Posted on November 27, 2012

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Director, Philanthropic Outreach

Located in suburban Philadelphia, The John Templeton Foundation (JTF) serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. JTF supports research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love, and free will. JTF encourages civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians and between such experts and the public at large, for the purposes of definitional clarity and new insights.

The vision of JTF is derived from the late Sir John Templeton's optimism about the possibility of acquiring “new spiritual information” and from his commitment to rigorous scientific research and related scholarship. The Foundation's motto, "How little we know, how eager to learn," exemplifies their support for open-minded inquiry and their hope for advancing human progress through breakthrough discoveries.

For more information regarding The John Templeton Foundation, please go to www.templeton.org.

Position

The Director will be a leader with a distinguished record of high-creativity engagement across a wide range of contexts, and at the highest levels. Although the Foundation does not fundraise and this is not a fundraising role, a core intention is to create greater independent philanthropic interest, engagement, and transformation. Therefore, a track record of major donor engagement and cultivation of significant benefactions would be helpful. The role will entail developing and executing successful engagement strategies that will benefit both the John Templeton Foundation and other philanthropic leaders and foundations via new philanthropic activities.

Primary Areas of Responsibility

• Oversee the creation and implementation of a comprehensive philanthropic partnership strategy that identifies and engages key individuals and organizations in ways that advance the intentions of Sir John Templeton (40%)
• Create funding arrangements that leverage the grant making of the JTF, at the scale of at least $1 million per year in the first 3 years (30%)
• Assist the President and Board in extending invitations to targeted individuals to become honorary members of the John Templeton Foundation, as required by the Foundation’s Charter (10%)
• Establish and build key relationships via diplomacy and targeted outreach (10%)
• Create special events, gatherings, publications and other projects to further strategic partnerships (5%)
• Other responsibilities and special projects, as required (5%)

Criteria & Relevant Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree required; higher degree preferred.
• A track record of at least 10 years of accomplishment in the context of new project development, preferably in areas of interest to the John Templeton Foundation.
• Experience in the strategic engagement of top-level leaders, and an understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset.
• Awareness and familiarity with leading foundations, universities, philanthropists and philanthropic practices.
• Awareness of best practices in high-level communications and engagement, with a commitment to expand these practices in entrepreneurial ways to address the challenges of the role.
• Strong personal interest in the Foundation’s mission.

Personal Characteristics

• Must be a humble and ethical professional who fosters mutual respect and builds rapport across a broad range of stakeholders.
• Possesses an appreciation for religion/theology and is comfortable with a “spiritually inflected tone” in communications.
• Brings the intellectual gravitas and credibility that enable him/her to effectively operate in the broadly-defined academic arena.
• Displays the confidence and proactive interest to engage the JTF Program Staff on topics germane to the academic community.
• Demonstrates the personal credibility necessary to engage academics in supporting broader distribution of research findings and outcomes beyond an “intellectually cloistered few.”
• Operates within a framework of thrift and resourcefulness and, as a result, earns respect as a solid and capable steward.
• Intellectually and emotionally driven by being an integral part of exciting, culturally-relevant discovery.

Application Instructions

The John Templeton Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer that encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit organization, serves diverse organizations and is committed to building high-performing teams that mirror the communities we serve. If interested in being considered and in learning more about this role, please send a cover letter and resume to: templetonoutreach@bridgespan.org. Additionally, please indicate in your cover letter where you first learned of this opportunity. Thank you for your interest.