ABOUT OPENFIELDS

Openfields was founded in 2014 with the vision of bringing the most creative, strategic tools for innovation from across sectors to bear on our most pressing, complex social challenges. Our name, Openfields, comes from the insight that these challenges cannot be addressed from a single field of work or discipline of learning. Effective solutions demand leaders, organizations, and networks that work within and beyond traditional boundaries. For creative problem solvers, the fields and future of work are open, and we need new ways to learn, think, and work together.

Openfields brings experts and proven processes to help clients develop big ideas and solve complex problems. But we operate primarily as a collaborative team, empowering our clients with a new level of learning, capacity, and creativity. We deliver immediate solutions while helping clients grow and adapt.

As Openfields grows, we are searching for a Managing Director of Consulting to lead our consulting team. This new executive leader will play an integral role in building the organization, developing our team, and serving clients. We see incredible opportunities for Openfields and are looking for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit who is excited and committed to helping us develop a highly respected, ground-breaking, social impact agency in pursuit of our mission to help visionary leaders imagine and accelerate a more creative and just future.

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POSITION SUMMARY

The Managing Director of Consulting is responsible for leading the Openfields consulting team in delivering and developing outstanding professional services for our clients as an expression of our mission and values.

The Managing Director will serve in three main functions – client management, team management, and business development. As client manager, the MD will lead client projects and also consult, providing executive-level services including strategic planning, change management, board and team facilitation, and executive advising.  

The Managing Director will lead and develop the Openfields team of consultants, elevating the quality of their individual and collective work and helping them develop personally and professionally as committed social impact agents. The MD will be responsible for developing internal project management processes and regularly assessing the capacity and performance of the consulting team.  They will also help recruit and manage new team members and advisors to improve and expand our capacity.

The Managing Director will develop new business opportunities primarily with existing clients as well as new clients. They will also help identify and develop strategic service offerings in response to client needs and market opportunities.

In the early stages of this role, we expect the MD will work approximately 50% on client projects and 40% on team management and development and 10% on business development, with the management role increasing over time.

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EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

The Managing Director will be an experienced professional with a track record of delivering remarkable consulting services and a passion and commitment to addressing the critical social issues of our day. While a candidate who has exercised these skills in a philanthropic or other social impact setting would be a strong fit, we are also interested in consulting professionals who are considering pivoting to a new field. Ideal candidates will be motivated to translate consulting expertise into social impact settings where they can lead meaningful change in a creative environment.

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Relevant experience:

• 15+ years professional experience, including experience in a top consulting or professional services firm
• Leading strategic planning initiatives and developing strategic plans with various types of organizations
• Working in diverse communities and cultures
• Experience in philanthropy, including working with executive and Board leadership
• Implementing proven strategic planning frameworks and developing new frameworks to facilitate with clients
• Utilizing a range of planning methods and mindsets such as human centered design, systems thinking, foresight, or scenario planning
• Translating research and data findings into compelling communications and implementation strategies
• Leading multi-disciplinary teams over short and long projects, team management
• Managing clients, and collaborative teams, through complex projects

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Essential skills:

• Strategic plan facilitation, development, and advising
• Group facilitation across multiple levels of an organization or network (employees, senior leadership, board) for workshops planning exercises, team learning, etc.
• Team management within a consulting or similar professional services environment – managing deliverables, timelines, and budgets
• Project scoping, design, and management
• Presentation design and delivery across multiple mediums (spoken presentations, deck development, written proposals)
• Strong writing and public communication
• Confident tech user – can quickly learn and operate various tech platforms

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STATUS & COMPENSATION

• Full-time
• Reporting to the CEO, member of the executive leadership team
• Base salary: $180,000+

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LOCATION & TIMING‍

• Preferred location: Greenville, SC
• Travel: Regular travel to clients around the US, current travel load is approximately two short trips per month, but can vary
• Target start: Q1 2024