Overview

Lead operational functions for the Americas at TBI.

You have:

• Extensive experience in the delivery of operations of a global advisory firm or not-for-profit organization
• Demonstrable expertise in public policy or administration
• Outstanding leadership and management skills
• Highly commercial and entrepreneurial mindset
• Business fluency in English
• Willingness to travel across the Americas region
• Candidates must have the right to work in the USA

We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Role Summary

Role and Responsibilities

As TBI grows, we are evolving our global operating model to best support the delivery of our mission, establishing empowered regional hubs to run our operational functions across Legal, Finance, Security, IT and People. These hubs are in Singapore (Asia), Nairobi (Africa), Abu Dhabi (Middle East and Eastern Europe), and London (Western Europe), with Washington DC (Americas) the newest.

Reporting to the new Managing Director – Americas, the Director of Operations (Americas) will be based full-time in Washington DC and will develop and deliver our Americas operating model and ensure all operational functions perform at the highest levels of professionalism and capability. The Director of Operations (Americas) will also oversee the day-to-day operations of our country programmes in the Americas in accordance with global and, where relevant, local policies and standards to facilitate the successful delivery of all our client-facing teams in the region.

As a new role starting up our operational hub in the Americas, this will need a highly commercial and entrepreneurial approach to establishing a cost-effective, future-proof and scalable model to best support our growth in the region. It will therefore also require a hands-on and problem-solving approach from the outset, shifting to leading a team as they are recruited to fill out each of the functional roles.

Responsibilities will include:

Operational Leadership

• Develop and deliver an Americas operating model for all operational functions (Legal, Finance, Security, IT and People), recruiting and managing the founding members of the team, and implementing the relevant systems, policies and processes
• From the point of start up, ensuring the delivery of timely, effective and quality support to local and regional stakeholders across Legal, Finance, Security, IT and People functions
• Collaborating with our global operational capabilities in London, counterpart Directors of Operations in other regions, and as part of the global community of operational roles
• Identify, assess, and inform regional leadership of any internal and external issues that may impact operations at an organizational level, recommending interim or permanent solutions wherever possible and applicable
• Lead or collaborate with others on special projects and other operational assignments as directed by regional leadership

Systems, Policies and Processes

• Ensure the implementation of global policies and standards for Legal, Finance, Security, IT and People across the region and any relevant local variations
• Ensure that our offices and country programmes within the Americas meet operational best practice requirements, including in relation to safety and security, and report on their operational performance
• Work with leadership to plan, administer and manage budgets, financial information, and portfolio and programme level risks
• Managing the administration, compliance and suitability of the region’s office locations and fixed assets

Regional Growth

• Support leaders in the region and across the organization to establish TBI’s presence in new countries, including end-to-end programme activation (and, where relevant, closure)
• Lead, coordinate and scale all operational functions (regional and central) to operationalise new country programmes in accordance with all global policies and standards to facilitate the successful delivery of our teams from the outset

Person Specification

We are looking for outstanding individuals with a proven track record of leadership and delivery in the public or private sectors. All candidates will be required to have relevant experience in a leadership role, managing teams and budgets, and working across multiple jurisdictions in the region and working on multiple projects simultaneously. Above all, we are looking for individuals with high levels of enthusiasm, resilience, adaptability and a can-do attitude, as much of the early work will take a hands-on approach to get our regional operations from start up to steady state.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate the majority of the following specification:

• Extensive experience in the delivery of the operations of a global advisory firm, not-for-profit organization, or similar
• A personal passion for politics and government, bringing demonstrable expertise in public policy or administration, international relations or another similar field
• Outstanding leadership and management skills and proven experience in influencing, coaching and delivering change through others, including building and leading high-performing and diverse teams
• Highly commercial and entrepreneurial, with the ability to simultaneously manage administrative, finance, human resources, legal and security and risk functions and an understanding of the general policies and regulations governing business operations in the Americas
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with and providing advice to senior leaders and stakeholders
• Experience in navigating growth and ambiguous environments and managing up and across a hierarchy
• Creative, proactive and highly organised, and excited by the opportunity to build something new
• Business fluency in English required, additional languages relevant for the Americas preferred
• Willingness to travel across the Americas region, sometimes at short notice
• Candidates must have the right to work in the USA and be able to work in-person in Washington DC

Closing Date:

2024-04-21

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: institute.global