Director of Special Projects

Position Overview

The role of Director of Special Projects at Groundwork Collaborative, located in Washington D.C., offers a hybrid work environment requiring onsite presence on Mondays and Wednesdays with remote work the rest of the week, plus occasional in-person attendance for events and special assignments. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this exempt position requires driving operational initiatives with a blend of creativity and structured project management.

About Groundwork Collaborative

Founded in 2018, Groundwork Collaborative advocates for progressive economic policies that enhance public accountability, dismantle concentrated private power, and center economically excluded communities, aiming to build a resilient economy. The organization operates uniquely as a hybrid of strategic communications, think tank, and issue advocacy, engaging media, policymakers, experts, and grassroots movements using focused campaigns and research to promote inclusive economics.

Role Summary

This leadership role demands a dynamic operator who excels at both designing innovative solutions where none exist and building scalable infrastructure within a fast-growing organization. The Director will lead diverse projects either by independently managing the entire process, coordinating across functions, or providing expert operational input.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage important projects end-to-end, from defining scope to final delivery, creating clear schedules, and ensuring timely, quality execution.
• Develop and uphold project management standards, systems, and reporting frameworks.
• Adapt quickly among shifting priorities and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Collaborate with leadership to create solutions for novel operational challenges, defining success metrics and innovating approaches not yet explored.
• Design and maintain internal dashboards and reporting tools, define key organizational metrics, and ensure consistent tracking.
• Oversee fundraising data systems, improve data visibility, and facilitate adoption of systems such as CRM and project tracking tools.
• Identify process inefficiencies and implement automation and standardization to enhance workflow efficiency and clarity.
• Support strategic planning by translating organizational strategies into actionable workflows, track progress on key goals, and contribute to forecasting and reporting materials.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum 7 to 10 years in operations, program management, or implementation-intensive roles.
• Demonstrated skill in quickly navigating and multitasking across diverse projects while maintaining momentum.
• Strong creative problem-solving abilities, adept at conceiving innovative solutions in undefined areas.
• Proven success managing complex projects through all phases.
• Experience with dashboard creation, data workflow management, and reporting system development.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous settings, capable of structuring unclear challenges.
• Excellent communicator who can bridge technical and non-technical team members.
• Self-driven with a humble approach, able to accept guidance and take initiative.

Preferred qualifications: nonprofit finance and operations background, experience with startup environments, familiarity with CRM and project management software like Airtable, Salesforce, ClickUp, or Asana, and a servant leadership philosophy.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary ranges from $145,000 to $179,000. Benefits include five weeks of vacation and personal leave, two annual week-long office holidays, additional floating and federal holidays off, fully paid health insurance with a generous health reimbursement account, up to 6% retirement match, parental leave of up to 16 weeks, and reimbursements for health club memberships and cell phone expenses. Groundwork operates as a unionized employer, with this position outside the bargaining unit.

Work Environment

This role is based in Washington DC with a hybrid schedule requiring two office days per week and remote work for the remainder, alongside occasional in-person engagements for events and special projects.

Application Process

Interested candidates should prepare a resume and cover letter expressing their enthusiasm and qualifications for this position. The selection process includes an initial interview, a skills assessment, individual interviews, and a panel discussion with team members.