Director, Office Chief Innovation Officer

Position: Director, Office of the Chief Innovation Officer
Location: New York

* The Final date to receive applications is on Thursday, February 12th 2026. Please submit both a resume and a cover letter to be considered.
*** ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
** The Office of the Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) seeks a Director to serve as the principal in managing and coordinating a wide range of activities and projects on behalf of the CINO. The Director serves as a strategic thought partner to and extension of the CINO, nimbly responding to opportunities and challenges while trend spotting, troubleshooting and forecasting to optimize the VP, CINO’s time, presence and resources.

The Director manages and leads various special initiatives and works collaboratively teams across the foundation, including the Executive Leadership Team, to coordinate key strategic initiatives and business operations on behalf of the VP, CINO while navigating delicate contexts and environments.
** HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE
*** Establish and maintain robust systems for the smooth functioning of the Office of the CINO, including the management of both operational and programmatic budgets.
* Serve as a key partner and advisor to the Chief Innovation Officer (CINO), managing high-level priorities, gauging risks, and ensuring time and resources are deployed for maximum impact.
* Oversee the CINO’s calendar and agendas, prepare comprehensive briefing materials and decision-support tools for all internal and external engagements.
* Partner with Directors and leadership to develop and implement program strategies, ensuring deep alignment across various strategic focus areas and investments.
* Act as a proxy and representative for the CINO in leadership meetings and external forums, leading the implementation of cross-departmental initiatives.
* Collaborate with peer offices and non-programmatic departments to ensure consistent workflows and facilitate qualitative and quantitative analysis for leadership priorities.
* Contribute to the Foundation’s mission by reviewing grant proposals and managing the administrative lifecycle of the CINO’s programmatic portfolio.
* Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, and analysis to track progress against goals and inform future innovation strategies.
* Partner with People and Culture to oversee hiring processes and coordinate human capital practices for the CINO’s direct reports.
* Manage high-level connectivity with outside partners, consultants, and vendors while maintaining landscape awareness on substantive matters of interest.
* Directly supervise and mentor administrative staff, ensuring high-quality support and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
** WHAT YOU WILL NEED
**** PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
** This position is primarily a sedentary role. However, the person in this position may need to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with internal staff, access files, office machinery and a copy machine/printer.

The Ford Foundation is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its programs, and operations. As part of this commitment, the Foundation will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact, talentacquisitionhr.
** SALARY**:
The Ford Foundation is committed to salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $212,000, and the maximum is $230,000.  It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of this range. A candidate’s relevant experience and our commitment to internal equity determine the final offer. We review global compensation regularly to ensure market competitiveness and equity.

The hiring range for this position has been carefully crafted to align with the market.
** LOCATION**:
This position is based in the foundation’s New York office. We operate in a hybrid model and require staff to be in the office three days per week.
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* EMPLOYMENT TYPE:

** This is a permanent position. #Li-hybrid
** WORKING AT FORD
*** Commitment to creating a culture where everyone feels respected
* A…