Driving large scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world s most pressing problems Principal Skoll Awards and Community Search conducted by
Skoll Foundation Principal, Skoll Awards and Community 1 The Skoll Foundation The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. It is now one of the leading foundations in the field of social entrepreneurship. The mission of the Skoll Foundation is to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating the social entrepreneurs and innovators who help solve the world s most pressing problems. The Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship Every year, Skoll selects four to five extraordinary social entrepreneurs for their work creating innovative models to spark large-scale change. The Award begins a partnership in perpetuity designed to support the success of the Awardees and their organizations far beyond the limits of ordinary grantmaking. The Foundation applies its own resources, skills, and assets augmented by its networks of investors, media, and other strategic partners to accelerate innovations and break down the barriers to social change. Over the past 11 years, the Skoll Awards program has invested in more than 96 organizations around the world and celebrated the 119 social entrepreneurs behind their success. Beyond the initial Award, we create strategic partnerships to further the progress towards large scale systems change of Awardees. We identify areas of opportunity within our portfolio and co-create investments with our Awardees of time and talent, grants, or program-related investments. We invite outside organizations, generally bilateral or other large scale funders, into partnership on the investment and manage those relationships in an effort to catalyze change on a larger scale.
Skoll Foundation Principal, Skoll Awards and Community 2 The Opportunity The Skoll Foundation seeks seasoned, strategic business professionals who lead with tough-minded optimism and a global view to serve as Portfolio Principals and Beyond the Awards Principals. The Principal team is responsible for the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship and Beyond the Awards investments. The goal of the team is to accelerate the progress of social entrepreneurs to achieve large scale and lasting systems change. To achieve this, it identifies, evaluates, and leads the agenda for engaging Skoll s network, staff, and resources. Where appropriate, the team evaluates the opportunity for grants and program-related investments in Awardees with whom we see exceptional potential for large scale and lasting change in the world. Principals are significant individual contributors and collaborative advisors to grantees and multiple external partners. They report to the Senior Director of Social Entrepreneurship and work in close collaboration with peers across Skoll programs and practice centers, the Chief Strategy Officer, and the executive team to advance knowledge and evidence of scaling impact. Portfolio Principals play the lead role in the selection of new opportunities each year and develop a healthy, long-term pipeline of potential investments. With a focus on increasing impact, each Principal manages a portfolio of 7 to 10 Awardee organizations and partners on an ongoing basis: connecting them to other networks; understanding the breadth and depth of their work and progress towards large scale systems change; and identifying creative opportunities to help advance their work far beyond the initial grant. Beyond the Awards Principals recommend timely, strategic investments by analyzing issues and impact data from Skoll s portfolio of nearly 100 Awardee organizations. These Principals develop relationships with large funding partners to leverage broader social change using innovative social investment models.
Skoll Foundation Principal, Skoll Awards and Community 3 Primary Responsibilities: Partner with Our Awardees Manage relationships with a portfolio of Skoll Awardees, assessing how the Foundation s time, talents, and resources can be used to advance their progress towards large scale systems change. Develop shared milestones to track the efficacy of our work together. Through this partnership, understand, analyze and share how an Awardee is achieving impact in the world through profiles and other tools. Recommend Opportunities for Investment Conduct rigorous due diligence to ensure the Skoll Foundation selects the best opportunities for equilibrium change a lasting and structural change to a social or environmental problem. Interview issue experts, work with regional leaders, and conduct site visits to understand the organization s work through the eyes of their beneficiaries and with the lens of large scale, sustained change. Share Knowledge Internally and Externally Coordinate with the Skoll World Forum team to bring awareness to critical global issues and the work of social entrepreneurs. Serve as a credible, global spokesperson for social entrepreneurship and the Skoll Foundation s strategy and mission. Partner with Skoll teams to leverage the social entrepreneur portfolio and their innovations in our strategic partnerships, research, communications, outreach, PR, media, and signature events. Drive Measurement and Metrics Work closely with the Analysis & Insights and executive teams to develop milestones and ongoing metrics to ensure Skoll investments are accurately positioned, measured, and communicated across sectors (corporate, government, and philanthropy). Document and advance learning among the staff and Board of trends, challenges, and highest impact opportunities for investment through profiles and other tools. Develop and implement best practices to understand and further impact from the Skoll Award portfolio, and regularly communicate results internally and externally. Additional responsibilities: Portfolio Principal Co-create a shared set of goals and plan for facilitating the shared agenda between Skoll Awardees and the Foundation. Identify patterns within the portfolio and use those patterns to define opportunities to assist organizations in achieving equilibrium change. Additional responsibilities: Beyond the Awards Principal Collaborate with partners in Skoll s Analysis and Insights team to identify organizations well-aligned with our investment strategy; with our Global Partners team to identify aligned programs and partners that will support the change they seek; and with the Skoll Awards and Community team to source and develop opportunities for investment. Lead the Foundation s relationships with a range of world class investment partners, including bilateral and multilateral agencies, private foundations, and other large funders.
Skoll Foundation Principal, Skoll Awards and Community 4 Ideal Candidates For The Principal Team We seek candidates with a thorough understanding of the dynamics of organizational growth, scale, and investment in a for profit or nonprofit context. We are looking for a balance of analytical rigor and compassion for the human condition to undertake the Foundation s mission. The ideal candidates are nimble generalists with the intellectual capacity and motivation to quickly grasp Skoll s interconnected focus areas. Principals must be resourceful and hands-on, able to work in a lean, intense, resultsoriented environment. Keen investigative skills and relentless attention to detail in the evaluation of business models, financials, and data while keeping a thoughtful, empathetic field view are sought after traits for this role. Candidates need the versatility to translate strategic imperatives into tangible execution. We are looking for professionals with humility, perspective, and cultural competence that comes from living/ working in the developing world. Candidates must be effective team players and relationship builders with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. An understanding of what drives social entrepreneurs and system change will support success in this role. The ideal candidates are self-aware and reflect on lessons learned to inform future work. Deep and pragmatic knowledge of how philanthropic funding is found and deployed is required. A collaborative nature, sound judgment, profound commitment to social change, and a good sense of humor are all important personal characteristics, as are imagination, creativity, and an entrepreneurial nature.
Skoll Foundation Principal, Skoll Awards and Community 5 Minimum Qualifications Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years of demonstrated success in developing, accelerating, measuring, and influencing growth of entrepreneurial organizations. Experience in investment and/or portfolio management in an international context is required. Previous experience in a grant-funded organization is valued. Experience with program-related investment is a plus. Experience living and working in the developing world is essential. Excellent verbal and written communications skills are imperative. An advanced degree is preferred. A Bachelor s degree is required. Must be available for international travel. Additional qualifications for Portfolio Principals: Firsthand experience with the challenges of social entrepreneurship. Direct experience with grassroots social change, policy advocacy, or entrepreneurial organizational development and capacity building. Additional qualifications for Beyond the Awards Principals: Candidates for the Beyond the Awards Principal role should also demonstrate deep experience with bilateral organizations and partnerships as well as experience in the for-profit space; developing and implementing innovative finance models for social change is valued. Experience performing due diligence for program-related investment is required. For Immediate Consideration Please send your resume and a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission, which role you are seeking, and your fit for the role to Melissa Merritt at https://candidateportal.waldronhr.com/. The Skoll Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.
Waldron is honored to partner with the Skoll Foundation in the search for a Principal of the Skoll Awards and Community. We believe in and support the work of the Skoll Foundation and we are doing our best to recruit a talented leader who will accelerate this mission. As the consulting partner strategic leaders choose to help attract, engage, and inspire effective leaders, Waldron provides a unique combination of executive search, leadership development and career transition services across sectors and industries. Our passion is helping people and organizations realize their full potential and increase their impact. Seattle Portland San Francisco