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About Our Firm

William Blair strives to attract qualified candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and other strategic resource groups. We are committed to empowering our colleagues to deliver client success and engage in our communities. Our firm has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, continuing to deepen our expertise and relationships across asset classes and markets throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries. What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with colleagues who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We empower our people to bring their best thinking so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect. We invite you to learn more about us by visiting williamblair.com.

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v

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Job Description

William Blair’s philanthropy advisory services offer custom and personalized services to individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs, family offices, corporations, and nonprofits to establish and strengthen their philanthropic purpose. We are seeking a seasoned professional who is experienced in philanthropic consulting, wealth planning, or an affiliated field or practice to help deliver client success and optimize the expertise and thought leadership. This individual will lead and manage our Philanthropy Associate and support our advisor teams with charitable giving insights and resources and work directly with clients to provide strategic guidance on how to give meaningfully invest in their communities and create lasting impact.

In partnership with the Head of Philanthropy and Sustainability and our Philanthropy Associate, this role will build and deploy grant strategies, best practices, and thought leadership. They will serve as William Blair’s subject matter expert on foundations, trusts, public charities, and donor-advised funds to help clients make sophisticated grantmaking and philanthropic investments. This role will lead third party relationship management with donor-advised fund sponsors, outside counsel, and additional philanthropic leaders. They will also host family meetings, develop philanthropic roadmaps, and work to uplift the next generation of philanthropic leadership.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

Advise clients on how to be high-impact and mission-driven philanthropists. Create short and long-term goals and strategies for families to achieve their charitable giving plans.
Lead and manage the Philanthropy Associate, providing coaching, mentorship, performance management, and ensuring high quality execution of client deliverables and team priorities.
Develop, cultivate, and maintain client relationships and engagement with their grantees. Represent clients in their philanthropic and civic activities.
Lead sophisticated coordination with client advisors in legal, estate, and accounting matters.
Build tools, systems, technologies, and other internal infrastructures to help William Blair be as effective and efficient as possible in supporting philanthropic clients.
Serve as the leadership liaison with William Blair’s strategic partners ranging from donor-advised fund sponsors, philanthropic membership organizations, and other philanthropic alliances.
Maintain procedures, governance, and best practices for major charitable giving and for charitable organizations.
Act as a subject matter expert in specific philanthropic practices such as next generation engagement, impact investing, launching philanthropic vehicles, and issue-area specific trends and focus areas.
Evolve subject matter expertise and utilize data to create though leadership for the firm, convene and inform clients, and host events and author white papers.
Convene like-minded clients and exchange best practices.

Qualifications:

We are looking for a highly motivated, impact-driven, analytical, and entrepreneurial expert in philanthropy who will help our clients activate, collaborate, and optimize their philanthropic goals.

The ideal candidate will have:

A bachelor's degree and 10+ years of grant-making and philanthropic advisory experience.
Prior experience in a leadership role with responsibility for developing and coaching direct reports.
Dedicated to providing excellent service, increasing client satisfaction, and fostering strong relationships.
Experience in financial services and a good understanding of wealth planning tools, planned giving, investment principles and investment policy.
A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), or equivalent, certification.
Experience with individual, family, and corporate philanthropy. Consulting and/or project management experience a plus.
Business-development orientation with a strong sense for building existing client relationships and developing new business opportunities for the firm.
Team collaboration skills with the ability to identify themes, trends, and opportunities amongst multiple stakeholders. Support a broader team of community engagement and sustainability professionals.
Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail, the ability to work with ambiguity, navigate a complex environment, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
The role calls for excellent organizational, written and verbal communication, and effective presentation skills.

Compensation

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.

Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.

Salary Range

$155,000—$195,000 USD

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Manager, Philanthropy Advisor