Vice President, Strategic Portfolios Department

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF; the Foundation), located in Princeton, N.J., is the largest philanthropy in America dedicated solely to health. Since 1972, we have focused on developing and promoting innovations in health and healthcare to improve the lives of millions. In partnership with others, we are working toward a nation that is rooted in equity, compassion, and respect; a nation that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. This requires addressing many harmful obstacles to wellbeing, including poverty, powerlessness, and discrimination.

The Foundation’s ability to tackle our nation’s most pressing health challenges is supported by our Guiding Principles and a talented team that brings a wide range of experiences, passions, and perspectives to this work.

Our principles are rooted in equity and influence everything we do at RWJF. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration allow our staff’s wide range of experiences, passions, and perspectives to enrich our work and strengthen our ability to address our nation’s most pressing health issues.

• We take our responsibilities seriously, and we pledge to work in ways that reflect our principles:
• We seek bold and lasting change rooted in the best available evidence, analysis, and science,
  openly debated.
• We treat everyone with fairness and respect.
• We act as good stewards of private resources, using them to advance the public’s interest with a focus on helping the most vulnerable.
• We cultivate diversity, inclusion, and collaboration.
• We speak out as leaders to promote health and wellbeing.

Generational Goals

At RWJF, we’re committed to acting now so that change will be realized and sustained over the course of generations—so that our children, and their children, will live in a world where:

• All families have the resources they need to raise children who will thrive;
• Public health and healthcare systems prioritize individual and community wellbeing—and remain accountable to them; and
• Communities foster the conditions that allow all residents to reach their best possible health and wellbeing.

The Opportunity

• Position: Vice President, Strategic Portfolios Department
• Location: Princeton, N.J.
• Reporting Relationship: Julie Morita, M.D., executive vice president

The Purpose of the Position

The vice president of the strategic portfolio department will be a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team and will lead the Strategic Portfolio department’s management team. The primary responsibility of the VP, Strategic Portfolio Department (VP-SPD) of the Foundation is to oversee all aspects of strategy development, implementation, and management of the Strategic Portfolio Department (SPD) which includes Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems, Healthy Communities, Healthy Children and Families, and Leadership for Better Health Portfolios. This position is responsible for overseeing all SPD-related strategy development and implementation (e.g., partnership development, grantmaking), including ensuring the strategies are aligned with the Foundation’s broader transformation to deepen a focus on intersectional racial equity, Strategic Portfolios’ strategies to each other, to the strategies of the Communications, Policy, Research-Evaluation-Learning, Impact Investments, and New Jersey Departments, and to the Foundation’s Strategic Framework, and to the vision of a Culture of Health.

The VP-SPD is also responsible for all Department financial and administrative functions. As a member of the senior team of the Foundation, the VP-SPD will build close working relationships with colleagues, including in the Operations Unit (e.g., Finance, HR), the Law Department, and the Equity & Culture Department, to uphold the Foundation’s Guiding Principles and Program Unit Values.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Provide vision to shape and direct Strategic Portfolios’ strategies, including ensuring the strategies are aligned with the Foundation’s broader transformation to deepen a focus on intersectional racial equity.
• Oversee the implementation of the Strategic Portfolios’ strategies in collaboration with the Themes AVPs and MDs. Support development of, implementation of, and communication about Strategic Portfolios’ goals, strategies, and programming.
• Collaborate with and be a thought partner to EVP and peer program VPs/AVPs.
• Serve as a member of senior leadership team, providing cross foundation leadership. Support the development and implementation of the Foundation strategic framework in collaboration with peer program VPs/AVPs, EVP and President/CEO.
• Manage the integration of the Foundation’s Strategic Framework with Strategic Portfolios’ strategies for maximum alignment, coordination, and impact.
• Cultivate and sustain internal collaboration and partnerships with peer program VPs to align, coordinate, and cultivate impactful strategies and programming.
• Represent RWJF externally to uphold and leverage the Foundation’s reputation and brand.
• Build external relationships with collaborators and strategic partners to inform and advance the Foundation’s work.

Management

• Guide, inspire, evaluate, mentor, and develop Strategic Portfolios Managing Directors as they lead and manage their teams;
• Guide Strategic Portfolio Department AVPs as they oversee the administrative and programmatic aspects of the department and change initiatives across the Program Unit.
  • Work with Strategic Portfolio Department AVPs as they manage planning and annual work plan development for the Strategic Portfolios.
  • Work with the Strategic Portfolio Department AVPs as they manage the resources required to meet Theme strategic objectives.
• Approve grants up to $2,000,000 in accordance with Foundation program policies and assume accountability for the funding decisions.
• Ensure a diverse, multicultural Department that is committed to and accountable for advancing intersectional racial and health equity.
• Coordinate recruiting and succession planning for the Strategic Portfolio Department with HR support and VP Program Management.
• Create an open, collaborative, and highly equitable environment for strategy development and decision-making, with an opportunity for diverse opinions and staff from diverse backgrounds and roles to be heard and included.
• Create a climate of responsibility and accountability so that members of the Department are supported to take ownership of decisions and results.
• Balance meaningful delegation of decision-making to the various Department members with the strategy and needs of the organization as a whole.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be both a visionary and a strategic thinker with a proactive communications style and experience managing a dedicated and engaged team. They will have an exceptional acumen and credibility in the fields of health, health equity, and the social determinants of health, especially in addressing structural racism as a root cause of health inequities. The VP must embody the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in their approach to our work and management, and their ethics must be above reproach. To that end, they must be committed to creating an open, collaborative, and highly equitable environment for strategy development and decision-making, with an opportunity for different opinions and staff from diverse backgrounds and roles to be heard and included. Additional skills and qualifications include:

• Experience/understanding of creating systems change to address structural racism by leveraging opportunities within systems to advance health equity.
• Experience using approaches that leverage policy, data/evidence, narrative, community power, leadership, and impact investments in communities to improve health.
• Proficiency in building relationships and partnerships across sectors (e.g., community development, government agencies, healthcare, public health, community organizations) to address the social determinants of health and to improve health and health equity.
• Deep knowledge of and expertise in concepts related to health and racial equity, structural racism, the social and economic determinants of health, and superior systems change knowledge and skills.
• Proven ability to provide vision and think strategically; to make sense of complex issues and be a creative problem solver; to synthesize material and focus on the essence of an issue and specific opportunities while advancing the big picture.
• Strong people-management and interpersonal skills that support a collaborative, productive and thoughtful working environment and relationships with a diverse, multicultural group of colleagues, grantees, consultants, external funders, and others. Ability to inspire colleagues within and outside the Department and the Foundation to achieve shared goals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate clearly, persuasively, transparently, and strategically. Possesses persuasive and respectful presentation skills—for communications with internal leadership, external high-level partners, media and people from communities with whom we are working.
• With the support of the Research, Evaluation and Learning unit, oversee the evaluation of effectiveness and influence of the Strategic Portfolios’ activities and share learning with staff on an ongoing basis.
• A transparent, humble, and empowering culture builder who can effectively lead diverse collaborators and facilitate conflict and disagreement.
• Familiarity with, although not necessarily a professional background in, philanthropy, including the role of philanthropy in effecting social justice.

Education

Advanced degree and/or a combination of equivalent education and experience.

Salary

The starting base salary range for the position is $380,000 to $400,000. Why Work at RWJF? Learn more about the benefits of working at RWJF.

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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented applicants.