ABOUT PURPOSE

Purpose builds & supports movements to advance the fight for an open, just, & habitable world. We use public mobilization & storytelling to help leading organizations, activists, businesses, & philanthropies engaged in this fight, & we create campaigning labs & new initiatives that can shift policies & change public narratives when it matters most. 

To do this, Purpose brings together world-class talent from the world of creatives, content development, storytelling, campaigning, grassroots organizing, & political strategy to build new creative campaigning models.

Guided by smart strategy & powered by participation, our work reframes issues, engages new audiences, shifts public discourse, & ultimately drives targeted action & creates lasting impact. Join the team that made all this work!

ABOUT THE ROLE

Purpose is looking for a Special Advisor to the CEO, Jeremy Heimans. The Special Advisor will be a key aide & work directly with the CEO to support his core activities, which include overseeing his projects & initiatives, guiding business development opportunities, developing & cultivating partnerships, managing external relations & public engagements, & advancing his thought leadership. This job will also include some logistical tasks & coordination of the CEOs time & daily agenda, in close partnership with the Executive Assistant to the CEO.

The role requires substantive engagement with the full breadth of Purposes work & is well-suited to someone interested in building experience & high-level relationships in the social sector. 

This is a staff position based in Purposes NYC office. Salary is competitive & based on experience & qualifications. The candidate should have at least 2-3 years of relevant professional experience, but extensive professional experience is less important than demonstrating the strength of strategic thinking & communication skills required for this role. 

Interested candidates should include a cover letter with their application, highlighting their relevant experience & explaining their interest in the role. 

Purpose is an Equal Opportunity Employer & we are committed to a diverse workplace. People of color, people with disabilities, & LGBT+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Relationship management & communication
• Managing strategic relationships (ensuring quick response times, recognizing key moments, keeping abreast of major going-ons & priorities for key relationships, getting news alerts for key clients & partners) 
• Helping the CEO proactively build & maintain high-level relationships, & regularly identify connections between external stakeholders & key Purpose projects; act as a point of contact & sometimes proxy to ensure relationships are well maintained
• Acting as a liaison with staff & partners on key strategic priorities
• Managing key aspects of his internal & external communications, including CEOs daily correspondence. Create initial draft responses in CEOs voice as needed. (This will be in close partnership with the Executive Assistant to the CEO)
• Prioritization & strategic support 
• Work with the CEO to set & manage complex & rapidly changing daily, weekly & longer-term portfolio of activities & strategic priorities
• Work closely with the Executive Assistant to ensure the CEOs calendar is aligned to key priorities
• Acting as a sounding board & strategic advisor to the CEO
• Digesting incoming information to extract key points, compiling & analyzing data, communicating tradeoffs, & formulating recommendations to assist executive decision-making
• Qualify & vet opportunities & inquiries for the CEO to assess for synergies with Purpose & level of seniority required, determine the proper course of action, delegate or act as proxy when appropriate 
• Project development support
• Guide business development & funding opportunities into the Purpose pipeline
• Assist the CEO in the strategic thinking behind key opportunities, & with drafting communications or proposals in his voice, in coordination with Purpose teams
• Act as a conduit between CEO & the broader team - ensuring relationships & opportunities are shared with & taken forward by the team, supporting Executives & Senior Directors to drive business development leads & funder conversations brought in by the CEO forward including through cross-functional coordination, project management, & delegation
• Coordinating with staff to prepare agendas for internal & external meetings
• Accompanying the CEO to key meetings, preparing follow-up documents where needed & coordinating with staff & partners to ensure relevant actions are taken
• Keep up to date with social impact & other trends on the key issues Purpose is engaged with
• Thought leadership support
• Act as partner to the CEO on key thought leadership activities, spanning his work on new power & other issues
• Provide research & strategic support with research questions, developing talking points for speeches, & writing, editing & proofreading articles, op-eds & presentations
• Work in partnership with the Executive Assistant to the CEO & speakers bureau to manage an extensive speaking engagement schedule

Qualifications

• Deeply committed to our mission of building & supporting movements for a more open, just & habitable world, with a demonstrated professional or academic interest in social impact, campaigning, global politics or other areas relevant to our mission
• An outstanding written & verbal communicator who can strike a polished but not overly formal professional tone & can lay out a sophisticated argument
• Super organized & productive, adept at balancing multiple rapidly-shifting workstreams, & excited to roll up your sleeves in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to understand strategic & tactical objectives of the organization & then appropriately prioritize & ensure that execution commitment remains on target
• Able to build effective rapport, trust & credibility with your colleagues as well as senior, C-level stakeholders. 
• Good at reading interpersonal dynamics & capable of effective diplomacy when needed
• Able to anticipate needs, respond rapidly to new challenges, & adapt priorities accordingly
• Strong multi-tasking & problem-solving skills
• Positive, proactive attitude with a proven ability to take initiative
• Ability to perform as a trusted advisor, adhering to highest standards of integrity & discretion
• High bar for quality, rigor & integrity in their own work & colleagues'
• Able to work independently & with minimal supervision
• Highly proficient with Mac systems & software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Keynote; Experience with Google Apps

Purpose is an equal opportunity employer. Purpose takes on some of the biggest challenges in the world, which affect people of different identities & backgrounds in different ways. We believe we are stronger & most effective with a diverse team leading the charge. People of color, LGBTQ individuals & people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.