Position: Executive Director Location: Remote with monthly travel Salary: $110,000 + benefits 1 Annual Bonus: Up to 10% of base salary dependent on performance Start Date: ASAP
POSITION OVERVIEW The Marconi Society is seeking an experienced Executive Director passionate about the potential to create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. With the recent adoption of a refreshed strategic plan, the organization is excited to bring on its first full-time Executive Director to implement its Theory of Change. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Marconi Society’s new leader will help celebrate, inspire, and connect the world’s leading minds on Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) and build a network of individuals working towards a digitally inclusive world. Top candidates will have experience leading a foundation or nonprofit, a proven ability to raise funds to support national and international programming, the ability to represent the Marconi Society brand to a wide range of individuals and organizations around the world, and passion for our mission.
WHO WE ARE Guglielmo Marconi is widely credited as the inventor of radio – sending and receiving the first wireless message in 1901, at age 27. In 1974, his daughter, Gioia Marconi Braga, established the Marconi International Fellowship Foundation to mark the centennial of her father and memorialize his spirit of ingenuity in service to humanity. In tribute, the Foundation has sought to nurture, recognize, and celebrate individuals whose innovations in communications technology writ large have made a lasting contribution for the public benefit.
In the years since its founding, the Foundation has evolved into the Marconi Society, Inc., a 501(c)(3) private foundation. The Society has continued to celebrate and encourage innovation in communications today, most notably through the contributions of those in its network. Through symposia, conferences, the prestigious Marconi Prize, the Young Scholars Program, and, more recently, the Celestini Program, the Society has both cultivated a network of the industry’s significant luminaries and inspired the next generation of emerging scientists and engineers dedicated to pushing the frontiers of communications as Guglielmo Marconi did.
Today, the Marconi Society has realigned around new Guiding Principles and a refreshed Mission, Vision, and Theory of Change. Our Guiding Principles ensure that the legacy of
1 Benefits include health insurance (including vision and dental), generous Paid Time Off policy, $1000 annual wellness stipend to go towards individually-defined areas of wellness (such as gym membership, therapy, childcare, etc.), flexible schedule, professional development budget, and access to the prestigious Marconi Society network.
Guglielmo Marconi as an innovator, entrepreneur, and pioneer in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) continues to live on through the Marconi Society with a view toward the critical role that this technology now plays in everyone’s lives. Our new vision is a world in which all people can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. To achieve this world, our mission is to celebrate, inspire, and connect individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world. We do this by:
• Celebrating luminaries in the communications field who are making ICT more accessible for all through the prestigious Marconi Prize and Fellows. Past award winners include Vint Cerf, Bob Kahn, Peter Kirstein and Len Kleinrock (Internet pioneers), Marty Cooper (inventor of the mobile phone), Brad Parkinson (creator of GPS), Martin Hellman and Whit Diffie (developers of public key encryption) and many others. Click here for a full list of past Marconi Prize winners. • Inspiring the next generation of leaders with the potential to further digital inclusion and build tomorrow’s technologies for the good of humanity. Our Young Scholars, selected for their creativity and potential, teach at the world’s most prestigious universities, lead teams in corporations and research organizations, and are entrepreneurs in the commercial and social impact spaces. Our Young Scholars founded and lead the Celestini Program which supports technical undergrads in developing countries to incubate communications-driven solutions for critical local issues. Celestini Program participants have created proofs-of-concept to address maternal mortality in Uganda, air pollution in Delhi, political engagement in Rwanda, and much more. Click here for more information on the Celestini Program. • Connecting individuals working towards a digitally inclusive world with a shared commitment to making ICT accessible for all and building tomorrow’s technologies for the good of humanity.
Our Theory of Change states that when executed strategically, these approaches will lead to a thriving community of people from all sectors collectively committed to and working toward digital inclusion, and ultimately our vision of a world in which all people can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity.
For additional information on our programs and strategy, please visit www.marconisociety.org
THE OPPORTUNITY Reporting to the Board of Directors, chaired by Vint Cerf, the new Executive Director of the Marconi Society will be a committed, visionary leader responsible for bringing the Society’s first ever strategic plan, which was adopted by the Board of Directors in September, 2019, to life. The Society’s new leader will have the unique opportunity to work closely with pioneers in the communications field, and activate a network of scholars, luminaries, activists, students, government entities, universities and industry partners that understand the urgency and importance of making Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessible to all and fostering a digitally inclusive world. While the organization is not new, we are evolving into a dynamic, connected, and growing organization, that is ready for new leadership to guide the Society forward. We are looking for a leader who is expert in building networks of supporters, has demonstrated success in fund development, and will develop and sustain programs.
WHAT YOU’LL DO • Execute the 2019 - 2021 Strategic Plan – With the support of the Board of Directors, our new Executive Director will be responsible for executing three key priorities: 1) Align and strengthen our programs; 2) Solidify strategic partnerships; and 3) Build a sustainable organization. For a complete version of the Strategic Plan, click here. • Design and Implement a Funding Model & Strategy – Our new Executive Director will be responsible for initially making our programs and activities cost-neutral, which will include activities such as fundraising, securing corporate sponsorships, and designing and executing a paid membership model with enticing benefits. The Executive Director will also be responsible for replenishing the endowment over time. Responsibilities also includes fiscal management, operating within an approved budget, and keeping the organization in a positive financial position. • Engage the Marconi Society Network – Executive Director will be responsible for strategic engagement with current and future members through symposia, award ceremonies, online communications, and network meetings celebrate, inspire and connect individuals with a shared commitment to digital inclusion. • Manage Volunteers and Consultants – The Marconi Society operates with a small, dedicated team. The new Executive Director will be expected to effectively manage, support, and leverage the Society’s Board of Directors, engaged network, and consultants.
WHO YOU ARE Experience • Demonstrable experience executing on a strategic plan in a leadership position. • Experience in leading and managing people, information, communications, finances, and resources towards the delivery of tangible results. • A track record of raising funds from a diverse set of sources including high net worth individuals, corporations, foundations. • Experience building earned revenue programs/membership models to support the financial sustainability of an organization. • Experience working and building relationships internationally, particularly within an academic setting. • Experience engaging and building communities.
• An understanding of, or deep interest in understanding, relevant trends and stakeholders in the intersection of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) field and digital inclusion.
Skills and Personal Qualities • Committed to the Marconi Society’s mission, vision, and guiding principles (see above). • Inspirational and visionary leader. • Exceptional interpersonal relationship-builder. • Skilled communicator across diverse mediums, including writing, digital, and public speaking. • Able to successfully work from home, at least for the initial period of the position. • Ability to honor the heritage of the organization while moving its mission forward. • Fluent in spoken and written English. • Ability to travel regularly within the U.S. and internationally.
HOW TO APPLY To apply, please send the following to [email protected] with the subject line MARCONI SOCIETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – YOUR NAME:
1. A one-page PDF that answers the following questions: a. What draws you to the Marconi Society, and what excites you most about becoming our next leader? b. Which of your past experiences have best prepared you for this role and how? c. What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge for you with this role as described above, and what steps or actions might you take to circumvent them?
Note: In an attempt to decrease bias in our hiring process, we ask that you do not use proper nouns in your response. This means no mention by name of the schools you have attended or organizations you have worked at or have an affiliation to. Instead, focus on the substance of what you have learned, how you’ve developed, and why you are well positioned to be the Marconi Society’s next leader. (“The Marconi Society”, by the way, is the only proper noun you are allowed to use in your one-pager).
2. Your resume
3. In the body of the email, please include: a. Your full name b. Your phone number c. Your email address d. The name and contact information of at least three references familiar with your work
e. Your preferred primary city/cities (recognizing the role is remote)
A member of our hiring team will receive this email, save the information on a secure file, and maintain a tracking system where for the first rounds of reviews, they will be the only person who knows what identification numbers correspond to which individuals.
Please note that only applications following these strict guidelines will be considered.
The Marconi Society provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to their race, color, age, religious creed, sexual orientation, gender expression, or other identity-based characteristics.