Managing Director
Effective Institutions Project
📍 Remote (Global) ⏳ 01/05/2025
💰 $140-180,000 USD 🕔 Full Time
The Effective Institutions Project (EIP) is hiring a Managing Director who will serve as a critical member of EIP’s executive team as the organization scales from a small startup to a leading strategic partner for philanthropists seeking to address major global challenges. We’re looking for an entrepreneurial, collaborative, and conscientious leader to help our organization manifest its full potential.
About the Effective Institutions Project
Founded in 2021, EIP is a network of philanthropic and civic leaders striving to improve the quality of decision-making at important institutions around the world. We monitor national governments, major corporations, and multilateral bodies to determine what could shift their actions in ways that lead to better outcomes for all, and work in partnership with our global community of changemakers to respond to challenges and opportunities as they emerge.
Since EIP's launch, we've:
Recruited a founding board of directors featuring current and former leaders at some of the world’s largest private foundations and most important institutions
Coordinated critical and timely funding for two organizations that played instrumental roles ensuring passage of the first major AI legislation in the Western world
Convened dozens of funders collectively giving hundreds of millions of dollars in AI-related grants across four sensemaking workshops to identify and work through differences in goals and strategy
Partnered with the Hewlett and Packard Foundations to scout new grantmaking opportunities and program strategies for US federal government reform
Helped improve safety practices at a major AI research lab via increased investment and internal integration
Pioneered the world’s first wellbeing cost-effectiveness framework tying the actions of key institutions to the empirical evidence on what outcomes drive life satisfaction
EIP is poised for major growth over the next two years and recently secured a multi-year, seven-figure grant commitment to increase our capacity and impact. Overall, we expect to oversee at least $40M in grantmaking over the next two years in the areas of AI governance, peace and security, global health, and democracy, and are working to add climate, global development, and animal welfare to our thematic coverage by the end of 2025.
About the role
EIP is attempting to build a high-context, high-agency, and deeply integrated global team. As Managing Director, you will have the unique opportunity to manifest the organizational culture, routines, and commitment to make this vision a reality. Our ideal profile for this role is a “99th percentile operator” who can own significant leadership responsibility for following through on opportunities to make a difference in the world that are scouted and generated by the rest of our team. The expected division of responsibility for this role is as follows:
Project leadership (40%): Assemble resources, teams, and partners as needed to bring impact to life through strategic introductions, event programming, multi-organization collaborations, field-building, and more. Much of our work is conducted in partnership with other organizations, so we try to encourage a value of “seeing the whole world as our team” rather than just the individuals EIP formally employs.
Team leadership (30%): You will oversee HR functions for our employee and consultant pool of roughly 10 FTEs, including recruiting, onboarding, professional development, and separation. You’ll work with everyone from executive leadership to interns to ensure that everyone understands their role in the organization’s mission and is contributing in the way that best serves our and their ambitious goals.
Operations leadership (20%): Oversee a small but high-stakes portfolio of operations responsibilities including compliance, finance, and risk management. Most actual operations tasks will be carried out by a direct report to be hired in the fall and various contractors/vendors.
Stakeholder management (10%): As needed, represent EIP at conferences, events, and in meetings with donors and implementation partners. Readily substitute for stakeholder-facing team members when they are out of office or over capacity.
Occasional domestic and international travel is required.
Ideal profile
Our ideal candidate will have most if not all of the following:
Passion for EIP’s mission and the possibilities inherent in realizing its potential
Lots of entrepreneurial energy and the ability to execute complex initiatives with minimal supervision
High standards for professionalism and a commitment to representing the organization well at all times
Clear verbal and written communication, with the ability to tailor communication styles effectively to a wide range of audiences
Excellent organizational skills, reliability, and attention to detail
Calm and courage under pressure
At least four years of experience in a high-stakes leadership role
If you’re excited about this role but are unsure if you fit the criteria, we would love to have you apply anyway.
Compensation and benefits
This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the world, although we strongly prefer candidates who are willing to have at least a 4-hour overlap with US Eastern Time working hours (9am-5:30pm ET). For a US-based candidate, the expected starting salary is $140,000-180,000, and we have the flexibility to pay above this range for exceptional candidates. Benefits include paid time off, reimbursement for health insurance (individual or family plan), and a 5% 401(k) employer contribution on top of your salary. We are open to candidates from other countries, and we will try our best to offer an equivalent compensation package regardless of location.
To apply
We are hoping to fill this role as soon as possible and to have the candidate start soon afterwards. To apply, complete this short form no later than May 1, 2025. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so encourage you to apply early.
Please note that we have a strong preference to trial working relationships with finalist candidates prior to making an offer, and will work with each finalist to arrange a paid work trial that accommodates their schedule and existing commitments.
Effective Institutions Project is committed to building a diverse applicant pool. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, educational background, socioeconomic status, etc.
