The Rippel Foundation has an opening on its staff for an Associate Director, Learning & Impact.

The new staff member will join The Rippel Foundation at an exciting moment of transformation and growth, as the Foundation embarks on new strategic objectives that will influence the future of health and well-being in communities throughout the nation. We encourage you to apply even if you have experience in some but not all the listed job responsibilities. The Rippel Foundation has a firm commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from those who will help us become a more inclusive organization.

Organization

The Rippel Foundation (Rippel) was established in 1953 to invest in initiatives addressing cancer, heart disease, the health of women and the elderly, and the maintenance of our nation’s hospitals. In 2007, they refocused their approach to these priorities, recognizing that a commitment to broader health system change is essential to achieve real, lasting impact. Today, Rippel is a nonprofit operating foundation with one primary strategic purpose: to be a catalyst for an equitable future for health and well-being. They believe that this goal is attainable if enough of us—individuals and organizations in all sectors—see ourselves and each other as interdependent stewards in a movement for well-being and equity. To accomplish this, Rippel focuses on creating equitable health and well-being for all in the US, beginning with those who are struggling and suffering. Rippel helps stewards adopt new mindsets and practices thereby enabling them to better assure the vital conditions and urgent services that all people need to thrive exist in communities across the country.

As an operating foundation with an $85M portfolio and funding from a diverse pool of supporters, Rippel is a strategic think tank; a value-driven, field-based learning/consulting organization; and a boundary-spanning philanthropy. Rippel’s theory of change has been endorsed by some of the country’s most sophisticated philanthropies and respected leaders including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the US Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Well Being in the Nation, and Blue Shield of California Foundation.

Working at the cutting edge of system transformation and building on its deep experience and expertise, Rippel focuses on those stewards best positioned to affect change in philanthropy, health systems and corporations. Rippel also partners with peers in a growing field to shift commitments, relationships, actions and investments as well as create new norms – all grounded in what people need to thrive.

Rippel was one of the early pioneers championing the holistic definition of health and well-being and the need for systems change to address the social and structural determinants of health and health equity. Since its founding, Rippel has played a pivotal role at the forefront of innovation and thought leadership in the sector.

Building on its investment over the last decade in ReThink Health, Rippel’s major initiative, Rippel is now poised for even greater impact. The organization’s 2025 vision opens a window of opportunity to focus efforts in key sectors, advance critical stewardship practices and norms, and build the internal capacities to grow impact over time.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, LEARNING & IMPACT

Job Description

Classification: Full-time; Exempt; Benefits-eligible

Summary

The Learning & Impact (L&I) team leads the Rippel Foundation’s work to measure, evaluate, and understand efforts for stewarding equitable system change across the country. To this end, the L&I team develops the frameworks, metrics, and approaches to surface and synthesize the effects of Rippel’s endeavors and convey collective insights about what works, for whom, how, and under what contexts. The team leads research to clarify the state and nature of stewardship and the broader movement to thrive together. The L&I team also builds capacity of Rippel staff to advance our mission and goals through effective and ongoing organizational learning and staff development. The L&I team strives to pioneer catalytic practices for equitable evaluation and measurement of system change efforts.

Reporting to the Director of Learning & Impact, the Associate Director of Learning & Impact advances the goals of Rippel’s L&I team by scaling and overseeing our project evaluation efforts and playing a lead role in the development and implementation of an innovative enterprise-wide measurement and evaluation strategy. The Associate Director will also oversee multifaceted research endeavors resulting in reports characterizing stewardship and the state of the movement to thrive together. The role will require the adaptation of conventional evaluation and social science research approaches to a dynamic, nationwide, action-learning and influence portfolio. We are explicitly NOT looking for the application of conventional M&E approaches to the adaptive, complex challenges we are working to address. As such, the Associate Director will have a strong interest in and ability to tailor new approaches to glean impacts and insights—especially those focused on equitable evaluation and participatory research, and a non-dogmatic approach to evaluation and action-learning practices. With a true commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Associate Director seeks to bring together individuals with different histories and experiences to Rippel’s work.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, plan, conduct, and manage multiple discrete and ongoing evaluation and/ or research activities to advance Rippel goals. Direct activities so that they are completed on time, on budget, and with high quality. Prepare effective workplans, negotiate contracts, and develop and monitor budgets.
• In conjunction with the Director, compose and lead diverse teams effectively to accomplish activities; manage internal staffing challenges, conflicts, and celebrations to ensure the successful functioning of teams and to promote a collegial and productive work environment.
• Supervise the Senior Associate, Learning & Impact. Supervise Program Associates, Senior Program Associates, Program Coordinators, and consultants and contractors as required on individual projects/activities. Work effectively with management team members who serve as contributors to activities. Effectively communicate work instructions, assignments, and processes. Review work products and provide constructive feedback. For direct reports, work closely to manage workflow, conduct regular performance reviews, and support professional development. For matrixed team members, effectively communicate with other supervisors to coordinate workload and contribute to employee reviews.
• Develop and facilitate the use of evaluation and action-learning approaches and tools with diverse internal and external partners. Build data collection mechanisms for project and enterprise L&I efforts, including survey instruments, interview guides, and assessment tools.
• Conduct analysis of and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data. Produce meaningful, culturally contextualized findings from evaluation and research activities via presentations, blogs, research reports, management reports, and proposals.
• Design and deliver effective action-learning experiences within and across internal teams through the development of dynamic agendas and skilled facilitation; synthesize insights in real-time and in writing post-discussion.
• Represent Rippel work to the broader field at workshops, conferences, advisory panels, and other networking opportunities; develop new relationships through networking opportunities, particularly with historically marginalized groups. Ensure that Rippel content is delivered effectively to multicultural audiences in writing, webinars, presentations, workshops, and convenings.
• Effectively build and manage relationships with external partners, contractors, and funders.
• Collaborate with the Program and Communications & Influence teams to create and carry out cross-organizational learning opportunities to further the R&D, evaluation, and learning goals of the organization.
• Develop new projects, research, and content delivery areas.
• Participate in ongoing cross-organizational activities such as all-team meetings and periodic Lunch and Learns.
• Directly interface with senior management regarding projects, research activities, learning opportunities, and other relevant areas.
• Model and promote group norms for effective teamwork and intercultural collaboration.
• Provide ongoing review of internal work processes and project management, looking for possible upgrades or improvements.
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications

This section describes the skills and expertise that we consider most important for success in this position. We recognize that not everyone will be an exact fit for this list, and we know you offer strengths and talents beyond what we’ve listed. If you have a vision and excitement for this role and our mission, and/or if you’ve been directly impacted by the systemic and social issues we address, we encourage your application.

• Master’s degree in public health, business, public policy/ administration, or social sciences strongly preferred by not required
• Demonstrated track record of success as a project manager in a collaborative environment
• 5 years overall experience in the field and 2 years’ experience in working as a project manager, or equivalent experience through a combination of education, work experience, and community engagement experience
• Understanding of Rippel’s mission and theory of change
• Understanding of the concept of equity and how it can apply to Rippel’s work
• Ability to lead and supervise multicultural teams in a way that achieves project objectives, supports the professional development of team members, and contributes to a collegial working environment
• Ability to learn and master new skills and knowledge quickly
• Experience with facilitation (virtual and in-person) and agenda design
• Demonstrated excellence in critical thinking and analysis, including the ability to distill and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with a passion for data integrity, process definition, and continuous learning
• Experience using and adapting diverse approaches for evaluation and applied research
• Experience developing survey and assessment tools, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Experience using and adapting approaches for shared action learning
• Demonstrated excellence in communication skills, including intercultural and cross-cultural communication
• Demonstrated excellence in nurturing strategic partnerships in service of shared goals
• Experience working effectively with diverse colleagues and clients
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgement, prioritize and accurately complete multiple tasks, and to work under deadlines and changing priorities
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information
• Facility with the Microsoft Office suite particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; Asana is a plus.
• A broad appreciation for and sensitivity to Rippel’s culture and workplace environment, including its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion across racial, cultural, political, and ideological differences

Additional Conditions of Employment

• RIPPEL REQUIRES ALL EMPLOYEES TO BE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT. LIMITED EXEMPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MEDICAL AND RELIGIOUS REASONS.
• Fully remote or hybrid position. Northeast location preferred.
• Some out of town and overnight travel required, approximately 10% to 15%
• The work environment is a typical office setting, requiring regular sitting; frequent talking, hearing, repetitive motions such as typing and writing
• Requires close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading
• Requires concentrated attention to execute responsibilities related to legal contracts, editing, writing, research, and understanding high-level concepts
• Rippel is committed to an ongoing journey for equity and justice. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on characteristics, perceived or actual, protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws or ordinances in all employment practices. We encourage applications from those who, through both their work and lived experience, can further our efforts to help create just systems where all people thrive.
• Any applicant who needs an accommodation due to a disability should contact Human Resources at awells@rippel.org.

Benefits

Salary: $100,000 - $113,750 annually

Rippel offers a comprehensive and flexible benefits package including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, basic life/LTD, flexible spending accounts, 401k, and generous paid time off, including paid family leave.