at Huron Consulting Group in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
The Opportunity
Huron helps its clients drive growth, enhance performance, and sustain leadership in the markets they serve. Huron’s GG+A global philanthropy business is one of the world’s pre-eminent philanthropic management consultancies. We have worked across the world, providing philanthropic counsel to the higher education, not-for-profit, healthcare, arts and cultural sectors.
Today, we help organizations realize the full potential of their missions through the growth of philanthropic support. Our primary mission is to assist our clients in the substantial improvement and acceleration of their fundraising and engagement programmes, seeking to align those programmes with the institution’s core mission and ensure their sustainability.
You’ll help our clients by providing a robust, data-informed strategy across the donor journey.
Position Summary
Position Summary
Huron|GG+A seeks an entrepreneurial and energetic advancement professional to fill the full-time position of a consultant in the Arts and Culture practice area. This person will have experience with and exposure to annual, major, and campaign fundraising as well as familiarity with constituent engagement and advancement services programs in the arts and culture sector.
All Huron|GG+A consultants deploy evidenced-based consulting methodologies and develop sophisticated analytics tools in close collaboration with the firm’s integrated, large-scale client engagement teams. A Consultant may function as a member of various project teams and/or be assigned as a Project Lead, leading data collection, performing rigorous analysis, and producing clear, compelling, insightful, and accurate reports for the firm’s clients. This individual will also collaborate with colleagues and contribute to innovative product/service development to drive sustained growth and profitability, while ensuring that client deliverables meet the highest standards of quality.
Successful Huron|GG+A consultants take initiative, are self-disciplined, and are eager to learn. They possess business and entrepreneurial acumen with demonstrated ability to initiate and sustain professional relationships. It is essential that our consultants exhibit a high level of flexibility, perseverance, and a tenacious work ethic.
Huron|GG+A is a full-service philanthropic management consulting firm with 60 years of industry-defining leadership in helping our clients realize the full potential of their missions through the growth of philanthropic support. Our primary mission is to assist our clients in the substantial improvement and acceleration of their fundraising programs. We seek to align those programs with the institution’s core mission and ensure their sustainability.
Huron|GG+A is an international resource for data-driven best practices in all areas of advancement, including fundraising, engagement, communications, and advancement services. We provide counsel to a global constituency of nonprofits, specifically in the areas of independent schools, arts, and culture, select humanitarian institutions, and a range of charities and nonprofit organizations.
Qualifications
Qualifications
Education, Experience and Attributes
+ US Work Authorization
+ Bachelor’s degree required
+ Minimum of ten (10) years of frontline development experience with exposure to major campaign planning
+ Prefer direct fundraising experience in the arts and culture sector
+ Demonstrates strategic thinking and a rigorous, analytic approach to client situations, tailoring delivery to a client’s specific culture or need
+ Demonstrates understanding of fundraising best practices and the arts and culture sector
+ Demonstrates broad insight of philanthropic management
+ Ability to take a hands-on approach to consulting with the ultimate goal of providing an individualized, long-term, sustainable solution for each client
+ Client-focused with an intense intellectual curiosity about individual institutions and what make them unique
+ Demonstrates a high level of flexibility, stamina and perseverance with an unbridled passion and commitment to the field of philanthropy, as well as a strong and tenacious work ethic
+ Demonstrates clear written and verbal communication skills
+ Demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, specifically with Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel
+ Ability to travel 3-4 days per week, as needed
Key Responsibilities for the role
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.
Core Mission
Contribute to the Huron | GG+A Arts and Culture practice area by developing strategies, products and capabilities, marketing and sales plans, and delivery methodologies that enhance the ability to initiate, sustain and steward the philanthropic missions of our clients.
Consulting
+ Provide client institutions consulting services, which might include fundraising program assessments, feasibility studies, campaign planning, annual and major gift program planning and execution, and staff and volunteer training
+ Liaise with client staff and leaders with respect and confidence, including senior leadership across and beyond advancement functions
+ Demonstrate strong commitment to working as part of a team on client engagements across a spectrum of independent schools that vary by size, mission, and type
+ Compile and present clear, compelling, cohesive, accurate, and persuasive presentations and reports, independently or with the support of others. Such compilation and review usually includes reconciliation of anecdotal findings with philanthropic analytics and client-submitted data to ensure alignment throughout the report/presentation
Reasoning Ability
+ Critical thinking that enables effective data review and ability to generate narrative observations, findings and recommendations
+ Ability to think strategically (see big picture) as well as execute tactically (know the details)
+ Ability to use diplomacy and tact when dealing with problems
+ Ability to anticipate problems and determine the best course of action for their resolution
+ Ability to anticipate possible risks and develop a mitigation plan in preparation
+ Demonstrated organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
+ Demonstrates sound discretion and professional judgement in decision making
Communication and Relationship Skills
+ Ability to establish, cultivate and nurture high value professional relationships using superior written and verbal communication skills
+ Ability to influence leadership by providing data-driven recommendations that show clients the “why” as well as the “how”
+ Demonstrates judgment and poise to present findings and recommendations in a confident, inspiring manner
+ Demonstrates discretion when dealing with highly confidential issues
+ Demonstrates effective emotional intelligence and intuition necessary to engage appropriately with multiple personalities in a variety of client environments
+ Poise and maturity to present findings and recommendations in a confident, inspiring manner
+ Ability to produce top-quality work under pressure, with minimal direction, while dealing with competing priorities and exacting deadlines
+ Ability to read, write, speak and comprehend English fluently
Operations
+ Ensure that practice area products and services support Huron|GG+A’s overall strategy and revenue goals
+ Grow and guide support of the widening range of p