Among the key responsibilities for this position, we would highlight the following:
Advance the goals of the strategic plan in partnership with research vice presidents (RVPs and scholars)
Work with RVPs to identify and support multi-scholar impact opportunities
Maintain and regularly review quality standards and work with the Office of the General Counsel to keep scholar-related policies current and relevant
Oversee quality review
Oversee concurrence of Senior Fellows and conduct Center and Research Program reviews
Work closely with institutional advancement and communications/external affairs VPs to create and foster strong, productive links among these functional areas
Supervise institutional initiative directors and serve as executive sponsor on other institutional research/policy efforts
Establish and use a deep understanding of Brookings’ scholars, research agendas, workplan creation, funding, and pathways to policy impact to support scholars’ impact; work with the leadership team to achieve same
Oversee research support services such as the library and data/quantitative analysis support
Run point on programmatic risk management discussion with RVPs (and scholars as needed), Office of the General Counsel, SVP of finance and COO, and VP of institutional advancement
Conduct administrative reviews and sign offs as delegated by the president Work with development staff and RVPs/scholars on the programming of International Advisory Council (IAC) engagement
Serve as executive sponsor for research- or scholar-based institutional partnerships
Represent Brookings to external partners engaged in institutional projects Cultivate and/or steward selected institutional funders, especially but not limited to those who support institutional initiatives
Establish and maintain Board of Trustees relationships
Conduct individual research as capacity allows
Solid line management of three individuals and dotted line management of the five RVPs
Brookings is seeking an organizational leader and exceptional manager who will bring intellectual depth and breadth, practical experience, and demonstrated management and leadership skills. The successful candidate will have experience working within an evolving organization and partnering closely with expert staff and other constituents to achieve ambitious goals. They will be experienced in producing actionable and rigorous research, applying original analysis through partnerships and networks, and connecting with policymakers at all levels. They will have relevant experience in managing people with a wide range of skillsets within a complex organization and have the capacity to manage a variety of constituents.
In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
Strategic Leadership: The SVP will bring a demonstrated capacity to communicate and align others to the strategy, showing broad curiosity balanced with conviction and confidence. They will have the ability to develop and refine Brookings’ approaches to research quality and impact, curate new ideas, and create goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful. They will possess the ability to translate an inspiring vision for the organization into action.
Commitment to Research and Policy: A strong candidate for the role will model and empower the kind of open-minded, rigorous inquiry that the institution exists to support. They will bring a demonstrated commitment to evidence-based research over rhetoric, and an inspiring and visible body of work and policy experience. They will be credibly curious on a broad range of global and domestic policy areas, will have a demonstrated history of turning research insights into actionable policy recommendations, and will be knowledgeable on how research outputs frame issues and advance policy issues with decision makers and policy ecosystems.
Communications and Convening Power: The successful candidate will possess an ability to inspire trust. They will be able to connect naturally and to build strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both internally and externally. They will encourage others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrate and support the success of the team. They will bring a demonstrated ability to work effectively with strong personalities and viewpoints but not lose their own character while accommodating.
Leading Teams: An inspiring and inclusive manager, they will be driven towards solutions, accountable to colleagues, and open to innovation and transformation. They will bring a demonstrated ability to recruit, cultivate, and retain talent and to develop and maintain a healthy organizational culture. They will be viewed as a leader with a high degree of integrity, inclusiveness, and forethought in their approach to making decisions and will possess the ability to lead in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for the institution.
Diverse Perspectives and Backgrounds: They will bring a demonstrated track record of commitment to attracting and supporting diverse perspectives, including experience translating an organization’s values related to diverse perspectives into specific strategies and actions, including championing an organizational culture of inclusion and belonging. They will have experience developing and leading a broadly diverse staff focused on a wide range of subjects.
Fundraising: The SVP will bring a demonstrable capacity to maintain and raise the financial resources to invest in talent, intellectual capital, and innovative programming.
Above Partisanship: The right candidate for Brookings will bring a demonstrated and unwavering commitment to rigorous, fact-based, nonpartisan research and policy analysis. They will be politically astute but think through issues on the merits, above partisanship.
A terminal degree is required.
