Director – Native self-determination

Job Description

About the Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. We work on a few big bets that strive toward transformative change in areas of profound concern, including the existential threats of climate change, the challenges of criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., and corruption in Nigeria.

In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives.

We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change.

For more information, please visit our website at www.macfound.org.

The Opportunity

We are a private foundation that believes in listening deeply, learning constantly, and doing better—especially in service of communities whose voices have not been centered in philanthropy. Over the past several years, we have been on a journey of listening, reflection, and learning with Indigenous leaders, scholars, and community builders. This has been a time of humility and growth for us, and we are committed to transforming that learning into meaningful action that builds on our past work and looks to our future.

We are seeking a Director to build a shared vision for a new area of work: one that centers Indigenous Peoples, self-determination, and long-term reciprocity.  In addition to grantmaking, the ideal candidate will help the Foundation explore how this commitment to Native and Indigenous Peoples might be applied across some other programmatic areas. The Director will lead this work, from the design of the team to its strategic goals to how it engages with other parts of the Foundation and other donors. The ideal candidate will help us walk this path with integrity, accountability, and care.

As the inaugural Director, you will guide the development, refinement, and implementation of the strategy for the Native self-determination program—a vision that will continue to be shaped in deep collaboration with Indigenous Peoples knowledge keepers and advisors. You will be a builder and the steward of that shared vision and help ensure that it is grounded in action—supporting and sustaining the leadership, priorities, and self-determination of Native-led efforts.

We are looking for someone who brings understanding and experience based on strong, respectful relationships over time within Indigenous communities. Someone who brings both personal and professional knowledge, leads with humility and reciprocity, and carries a clear vision for how philanthropy can be more accountable, responsive, and grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

This role is time-limited for an initial period of 5 years with the possibility of extension.

Who You Are

We recognize that no single candidate will embody every quality below. If this role calls to you, we encourage you to apply.

• Rooted in Relationship: You bring a sound understanding of your teachings and a relational approach grounded in respect, reciprocity, and care. You’ve built and sustained deep connections with a multitude of Indigenous communities, governments, nonprofits, and/or donors.

• Experienced in Native Community Work: You have significant experience working in or alongside Indigenous nonprofit and charitable organizations, movements, or governments.

• Strategic & Visionary: You are able to connect dots, translate ideas into action, and guide long-term strategy with humility and clarity.

• Practiced in Philanthropy or Movement Support: You understand how to move resources in ways that support self-determination, and you are committed to shifting power—not just dollars.

• Collaborative Leader: You listen well, lead with curiosity, and know how to guide teams through complexity with steadiness and transparency.

• Adaptive & Reflective: You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving strategies, and you believe in continuous learning and adaptation.

What You’ll Do

As the first person in this role, you will help shape the vision, approach, and ways of working. You will play a key role in bringing together a team at MacArthur, working in relationship and with the support of advisors that include community members, MacArthur Board members, and collaborators representing a range of funders and investors.

Grantmaking, Capital Transfers & Collaborative Fund Management

• Build relationships with Indigenous communities, Native-led organizations, and donor peers to understand progress and challenges.

• Issue and monitor grants, participate in collaborative funds, and develop other forms of capital transfers in collaboration with internal and external colleagues and advisors.

• Compose strategic briefs, review, and edit grant briefs written by the team.

Program Strategy & Leadership

• Lead and evolve the Native self-determination strategy, ensuring it reflects the wisdom and priorities of Indigenous communities and advisors.

• Oversee the deeper design, development and execution of grantmaking and programmatic elements identified through our years of listening and engaging with Indigenous community leaders:

  • Capital Transfers & Collaborative Funds: Move meaningful resources into the hands of Indigenous leaders and support Native-led funds and institutions.

  • Public/Private Partnerships: Build partnerships that unlock government dollars for Indigenous communities and strengthen infrastructure in Indian Country.

  • Law & Policy: Invest in Indigenous legal and policy capacity to protect and strengthen Native communities.

  • Impact Investments: Support Native-led financial institutions and models that build sustainable, culturally rooted economies, in collaboration with the Foundation’s Impact Investments team.

Field Building & Collaboration

• Coordinate with peer funders and sector leaders on shared interests and challenges in hopes of aligning efforts and rallying broader philanthropic support for Indigenous-led work in tandem with the Foundation’s Partnerships team.

• Convene learning spaces and collaborative efforts to foster shared values and practices rooted in trust and reciprocity.

• Participate in public forums to advance the work alongside others.

• Compose and disseminate papers, articles, and/or opinion pieces to share insights and learnings with support from our Communications team.

• Participate in Foundation-wide task forces and working groups (e.g., our Just Imperative Committee or Fiscal Sponsor Working Group).

Internal Culture & Practice

• Partner with colleagues and when appropriate, external advisors and consultants, in exploring how Native self-determination practices might be woven into some other programs, operations and philanthropic practices.

• Collaborate with programs and teams across the Foundation to deepen all internal Staff’s understanding and awareness about Indigenous and Native communities’ history, culture, sovereignty, and present-day realities in partnership with the Foundation’s People and Culture and Equity Office teams.

• Encourage and support the engagement of Indigenous advisors across departments and strategies.

Learning & Adaptation

• Ensure our work is reflective, adaptive, and accountable to Indigenous communities in partnership with our Learning and Evaluation team

• Uplift and honor the stories and knowledge shared by communities to help us, and the broader field, understand what it looks like to be in right relationship with Indigenous and Native communities.

Guiding & Supporting Staff

• Design and build a team fit to purpose.

• Foster a positive culture and environment for collaboration, learning, and progress towards our goals.

• Hold space as a manager while recognizing that supporting team members’ personal and professional growth is a shared responsibility across the organization.

• Co-create opportunities for the team in alignment with the Foundation’s values and in relationship with the communities we seek to walk alongside.

Qualifications

We recognize that knowledge, leadership, and expertise come in many forms - through lived experience, community leadership, formal education, and professional work. We welcome applicants who bring:

• Extensive experience (15-20 years) in guiding strategies, designing and implementing programs, and fostering collaboration and innovation - with at least 7-10 years in leadership roles responsible for stewarding people, the environment, and resources towards shared goals

• A visionary and grounded leadership style - someone who is strategic, relational, joyful and effective. You are known as a generous partner, listener, and leader, with experience bringing complex, community-centered initiatives to life - especially those with direct relevance to Indigenous communities.

• Deep understanding of the relationship between philanthropy and Native communities - past and present - and a desire to support philanthropy in becoming more accountable, transparent, and aligned with Indigenous ways of being and doing.

• Insight rooted in experience and knowledge about the histories, systems, and policies that continue to shape Indigenous realities.

• A relational approach to leadership that builds trust, respect and belonging. You are someone who draws others in, creates space for others to shine, and builds inclusive teams where people are valued, supported and inspired to do their best work.

• Skilled in working with inter-disciplinary teams and across sectors - able to build meaningful relationships with communities, partners, funders, and colleagues, and bridge different ways of thinking and working.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with the ability to speak with clarity and integrity across diverse audiences and contexts.

• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging, in the workplace and in the broader work you lead or support.

• A confident, diplomatic, and grounded presence - able to navigate complexity with humility, good judgement, and professionalism.

• A Bachelor’s and Master’s or other advanced degree is welcomed, as is equivalent experience grounded in Indigenous governance, community leadership, or other forms of knowledge and expertise.

This is a hybrid position based in Chicago, IL, and relocation assistance is available. The Foundation requires in-office attendance of all Staff on our Core Days of Tuesday and Wednesday at a minimum. If the selected candidate does not live in the Chicago area, and is unable/unwilling to relocate, the Foundation may choose in its discretion to make an accommodation dependent on a number of factors including state of residence. If an accommodation is granted, the individual will be responsible for any weekly travel necessary to meet the minimum Core Day attendance requirements in our Chicago office. 

Annual salary for this role will start at $210,100. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and a comprehensive benefits package to support your life, health, and well-being.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The work environment is an office setting.  Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.