All Things Urban

We are a team of designers, planners, and urban strategists committed to reimagining streets as places for people, shaping cities that are safe, healthy, accessible, and equitable for everyone. The strategies and best practices in our Global Street Design Guide are the foundation of our work, and they have been applied in cities across the globe, helping to update policies, build local capacity, implement and evaluate projects, and scale up impact.

Originally a program of NACTO, the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) was founded in 2014 by Janette Sadik-Khan, operating under the guidance of Director Skye Duncan.

In 2022, GDCI became an independent project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a nonprofit organization and international thought leader specializing in the support of high-impact global projects and strategic philanthropic initiatives.

This role will provide executive-level leadership over all essential non-programmatic functions: Finance, Grant Management, Human Resources, and Global Operations. You will design, implement, and oversee the equitable and inclusive infrastructure, including policy, process, and staffing, that sustains our globally dispersed team. This role requires high emotional intelligence to navigate cultural differences, ensures GDCI’s operational framework is strategically aligned and compliant with regulations, and empowers staff to deliver on our mission.
You will lead a small team, collaborate with leadership to execute on strategic plans, and serve as the critical liaison between staff and our external partners, championing best practices in policy and organizational culture.

1. Financial Strategy and Stewardship
   Own the organization’s financial health and ensure sustainability by leading the creation, management, and mid-year adjustment of the annual operating budget.
   Provide strategic financial analysis and projections to executive leadership and the advisory board to inform key decision-making and drive organizational strategy.
   Oversee all core accounting functions (monthly reconciliations, revenue tracking, and financial policies) in liaison with the fiscal sponsor (RPA) and manage the indirect/overhead budget, ensuring nonprofit regulatory compliance.
   Work with program managers and leads on budget oversight.
2. Grants & Revenue Management
   Lead all financial reporting to funders and support the creation of new grant proposals or extended budgets.
   Develop new proposal budgets to support fundraising efforts.
   Track accounts receivable and the spend down of grant revenue.
   Oversee the full sub-grant lifecycle, in liaison with the fiscal sponsor (RPA), including due diligence, financial reporting template management, and report and payment approval, working closely with the fiscal sponsor, RPA.
3. Human Resources
   Design and own the global talent strategy through the development and enforcement of the compensation philosophy, salary policies, and international salary ranges, accounting for inflation and market volatility across countries of hire.
   Manage the full employee lifecycle, including the creation and oversight of equitable policies for recruitment, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and offboarding across all global locations.
   Oversee the performance management process (annual reviews, calibration, merit, and promotions) and champion the overall organizational culture, including professional development and DEI initiatives.
   Manage key external relationships with employers of record and the fiscal sponsor (RPA), acting as the primary liaison for all personnel matters.
4. Global Operations
   Develop, maintain, and enforce the operational backbone of the organization, including the Operations Manual, organizational norms, and all essential operational policies.
   Ensure organizational efficiency by overseeing contract management and equipment inventory, as well as acting as the administrator for all GDCI software platforms.
   Manage key external relationships with the fiscal sponsor (RPA), acting as the primary liaison for all operational matters.
5. Leadership
   Serve as a core member of the executive team, contributing to high-level decision-making and strategic direction, as well as leading team meetings and staff initiatives as needed.
   Work with executive leadership to create and implement organizational goals to ensure alignment between operational plans and the strategic vision.
   Manage and mentor the finance & operations team, developing their skill sets and providing guidance to strengthen the overall function.
   Other tasks as assigned.

1. Strategic Budget and Grant Management:
   You are skilled in overseeing and controlling an operating budget of $5m or more, with a proven ability to implement proactive course corrections for variances. You possess expertise in the complete lifecycle of multi-million dollar, multi-year grant budgets, including ensuring strict regulatory and donor compliance, meticulous cost allocation, and reliable financial forecasting and reporting to grantors.
2. Organizational Infrastructure & Change Management Leadership:
   You can drive continuous process improvement and the strategic development of organizational infrastructure, while effectively managing and serving as the primary liaison to key external partners to ensure operational integrity, compliance, and efficiency. You know how to design, implement, and standardize scalable policies, systems, and protocols across multiple functional areas (e.g., Finance, HR, Operations) to enhance efficiency, equity, and compliance. You are advanced in change management, effectively able to secure buy-in, communicate major organizational shifts, train staff, and manage resistance.
3. Global People Operations Strategy & Execution:
   You possess expertise in the whole employee lifecycle with experience managing international or dispersed staff. You know how to design and administer competitive, equitable compensation and benefits packages, lead effective, values-aligned performance management cycles, and develop, implement, and enforce consistent, legally compliant HR policies across various jurisdictions.
4. Values-Driven Performance & Development:
   You have high emotional intelligence and a proven ability to successfully navigate and lead within a globally diverse and dispersed team. You lead by example by modeling a focus on priorities and effective/smart performance. You take the time to teach, offer valuable and actionable feedback, make sure that people feel appreciated, and treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
5. Executive Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement:
   You understand how to align management, strategy, and operations to produce lasting results. You are comfortable providing strategic analysis and projections to executive leadership and the advisory board, confidently making high-stakes decisions, and competently engaging across diverse internal and external stakeholders.

At GDCI, we do not have minimum requirements for education or relevant professional experience. We encourage all candidates with relevant and differing experiences and professional backgrounds to apply.
Generally, we expect that qualified candidates will have the following baseline experience for a Director position:

1. 14 years of relevant professional experience; OR
2. 12 years of relevant professional experience with an undergraduate degree; OR
   10 years of relevant professional experience with a master's degree
   We recognize that candidates may not possess every single qualification listed. We are looking for candidates who can make a real impact and are mission driven. If you believe you have the core skills and the passion to succeed, we urge you to submit your application. We encourage women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

Compensation is based on the country of hire and within the range of the local nonprofit/NGO industry.

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.