About GG+A - Our mission is advancing yours

GG+A is a full-service philanthropic management consulting firm with 60 years of industry-defining leadership in helping our clients realize the full potential of their missions through the growth of philanthropic support. Our primary mission is to assist our clients in the substantial improvement and acceleration of their fundraising programs. We seek to align those programs with the institution’s core mission and ensure their sustainability.

GG+A is an international resource for data-driven best practices in all areas of advancement, including fundraising, engagement, communications, and advancement services. We provide counsel to a global constituency of nonprofits, specifically in the areas of higher education, academic medicine/healthcare, independent schools, arts and culture, select humanitarian institutions, and a range of charities and nonprofit organizations.

GG+A embodies a high-performance and entrepreneurial culture. We are client-centric, rigorous, creative, and data-driven in our practices, and committed to responding swiftly and effectively to client needs and requirements. We offer a challenging environment and seek intelligent, energetic, and self-motivated individuals who are achievement-oriented and have high integrity.

Summary

The Executive Director, Consulting Resources, is based at the firm's headquarters in Chicago and will report jointly to the firm’s President and CEO. This leader will manage a team of associates who make up the Consulting Resources team and will be responsible for optimizing capacity and workflow while ensuring the consistent, best-in-class quality of work for which GG+A is renown.

Key Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.

Leadership

• Partner with firm leadership to foster an environment of openness, collaboration, service, and excellence.
• Demonstrate effective leadership by developing a high-performance team and delivering best-in-class client service and work product.
• Develop and steward relationships with Practice Area Leaders (PALs), firm leadership, and other internal clients to maximize deployment opportunities for the Consulting Resources team.
• Proactively share utilization insights and best practices with firm leadership and PALs to enable consistent, optimized, and quality workflow across the entire firm.
• Partner with Business Development to update and refine product fee grids, based on time-on-task on actual projects.
• Establish and continually refine processes to ensure the highest quality client work and develop and update process documentation to ensure that the firm’s work is executed in ways that are consistent.

Workflow and Quality Management

• Ensure delivery of superior work product from the Consulting Resources team; provide reports, memos, and client deliverables on time with the highest quality.
• Partner with PALs to proactively identify engagement resource needs; ensure understanding of the engagement by validating requirements.
• Report work quality and utilization metrics to firm leadership, identifying challenges and suggesting solutions.
• Develop protocol for current or projected team assignments based on capacity and alignment with strengths and professional goals while meeting the needs of the firm.
• Create best-in-class workflow mapping to coordinate work, ensure quality, monitor performance, and guarantee timely delivery.
• Serve as a partner and resource to PALs related to resource management and work quality.
• Maintain proficiency in all utilization and capacity tools and relevant firm technology resources.
• When appropriate, serve as a billable resource on client engagements to mentor new Consulting Resources team members and new consultants, and provide procedural oversight on client engagements.
• Serve as a billable resource on client engagements when needed to extend the capacity and skills of the team.

Team Management

• Create and maintain a high-performance, energized work environment that reflects the firm’s values.
• Hire, develop, retain, and promote a high-performance Consulting Resources team that delivers unmatched quality and service.
• Assist with firm hiring to ensure staffing projections and skill distribution mix are based on revenue targets and engagement projections.
• Proactively share insights related to engagement resource staffing trends, forecasts, and solutions.
• Maintain a deep knowledge of the skills of each Consulting Resources team member, as well as skills needed for each project for efficient and effective deployment.
• Communicate with Consulting Resources team to set clear expectations for current and projected engagements.
• Design and execute an effective performance management program that identifies team members’ strengths and provides career pathing.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant and available training programs for Consulting Resources team; assess training needs for each team member and arrange for appropriate individual or group training to support consultants, in alignment with firm goals.

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising and/or higher education leadership required 
• Demonstrated utilization and capacity management skills, knowledge of utilization technologies and workflow mapping methods and tactics

Communication, Relationship and Leadership Skills

• Demonstrate the mission, vision, values, and culture principles of GG+A 
• Client-focused with an intense intellectual curiosity about each individual organization and what makes it unique.
• Demonstrated success managing high performance teams
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to organize and plan effectively to meet business goals
• Ability to establish, cultivate and nurture high value relationships with clients, vendors, and internal stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to work collaboratively both internally and externally
• Ability to synthesize data from a group of individuals into a clear, concise, single-voiced report grounded in data
• Demonstrated conflict resolutions skills, including the ability to negotiate and influence others
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence and intuition necessary to appropriately engage multiple personalities in a variety of client environments
• Comfortable and effective interacting with senior level development professionals and high net worth individuals
• Demonstrate professional interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated developed emotional intelligence and intuition
• Proactive learner, natural curiosity to learn and explore issues. 
• Demonstrate interest in taking part in sales presentations/initiatives (Business Development)
• Ability to provide highly valued client-service for both internal and external clients, with focus on continual improvement
• Possess strong customer service orientation; open, adaptable, and achievement-focused professional.
• Ability to effectively present information to top management, employees, the public
• Strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and verbal communication, and demonstrate comfort presenting to both internal and external stakeholders
• Must be results oriented with high expectations for quality and accuracy
• Demonstrate agility to handle new and different tasks
• Strong work ethic, enthusiasm, confidence, and positive attitude
• Ability to read, write, speak, and comprehend English fluently

Math Skills

• Ability to understand mathematical relationships and formulas
• Ability to understand and employ accounting mathematics
• Ability to manage and track budgets

Reasoning and Analytic Abilities

• Demonstrated collaborative work style, as well as demonstrated initiative to lead
• Able to apply a rigorous, analytical approach to client situations and identify solutions that are grounded in evidence and experience
• Proactive, self-starter who can think strategically, analytically, and entrepreneurially
• Demonstrated ability to use diplomacy and tact
• Ability to identify problems and determine the best course of action for their resolution, including knowing when to communicate and engage others
• Ability to think analytically, strategically, and proactively to solve problems
• Allows hard data guide conclusions and recommendations; does not jump to conclusions
• Ability to prioritize and reprioritize multiple projects demonstrating structured organization and astute attention to detail in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Demonstrates sound discretion, professional judgement and business ethics in decision making

​​​​​​​Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to use office equipment such as computer, keyboard, mouse technology
• Repetitive motion activities such as heavy typing and using a mouse
• Ability to adjust focus quickly from one medium to another
  • Close, distant and color vision
• Flexible hours may be required to accommodate global clients
• Must be able to travel occasionally overnight and on weekends

GG+A is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or other legally protected classifications.