About the Knight Foundation:
Knight Foundation represents social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. We also invest heavily in measuring the outcomes of our work so that we are able to learn from it. Our mission is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.
About the Role:
Knight is seeking a Project Manager to work on a contract basis to support the implementation of its new strategic plan. This project is anticipated to run from October 2024 through March 2025. The selected Project Manager will ensure the smooth execution of this strategic plan, managing timelines, coordinating stakeholders, developing materials for and briefing executives on progress and ensuring effective change management and communication. This role will require expertise in project management, familiarity with executive teams, and a deep understanding of nonprofit environments.
The strategic plan has six major workstreams, each of which will have at least three to four significant projects to be completed as part of the workstream. Each workstream will have a designated lead, a team, and an Executive Sponsor. The project manager will ensure that all of the workstreams and their sub-projects have project plans and that those plans are collected, tracked, and reported to executive leadership on a regular basis. All workstreams will have major milestones and deliverables in November, December, and January.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Plan Implementation:
Oversee the project management to implement Knight's strategic plan, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives. Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to coordinate key initiatives within the strategic plan.
- Project Planning & Coordination:
Work with executive sponsors and workstream leads to develop detailed project plans, timelines, and milestones.
Coordinate activities across departments, ensuring collaboration and timely delivery of key deliverables.
Facilitate agile team processes and promote iterative development practices.
- Change Management & Communication:
Guide change management efforts to ensure smooth adoption of new strategies and processes within the organization.
Develop and implement communication plans to ensure transparency, alignment and engagement across all levels of the organization.
Serve as a bridge between leadership and staff, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the process.
Support the adoption and facilitation of Agile methodologies, helping to establish a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.
Guide and mentor teams in Agile best practices, ensuring smooth collaboration and effective project execution.
Work closely with nonprofit professionals, ensuring that the strategic initiatives align with the Foundation's mission.
Coach workstream Leads on engaging with key external and internal stakeholders to drive success.
Track project progress and provide regular updates to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
Identify risks, issues, and roadblocks, and implement strategies to mitigate them.
Develop performance metrics to assess the success of the strategic plan implementation.
Qualifications:
Preferred Skills:
- Agile certification or experience.
- Proven expertise in project management, change management, and implementing strategic plans within nonprofit or mission-driven organizations.
To Apply:
Send your cover letter and resume to: miyar@kf.org. In the subject line include: Contract Project Manager
Our approach is inclusive and nonpartisan, and we often embrace new and innovative technology to achieve our goals. The qualities we look for are openness to new ideas; courage to push for change; and the expertise and tenacity to achieve the desired results. If you share our passion for the fields where we invest, we want to hear from you. Knight Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
For more on Knight Foundation, visit KF.org
