Chief of Strategy and Impact

Required Qualifications 

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned, strategic, and process-minded leader with experience creating nimble internal processes that drive impact.  They must bring a blend of business acumen, sensitivity, compassion and composure, and an unflagging commitment to excellence, with an eye towards execution and efficiency.  

• Minimum 15 years of professional experience, with a senior-level track record scaling the impact of a nonprofit with complex programs. Must bring an understanding of systems-oriented program design and implementation, strategic planning and evaluation; minimum 2 years of executive leadership experience; 
• Proven track record of success facilitating organizational change and development; brings wisdom and sound judgment in both roles of thought-partner and decision maker;  
• Proven track record designing and delivering complex social justice programs for affected communities that engage multiple stakeholders; commitment to survivor-centered approaches;
• Sophisticated level of business and operational acumen; adapts and balances program delivery with budgetary realities in an evolving field; 
• Excellent problem solving skills, resourcefulness in setting priorities, proposing new ways of creating efficiencies, and guiding  investment in people and systems;
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills; effectively interfaces at all  levels and adapts to different audiences; translates complex ideas into actionable language;
• BS/BA degree required; an MBA, MPA, or similar graduate degree preferred. 

Leadership Style  

• Calm, focus, and maturity, with the ability to organize complex work by a variety of contributors and to remain gracious under pressure; 
• Self-aware, self-reflective, well-grounded, energetic, flexible, collaborative, positive, resilient, good sense of humor and proactive; must bring a passion for Polaris’ mission.  
• Demonstrated ability to build a well-supported, carefully nurtured, and high-performing team with diverse backgrounds and skill sets;
• Develops and empowers exceptional leaders, enforces accountability, resolves conflict, adapts and adjusts leadership priorities as necessary, and differentially positions team members to succeed
• Flexibility and creativity in a fast-paced, evolving environment;
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and a track record of building JEDI culture on to teams;
• Ability to effectively build strong relationships, both internally and externally, through strong interpersonal skills; and
• Comfort with interacting and engaging a wide diversity of stakeholders.

Working Conditions 

• Typical office setting (currently remote/work from home operations due to COVID-19)
• Occasional international and domestic travel 

Organization Background  

VALUES: Polaris is grounded in a set of values and organizational beliefs and strives to model and embody these values in all that it does.  

• We work with humility and a spirit of service. We serve a mission that is bigger than ourselves, and we recognize that we cannot do this work alone. We foster a caring community of mutual support, and we actively pursue collaborations and partnerships to expand our reach.
• Victims’ and survivors’ experiences ground our efforts. We honor the dignity, agency, and resilience of victims and survivors of slavery, both past and present. We serve, work alongside, and stand in solidarity with those who have been most affected by modern slavery.
• We strive for inclusion and equity. We engage different perspectives to inform our decisions, actions, and positions. We create opportunities that empower individuals of diverse backgrounds and circumstances. We acknowledge the structural inequities that lead to human trafficking and modern slavery, which drives us to create just and equitable solutions.
• We approach our work with courage. We promote a culture of inquiry, innovation, risk-taking, and continuous learning. We are resilient and evolve when faced with obstacles or failure. We recognize that what is typical or traditional is not always optimal.
• We create positive impact and achieve results. We leverage and cultivate the strengths of our staff, and we work with discipline, integrity, and a commitment to excellence. We embrace a measurement culture to track our progress. We view impact holistically, considering multiple sectors and the effects on individuals’ lives, as we pursue systemic and social change to eradicate modern slavery.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Polaris designs and implements data-driven strategies to prevent and disrupt human trafficking, and to restore freedom to survivors. Achieving this ambitious goal requires both trafficking-specific systemic interventions and broader cultural and structural shifts that reduce the inequities that lead to human trafficking. While Polaris alone cannot build a more diverse, just, equitable, and inclusive society, both the success of its work and its organizational values require modeling in the workplace the change we want to see in the world. This means cultivating a workforce, organizational culture, and priorities that respect and celebrate a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team made up of individuals with different identities, lived experiences, and backgrounds. Within both its team and across every part of its work, Polaris strives to integrate and elevate the full range of survivor voices. This is a living commitment. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are values to be manifested daily, in the work Polaris does, the decisions it makes, and the way staff treat each other and the people they seek to serve. This means creating space where staff can be included, heard, valued, and set up for success, and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, best selves to work. Polaris will not check boxes and consider it done. The organization will push new innovations and different ways of thinking, and treasure the community built and strengthened by each individual contribution.