Position Title: Portfolio Developer – Philanthropic Partnering Lane (PPIL)
Reports to: Vice President – Philanthropic Partnering
Hours: Full-time
Position: The PPIL Portfolio Developer facilitates discovering, developing, and investing in for-impact opportunities in defined market sectors.
Part business developer and part counselor, a portfolio developer is a coach, connector, catalyst, and co-creator. They are charged with becoming a trusted friend and a wise sounding board for those in positions of authority and influence. They assist in refining ideas, defining vision, discerning the achievable, and helping to galvanize nonprofit leaders and others in building better community.
Deeply embedded in the life of a specific market sector, a portfolio developer works with nonprofit leaders and other community members in discovering, developing, and investing in for-impact opportunities. They build relationships and encourage collaboration. They assist in identifying opportunities and connecting strategic partners to strengthen relational teamwork and strategic execution. Integrity and confidentiality are a must.
In the words of our founder, “Business is about people, processes, and problem-solving. We look for leaders who are principle-based, purpose-driven, people-centric strategic problem-solvers.” Portfolio developers that join our team are relational problem-solvers who effectively bridge ideas and execution.
As a frontline team member of the AE philanthropic partnering team, portfolio developers are the public face of the organization. They are charged with building AE’s brand recognition, providing ever-increasing visibility and influence, and establishing AE as the preferred partner for legacy impact in NE Indiana.
A portfolio developer should:
Be in the Market Sector
- Establish primary residence in the market sector, if practical, and if it is geographically concentrated
- Spend the majority of working hours in the market sector
- Engage in sector meetings, functions, and events, including outside normal business hours
- Build strong relationships with sector leaders and the sector at large
- Initiate one-on-one relationships with sector leaders and influencers
- Contribute to a Bible-based, Christ-centered, high-trust, high-care, high-performance culture
Serve the Market Sector
- Listen, using intelligent inquiry, to help assess the needs and desires of the sector
- Be a relational partner for cultivating and connecting networks and collaborative endeavor
- Maintain objectivity and avoid partisanship, working for the common good
- Serve on at least one nonprofit board in the focused sector
- Inspire others to engage in championing the sector
- Attain strategic and/or industry-specific certifications to help the sector
Build the Market Sector
- Assist in the formation of vision, developing strategy, and defining impact
- Promote common interests and encourage collaboration
- Catalyze sector initiatives that advance sector revitalization and well-being
- Be an economic partner for accelerating sector success and sustainability
- Identify, link, and leverage sector assets
- Review progress and provide feedback
Other Expectations
- Participate as a member of the AE Philanthropic Partnering team
- Identify and develop relationships with other AE community advocates and portfolio developers
Responsibilities
Strategic Facilitation: Where are we, where do we want to go, and how will we get there?
- Define the mission – Understand why the sector exists and what it needs to achieve
- Face the facts – Assess, evaluate, and communicate the present reality
- Cast a vision – Capture the imagination of stakeholders with a clear picture of a compelling futur
- Plan the work – Develop a strategy, the means, and methods, to achieve that compelling vision
- Work the plan – Implement the systems, processes, and services to advance the strategy
Relational Engagement: Who is available and willing to work together for the common good?
- Develop the trust – Foster believing in the good intent of others and fulfilling one’s own good intent
- Build the bridges – Connect people, getting them talking, listening, and willing to work together
- Unite the sector – Identify the common values, shared interests, and desired impact
- Assign the work – Promote collaboration, concentration of effort, and coordination of activities
- Rally the troops – Inspire pride, fellowship, and common loyalty to each other for the common good
Operational Mobilization: What resources do we have, and how will we use them in fulfilling the vision?
- Determine the initiatives – Decide the programs that are mission-critical to success
- Establish the priorities – Prioritize the mission-critical programs essential to success
- Provide the resources – Ensure tools, training, and capital are available to do the job
- Deploy the capital – Provide capital to seize opportunities and support the programs
- Manage the risks – Identify and mitigate threats according to probability and severity
Brand Management: What is our identity, and how do we want to be known?
- Develop the value proposition – What do we provide, for whom, and for what good effect?
- Cultivate the message – Develop a clear, easy-to-understand, compelling story
- Know the audience – Maintain customer contact and sector engagement
- Promote the brand – Repeatedly tell the story of the sector’s unique value proposition
- Protect the reputation – Help manage the reputational risks and address negative reviews
Performance Optimization: What performance do we expect, and how will we measure that performance?
- Define the objectives – Communicate constantly expectations, the mountains to climb, hills to take
- Coordinate the activities – Facilitate cross-sector and cross-functional teamwork
- Drive the results – Consistently focus the sector on outcomes and impact
- Monitor the progress – Keep score, developing simple real-time means of measuring success
- Celebrate the victories – Rejoice in wins with individuals and organizations throughout the sector
Professional Qualifications Desired
- A heart for God, a love for people, and a calling to leader, organization, and community development
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business management, public administration, or other field relevant to the assigned market sectors
- 5-10 years of experience in community development, nonprofit or business leadership, or a field relevant to the assigned market sectors
- Professional coaching credentials, or at least 5 years of experience in people development
- Experience in leadership, managing managers and staff, and developing talent
- Experience in the Marketplace and in Ministry is highly preferred
3 C’s: Character | Chemistry | Competency
Personal Attributes
Christ-Centered – Lives in a way that consistently bears witness to Christ and the Kingdom of God
Servant-hearted – Works for the success of others, fulfilling spoken and unspoken wishes of those served
Humble – Embraces own insufficiency and demonstrates dependency upon God and others
Ethical – Has unwavering integrity with a commitment to authenticity, transparency, and truthfulness
Mature – Manages emotions, handling change, crises, and conflict in a calm, measured manner
Confident – Is secure with a nothing to prove, nothing to lose, and nothing to hide mindset
Relational Abilities
Credible – Fosters trust, building strong one-on-one relationships and healthy community together
Personal – Compassionate and caring with a genuine concern for and desire to get to know others
Patient – Effectively deals with difficult people, complex projects, and deep-rooted problems
Gracious – Thrives working in multiple sectors, dealing with diverse people and differing opinions
Listener – Understands and comprehends, making strategic connections and having wise insights
Communicator – Builds an emotional connection, effectively communicating relevant content
Professional Aptitudes
Self-managed – Works independently, takes initiative, manages multiple projects, and prioritizes work
Adaptable – Deals well with competing demands, complex problems, and changing circumstances
Prudent – Uses critical thinking and good judgment in dealing with issues, giving wise, timely advice
Innovative – Meets challenges with creative resourcefulness, looking for new and better ways
Collaborative – Sets clear objectives, managing expectations while fostering a culture of participation
Facilitative – Resources and influences others in effectively and efficiently achieving defined objectives
