The Advisory Services Team
As trusted advisors and expert pro bono practitioners, Taproot’s Advisory Services team enables and delivers the highest quality pro bono service to social good organizations, and sets the standard of excellence for the field by demonstrating, innovating, and sharing pro bono best practices.
The Advisory Services team provides:
- Pro Bono Strategy & Advisement: We design and develop pro bono programs that maximize the impact potential of our clients, including companies, foundations, and other institutions.
- Pro Bono Program Service Delivery: We implement pro bono programs that connect social good organizations and skilled volunteers by leveraging our extensive pro bono expertise.
- Pro Bono Field Building: We develop tools and resources that enable pro bono users and practitioners to provide high quality pro bono services and share them with the field through convenings or thought leadership.
Position Summary/Objective
The Senior Associate Consultant serves as a junior pro bono practitioner, supporting a portfolio of client engagements in collaboration with engagement leads (Consultants or Senior Consultants). The Senior Associate Consultant also creates engagement deliverables, often serves as point of contact for employee and/or nonprofit participants, leads a small number of corporate or Pro Bono Consultant engagements with oversight, and supports the execution of practice-building projects.
The responsibilities and duties of the Senior Associate Consultant consist of (but are not limited to):
Client Relationship Management and Service Delivery (65%)
- Manage and support a portfolio of 6-9 engagements, in collaboration with engagement leads (Consultants, Senior Consultants, or Directors), helping to ensure that work is completed on time, in scope, and at the highest level of quality.
- Own the creation of deliverables for client engagements and, when relevant, manage Associate Consultants in the development of deliverables.
- Serve as point of contact for employee and/or nonprofit participants.
- Lead the delivery of small number of corporate or Pro Bono Consultant engagements, particularly engagements that are standardized, ensuring that the engagement is executed successfully and stays in scope.
- Elevate client challenges and scope creep questions to the client relationship manager.
Practice Building/Training (20-35%)
- Active contributor to marketing and communications, DEI, strategic operations, and program innovation practice-building projects, which includes creating deliverables such as email templates, providing information for case studies, informing new practice-wide technology or process improvements, etc. This often involves collaborating with other Taproot teams and departments to develop or execute on a shared strategy, initiative, or practice-building project.
Field Building (0-5%)
- Support the development of resources that help build the field of pro bono. Resources could include tools, presentations, or original research that equip pro bono practitioners and users with best practices and insights. Resource development will likely require partnering with Partnerships and Marketing & Communications and may include co-developing content with third party organizations and partners.
- Push the field of pro bono forward by contributing to the development of thought leadership, including case studies, resources, webinars, convenings, the AS newsletter, and other content, as requested.
- Support the execution of the Pro Bono Summit, including liaising with potential speakers, informing content, building program materials, etc.
- Contribute to process improvements related to collecting content and partnership efforts with MarCom.
Team Management and Performance (as requested)
- Train team members by supporting onboarding sessions and team upskilling sessions
- Support the recruitment process for new Advisory Services team members, related to Taproot culture and fit, as requested
Strategic Direction and Vision (0-5%)
- Help guide and inform the strategic direction of Taproot’s Advisory Services team by participating in strategic planning and implementation. This includes helping to assess team performance and supporting internal initiatives and decision-making that help build and support our practice.
- Support successful execution of Advisory Services strategic and operational priorities through supporting the execution of program delivery and of practice building project work.
- Provide strategic input to inform engagement strategy.
- Perform other job-related duties, as assigned.
Requirements
- Minimum of three (3) + year(s) of professional experience with relevant non-profit, corporate and/or consulting experience.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications is required.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to be a strong project manager with the capacity to multi-task.
- Creativity in problem solving.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Moderate travel may be required (~10-15%).
Job Specific Performance Competencies (Outside of Core)
Client Management/Service- Utilizes techniques required to develop, maintain and manage business relationships with clients and partner organizations in order to implement and manage projects and to identify new opportunities.
Consulting- Partners with clients to identify and resolve complex or sensitive issues.
Attention to Detail- Carefully and thoroughly attends to details and pursues high quality when completing tasks.
Verbal/Presentation- Conveys ideas and facts verbally using language the audience will best understand. Formally delivers information to groups.
Facilitation- Enables cooperative and productive group interactions.
Deliverable Development- Able to identify both short-term and long-term objectives and set timeline for completion of objectives in a reasonable and logical order.
Influencing/Persuading Others- Influences and persuades others to be excited and committed to furthering the Taproot’s objectives.
Creativity/Innovation- Generates new ideas, challenges the norm, takes risks, supports change, encourages innovation, solves problems creatively.
Taproot’s Core Performance Competencies
Interpersonal- Has knowledge and understanding of the needs and requirements of the job, as well as its systems and processes. Understands how the job impacts other areas of the department and the Company.
Is sought after by others for expertise in their field.
Written Communication Skills- Work is thorough and complete. Shows attention to detail and produces work that is consistently free of errors. Sets high personal standards and monitors, evaluates and adjusts own work to ensure those standards are met.
Collaboration- Effectively manages a defined workload. Sees tasks through from concept to completion. Prioritizes tasks accurately, identifying and addressing those that are most critical. Demonstrates persistence in spite of obstacles. Demonstrates flexibility inside and outside of the department.
Critical Thinking- Works independently and is a solution seeker by using resources efficiently and effectively.
Self-starter: takes charge in the absence of detailed instructions. Innovator: creates new ideas by thinking outside of the box and takes action to implement. Actively pursues growth and development by seeking and accepting feedback and learning from others. Volunteers for additional work.
Problem Solving- Accomplishes tasks and submits work in a timely manner. Accepts responsibility for the outcome of one’s work and decisions made. Reports to work on scheduled days/times and attends required meetings, calls and other business obligations on time. Understands purposes, objectives, practices, and procedures of the department. Upholds Company policies, procedures, corporate governance and utilizes fair and consistent business practices.
Project Management- Assembles all available facts and considers alternatives before making decisions.
Is creative in formulating and implementing solutions to difficult issues. Thinks strategically by setting direction and implementing tactical plans. Makes wise and fair judgments/decisions based on solid facts.
Embodying Taproot’s Values- Employee understands and can effectively communicate the definition of Taproot’s Values.
Taproot employees are currently working remotely, but the organization expects to reopen its permanent offices, when appropriate. We are open to candidates working from a city where we have an office (i.e. Chicago, Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco).