refreshes products.
- Manages the profitability of the research and analysis function.
4. Team Leadership
- Manages all research and analysis staff and contractors, especially project managers, and assigns project managers and teams to projects.
- Ensures adequate research analyst staff to meet client needs; anticipates growth.
- Monitors analyst team productivity and ensures accountability to ensure project profitability.
- Builds and nurtures a healthy, productive work culture among analysts.
- Provides professional growth paths for analyst staff.
- Fosters a continual learning mindset and commitment to discovery and use of best practices for the company, regarding nonprofits and donors.
5. Organizational responsibilities
- Grasps, and has personally embraced, the vision and mission of the company and articulates and inspires others toward the advancement of that mission.
- Approaches work, interactions, and relationships in a manner consistent with the Company’s Core Values.
- Manages projects and interacts with others in a manner that is consistent with Company’s Management Language, leadership principles and values.
- Understands and supports the counsel and biblical basis upon which Ronald Blue Trust serves its client base.
- Maintains the highest Compliance standards by adhering to the company's Human Resources guidelines, Compliance policies and procedures, professional designation standards, and industry's regulatory standards to mitigate risk to the company.
6. Client Service & Consulting
- Manages a client base of key clients and performs research, analysis, and evaluation for clients, and creates products; acts as project manager and/or analyst.
7. Business Development/Sales
- As required for technical input, works with the Director, Philanthropic Consulting to sell products and services.
- Contributes to designing solutions and drafting Proposal Memoranda and pricing in light of the level of effort required.
- With lead salesperson, conducts project launch meetings.
Requirements
- Excellent business writer and editor
- Demonstrated interest in nonprofit impact and effective philanthropy
- Clear understanding of how a consulting business operates successfully
- Commitment to deliver high-quality research and consulting products
- Eagerness to research and create client products
- Solid interpersonal and management skills, capability to supervise seasoned professionals
- Superior communication skills: ability to communicate well with all people
- High degree of emotional intelligence
- Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail
- Ability to manage remotely, via Zoom and/or other technologies
Education, Experience & Skills:
- Bachelor's degree required. Degree in monitoring and evaluation, program evaluation, business, or a similar field, or a Master’s in a related field is preferred.
- Minimum of seven years prior experience in a related field is required.
Physical Demands:
- Availability to travel, including internationally.
