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About Plastic Solutions Fund

The Plastic Solutions Fund is an international funder collaborative dedicated to tackling the crisis of plastic pollution, which impacts the health of people and ecosystems all over the planet.

Established in 2017, the PSF’s giving focuses on systems transforming interventions with the mindset that prevention is better than a cure, making grants across the plastic supply chain from extraction to disposal. Recognizing that the plastics economy is driven by (and benefits) some of the most powerful vested interests worldwide, the PSF is dedicated to building grassroots movement power to catalyze change now and in the future.

PSF believes that a greater impact will be achieved if civil society and philanthropy work together in partnership. PSF is proud to have helped establish, and fund the global grassroots movement Break Free From Plastic (BFFP). Over the next five years, the fund seeks to work with BFFP to help extend its reach, power and capacity. It also seeks to broaden the diversity of civil society organisations and movements, supporting them to build their power in support of transformational change.

About the Role

The Plastic Solutions Fund is seeking a Managing Director to develop, implement and oversee operational, financial management, human resources, & evaluation systems, as well as daily operations. This will be an exempt, full-time position reporting directly to and working closely with the Executive Director.

The successful candidate will be motivated by the PSF’s vision of a world with a regenerative and distributive economy where the production and consumption of products and packaging lies within planetary and social boundaries. They will support the PSF mission to resource transformational projects that build movement power and take a preventative approach to single-use plastic production (SUP). And they will be committed to the principle that real partnerships between philanthropy and civil society will increase the impact of all our work.

They will have experience in social and political change-making and specifically the role that grassroots environmental and climate justice principles and organisations must play in that change. They will either have or be able to demonstrate the ability to develop relationships of trust with civil society and philanthropic partners and staff team members and other colleagues.

Purpose of the Role

The Managing Director is a new position, intended to lead the daily operations and oversee the equitable and collaborative systems and culture of the organisation. This position will support the Board of Directors, grantees, and the staff of the PSF by building and maintaining systems for the programmatic, financial, operational, learning, and other emergent and special project work of the PSF. This position will manage one direct report with the expectation that will increase as the staff team grows.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Planning and Implementation

• Oversee the development of operational systems that support PSF programmatic and grantmaking strategies, in conjunction with program staff, participating foundations and civil society partners
• Act as a thought partner to Executive Director, Board, and staff to support and implement the PSF Strategic Framework
• Partner with program staff to keep ahead of developments in the field and encourage philanthropic and civil society partners to take a forward-looking view in operational and systems planning.

Financial Planning and Management

• Oversee the creation when necessary and maintenance of sound financial systems, procedures, and internal controls
• Lead the organisation’s annual budgeting and planning process
• Oversee the development of long-term financial projections, enabling the organisation to achieve its objectives while remaining financially sustainable
• Oversee financial reporting and analysis, with timely and accurate reporting to the Board of Directors and other key stakeholders
• Oversee team members to ensure that grant and vendor records are maintained with required and appropriate documentation, payments are processed on time, and necessary approvals are in place.

Organisational Culture and Infrastructure

• Maintain and improve key systems, tools and technology, and regularly identify gaps where processes and/or communications practices should be updated or formalized
• Work in partnership with PSF’s fiscal sponsor, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), to engage and oversee financial, grants management, contractual, HR, and legal resources and continually develop this key partnership.
• Support and strengthen the culture of PSF, including managing employee engagement processes, developing and analyzing an annual staff culture survey and tracking organisational progress toward work-life balance for team members
• Oversee personnel issues, providing input and guidance to staff, including support for career development, management of confidential and sensitive personnel issues such as terminations and performance reviews, and tracking & coordination of time off 
• Work with the ED and staff to monitor and supervise regular contractors and build as much equity as possible into our relationships with international consultants.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, communication systems and policy development to support new staff and promote longevity and satisfaction of existing staff.

Technology, Data and Systems

• Oversee design, implementation and evaluation of knowledge management systems including grants & vendor management, finance, accounting, human resources, and data management, working closely with RPA and internally
• Manage tech vendors and ensure systems (website, platform, etc.) are integrated
• Work closely with PSF staff to build and maintain efficient and effective data systems.

Trusted Partnerships

• Maintain and enhance the trust relationships that PSF holds with its grantees, with the Break Free From Plastic Movement, and other civil society actors
• Expand the range and diversity of PSF relationships in and with philanthropic organisations interested in and aligned with PSF strategies, as well as maintain strong and effective relationships with current participating foundations
• Value and build relationships with and between PSF staff and participating foundations
• Provide support to the ED in organising quarterly Board meetings, including two annual in-person meetings. This includes developing meeting agendas and creating quarterly board reports on the financial health of the organisation, as well as programmatic and operational documents and reports.
• Work with Board members to lead critical board committee projects, such as recruitment of new board members and policy reviews.
  

Evaluation and Learning

• Build a more systematic evaluation and learning culture within the PSF by leading the implementation of the PSF Monitoring, Evaluation, Impact & Learning (MIEL) Framework
• Ensure that civil society organisations and movements leading the SUP fight are supported to learn, adapt and respond to change in the external world.

Skills and Experience

• The successful applicant will have had extensive experience working in or with environmental or climate justice organisations and issues and working or living outside the US (and/or working with international teams). 
• Substantial experience in nonprofit accounting, budgeting, and finance are essential. Demonstrated experience with evaluation and learning systems and processes in the context of social and/or political change is desirable. 
• Experience with major donor and/or foundation fundraising is required, and grassroots philanthropic fundraising is desirable. 
• High level of written and spoken English; other language skills are also desirable. 
• Experience implementing diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programming.
• This position will require travel to other parts of the world and considerable time collaborating with staff and stakeholders in various time zones.
• This will be a full-time remote role with a necessarily flexible schedule. The PSF is committed to providing equivalency of salary & benefits across its global team and maintaining a sustainable and positive working environment for all team members. 
• Staff in the US are employed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; benefits include healthcare, access to a 401(k), and paid time off. Staff outside the US are employed by an employer of record in the country in which they reside. The salary range for this position is dependent on experience and location.