Senior Manager, Special Projects

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Special Projects leads complex, high‑impact initiatives supporting philanthropic and investment clients. This role is responsible for managing strategically important projects across financial analysis, planning, operations, and client initiatives that fall outside of standard service delivery.

The Senior Manager partners closely with senior stakeholders to drive thoughtful analysis, structure ambiguous problems, and deliver actionable insights that advance client objectives and long‑term impact.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Financial Analysis

·        Build and oversee sophisticated financial models, projections, and scenarios to support decision‑making.

·        Conduct in‑depth analysis, research, and due diligence related to philanthropic strategies, grantmaking structures, and operating models.

·        Translate complex analysis into clear, decision‑ready materials for senior stakeholders.

Special Projects Leadership

·        Lead end‑to‑end execution of complex philanthropic special projects, from problem definition through analysis, execution, and delivery.

·        Manage projects involving financial modeling, strategic planning, operational assessments, and ad hoc requests.

·        Structure ambiguous or evolving initiatives into clear workplans, timelines, and deliverables.

Client & Stakeholder Support

·        Serve as a key contributor to high‑profile client initiatives, supporting senior leadership with insights and recommendations.

·        Partner with internal teams across Philanthropies, Finance, Accounting, and Operations to execute cross‑functional projects.

·        Support initiatives such as partner or grantee evaluations, infrastructure assessments, and capacity‑building efforts.

Process Improvement & Execution Excellence

·        Identify opportunities to improve how special projects are scoped, executed, and delivered.

·        Develop repeatable frameworks, templates, and best practices to support future special projects.

·        Ensure high standards of quality, accuracy, and timeliness across all deliverables.

Qualifications

Education

·        Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field preferred.

Experience

·        8–10+ years of progressive experience in finance, strategy, management consulting or similar analysis intensive functions.

·        Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross‑functional projects and delivering strategic analysis.

·        Exposure to philanthropic organizations, foundations, or nonprofit advisory work not required but a plus.