Managing Associate, Program Management job in Chicago

Note: Applications will not be considered without a thoughtful and relevant cover letter.

Why Next Street?

Want to work at the intersection of impact and business? Looking for a team with big ideas and bold ambitions? Interested in accelerating your career, and getting further faster by working at a scalable small business?

You have found your place – Next Street is a mission-driven, for-profit firm creating a better future for small business. We have audacious goals, and we are looking for team members who can dream big with us. Next Street was founded in 2005 with the belief that small businesses are the engines of inclusive growth in underserved markets. This philosophy is at the core of everything that we do. Next Street mobilizes capital, customers, and capabilities to small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been systemically held back. We work with foundations, government, corporations, and CDFIs.

We serve as trusted advisors to some of the country’s most dynamic organizations. We equip our clients with strategies and tools to advance small businesses and deliver a more inclusive US economy.

We are an anti-racist and anti-bias institution. Learn more about our commitment here: https://nextstreet.com/racial-equity/.

We believe Next Street is a special place to work:

• We are a group of critical thinkers and problem solvers. We work hard to get our clients the right answer, because we are successful when our clients create more impact.
• We are motivated by mission. We keep small business at the heart of what we do, and agitate for equity and inclusion, day in and day out.
• We respect and challenge each other. Our teammates come from the best professional services and social sector organizations. We learn from each other constantly.
• We push ourselves to innovate. We must think creatively and expansively to solve tomorrow’s economic and community development challenges.
• We take pride in our work, strive for excellence and work with integrity. This is more than just a job to us.

We believe in a better future for small business. Join Us.

Why this role?
Our consulting practice is hiring a high-performing Managing Associate with deep expertise in program management to lead the execution of one of our flagship small business programs. This small business programs works with 30+ partners to provide highly impactful funding and advice to small businesses systemically held back. We are looking for an experienced leader passionate about project management, seamless execution, relationship management, and economic and community development to manage this program, while establishing Next Street’s program management capability.

From day one, you will have responsibility for leading a multi-year engagement with a high-profile client and more than 30 partners. You will be the day-to-day relationship owner with our main clients and interface with our partners. We will give you the opportunity to hone your team leadership and executive relationship management skills at an accelerated trajectory. Your day-to-day work will be concentrated in three main areas: (1) program management and client engagement (2) practice and firm management, and (3) business development.

Join us and you will get exposure to some of the most complex economic and community development challenges in the country, while working alongside an extraordinary team and accelerating your career.

Program Management & Client Engagement (70%)

• Establish Program Management Office (PMO) to manage design and execution of small business program
• Oversee day-to-day execution of program, integrating work of multiple partners and workstreams, setting workplans, tracking deadlines, and overseeing deliverables, in line with Next Street’s delivery standards
• Act as single source of information for Next Street team and client leadership
• Set meeting and communication governance for partners and ensure different workstreams are coordinated and dependencies communicated
• Cultivate and manage strong relationship with key client partners
• Manage program profitability, and ensure effective use of firm and partner resources

Firm Management (20%)

• Serve on consulting practice leadership team; help shape and oversee future vision
• Mentor and coach junior team members
• Participate in recruiting efforts, as needed
• Oversee special projects or take on other responsibilities, as needed
• Contribute to firm knowledge development, codification and dissemination

Business Development (10%)

• Identify new business development opportunities with existing or new clients
• Support business development processes, including participating in pitch meetings and contributing to proposal development

Why you?

• You have an MBA or relevant graduate degree and 4+ years work experience with a top-tier professional services firm or 6+ years relevant work experience
• You have experience establishing and managing a Program Management Office (PMO) team or the equivalent for a large-scale consulting program
• You have a knack for details and can create order out of chaos
• You have never missed a deadline and find a good workplan satisfying
• You love client services
• You are a PowerPoint and Excel wizard and take pride in well-structured, high quality deliverables
• You have experience coaching junior staff
• You are motivated by mission and want to spend your days doing fulfilling work
• You are looking for opportunities to grow and accelerate your career
• You enjoy working with teams and believe diversity of thinking gets to better answers
• You are willing to challenge and be challenged, regardless of seniority

What we offer:
We want our team members to bring their best, true selves to work every day. We will offer you:

• Competitive salary and benefits – We know you work hard, and we want to reward you for it. We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits package (including 401k and paid parental leave) for mission-driven work.
• Generous paid time off – We want to make sure that you have time to recharge and to pursue your many passions. We give our team members 20 days of paid time off per year plus standard federal holidays.
• Mentorship and Sponsorship – You will have frequent access to our diverse and dynamic senior team, given that we are a small firm. They will be committed to your growth and will invest in mentoring you.
• Career development – We take growth seriously. We want to make sure that you have a plan to get where you want to go long term, whether at Next Street or business or graduate school. We give each team member an annual professional development stipend and provide ample coaching.
• Low travel model – We do not like to get on a plane every week and we do not want you to either. We travel when we need to every few weeks.
• Flexibility – It is important to us that you can work when and where you work best. We are flexible with employees to accommodate individual schedules and work preferences.
• Social events and office snacks – We admire and value our teammates. We plan social events throughout the year, so that you have to opportunity to connect outside of the office. We also make sure that you have the fuel you need to perform your best every day.

Next Street is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or Vietnam era, or other eligible veteran status, or any other protected factor.