Director, Initiative for Financial Decision Making

Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation through immersive and innovative management programs. We provide students with a transformative leadership experience, pushing the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research and offering a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non-degree programs that deliver global impact like no other. We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in service of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world. We invite you to be part of this mission.

The Initiative for Financial Decision-Making (IFDM), a collaboration among the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and the Economics Department, is recruiting an inaugural Director based at the (GSB) in Stanford, CA. IFDM is spearheading the effort to improve people’s financial wellbeing through financial literacy. IFDM’s mission is to equip people, especially the young and underprivileged, with skills for making informed financial decisions based on sound academic research insights. Despite the growth of personal finance education, challenges remain, such as insufficient training for instructors and students' knowledge retention. IFDM supports high schools, universities, and employers by providing tools, programs, and research-based evidence to promote financial literacy on a large scale.

Funded through a generous gift, IFDM has ambitious goals and seeks a Director to scale the organization to accomplish those goals for maximum impact. A critical role for the Director is to build a bridge between the scholarly research on financial literacy performed at Stanford and real-world impact.  The Director should help scholars translate their work for maximum impact and allow researchers to gain insights from IFDM’s real-world engagements.

The Director will develop, manage, and coordinate administrative and operations-related functions for IFDM. This role includes collaborating closely with the Faculty Director, faculty, and administrative and programmatic staff members across Stanford to drive IFDM operations. In coordination with the Faculty Director, the Director develops, implements, and administers the vision, strategy, and goals of IFDM and all associated programs on a national and international level.

The Director has two reporting responsibilities. Operationally and strategically, the Director reports to and works closely with the Faculty Director and is accountable for driving all IFDM activities in close coordination with IFDM team members. Administratively, the position reports to the Director of Operations within the GSB’s Research Hub. This complex undertaking requires an ability to effectively navigate budgeting, execution, and financial management systems, support and coordinate the research and development of financial literacy tools, educational materials, and curriculum, and manage IFDM human resource requirements and staffing.

Primary responsibilities of the Director include:
Strategy

• Develop and provide strategic analysis and review of multi-year plans, including alternative methods for achieving goals when necessary, in consultation with the Faculty Director. Offer recommendations for programmatic and educational operations, and the organization's future development.
• Collaborate with the Faculty Director to drive IFDM's planning and partnership development. Engage in strategic discussions to shape IFDM’s long-term vision and objectives. Develop detailed action plans, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and resource availability.
• Provide leadership to achieve the organization's goals and vision and manage its day-to-day operations. Ensure all activities align with established goals and IFDM's strategic direction.
• Coordinate with the fund-raising teams at GSB and Stanford to maximize funding opportunities and develop and coordinate an Advisory Board.
• Design and implement strategic plans to promote IFDM visibility and impact, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and support the achievement of IFDM’s objectives. This includes crafting messages and coordinating with internal and external partners to ensure consistent and effective dissemination of research and programs.
  

Operations

• Collaborate with the Faculty Director and team members to allocate resources effectively, addressing any budgetary concerns or programmatic adjustments to ensure successful completion on time and within budget.
• Work with focal points within GSB, SIEPR and the Economics Department and coordinate activities.
• Interpret, implement, and ensure compliance with University academic and administrative policies and procedures. Recommend new internal policies, guidelines, and procedures.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, ensuring their services meet the Initiative’s standards and requirements. Oversees the procurement process, from selection to contract negotiation and execution.
  

Financial Management

• Develop and maintain IFDM’s budget in collaboration with the Faculty Director. Ensure financial stability and compliance with funding requirements, and conduct regular financial forecasting and monitoring to ensure accurate and up-to-date records of all financial transactions within IFDM.
  

Human Resources

• In consultation with the Faculty Director, hire and retain staff and provide career coaching and personal development for direct reports. Accountable for employees' performance. Ensure compliance with Stanford human resources policies and programs while coordinating with Research Hub Operations on all human resource actions.
  

Research Support

• Coordinate with IFDM’s Faculty, Research, and Communications Directors to build and maintain strong relationships with research partners, data providers, government agencies, nonprofits, and other community groups. Help disseminate research findings for maximum impact.
• Coordinate with oversight entities at Stanford (e.g., Office of Sponsored Research and Research Compliance Office) and Research Hub units (e.g., Data Advisory Group and Data Analytics and Research Computing) to ensure the timely acquisition of data, compliance with data use agreements, and safe storage of all research data.
• Seek out and support the development of new grant proposals and manage the completion and submission of grant deliverables. 

Additional Responsibilities

• Remain adaptable and willing to take on various tasks as needed to support the IFDM’s goals.