Managing Director, Discovery and Insight

Role Description 

The Managing Director Discovery and Insight leads Audaciouss global search for ambitious ideas and changemakers finding testing and building the case for the ideas and leaders most worth backing each funding cycle. This role owns end-to-end curation application and diligence activities ultimately leading to recommendations for the cohort of finalists selected annually. 

The Managing Directors work is centered on: a strategy informed by continuous learning about systems-level impact and Audacious unique role within it; deep collaboration with applicants donors and partners nurtured over time; and leadership of a strong team to sustain the work. 

Each year the Discovery and Insight team conducts a global search to identify nonprofit ideas that are: 

Innovative and offer a unique approach to a significant problem with the potential to shift the status quo or the system they operate within 

Proximate & Community-Oriented in leadership and decision-making structure (i.e. led by those who intimately understand the problem/opportunity incorporating impacted communities in decision-making led by someone who has direct experience in/with the community served) 

Approaching an inflection point or needing a significant capital inflow to catalyze a differentiated level of impact that they havent received support for yet (rather than support for ongoing operations) 

Thoughtfully ambitious ideas that both inspire and convince have an exciting breakthrough vision (inspire) clear outcomes and evidence that the idea will have a significant and concrete impact (convince) 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Set and evolve the sourcing and curation strategy. 

Advance sourcing and curation strategy for each cycle forming a clear point of view on where Audacious should be learning looking collaborating and why ultimately carrying that strategy forward across cycles 

Develop a future-oriented approach by monitoring and anticipating emerging trends and innovations that Audacious actively engages with or responds to 

Actively capture insights and lessons learned to refine and improve Audaciouss sourcing and curation activities annually 

2. Lead selection and diligence. 

Apply the sourcing and curation strategy to identify the ideas most worth Audaciouss attention - deciding what advances into the application stage and bringing along multiple stakeholders and inputs along that decision-making process 

Lead diligence on selected organizations rigorously testing readiness viability and fit within Audaciouss portfolio 

Build the recommendation evidence rationale and risks included that carries an idea into finalist selection 

3. Cultivate and steward the partners who bring ideas to Audacious. 

Surface strong ideas by building genuine ongoing relationships with social sector leaders including funder and intermediary partners (incl. sourcing networks collaboratives and others) 

Steward key partner relationships by developing a deep understanding of each stakeholders goals priorities and aspirations 

Maintain stakeholder relationships continuously within and across cycles to ensure trust and rapport among all actors 

Represent Audaciouss point of view in the field using that standing to draw the most ambitious organizations and ideas toward the platform and to create richer opportunities for sector collaboration 

4. Build and nurture a team that explores the frontier of audacious social change. 

Lead the Discovery and Insight vertical and its resourcing strategically matching capacity to where the real work sits and bringing in the right technical expertise when needed 

Develop people who can source diligence and hold partner relationships credibly in their own right building a team of strong practitioners so Audaciouss discovery capacity grows beyond any single person 

Effectively steward relationships and actively collaborate with key Audacious partners (e.g. The Bridgespan Group) with whom we partner year-round 

Qualifications :

Career and Functional Experience 

Essential 

A leader who has set strategy in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments and who can hold their own in rooms both with ultra-high net worth individuals and issue experts and with their own team making consequential decisions grounded in clear principles and with conviction 

Strong generalist fluency across geographic social-change and innovation domains with the maturity and credibility to engage experts across them 

Experience building and developing teams leading change management efforts and operating through influence across a senior leadership group 

Access to and standing within networks across the social-change and social-innovation ecosystem 

Strongly Preferred 

Familiarity with multiple models across the sector funder-collaborative platforms and other philanthropic sourcing and investment mechanisms 

Experience in multinational and culturally diverse organizations 

Personal Characteristics / Culture Fit 

Strong mission orientation high integrity leadership alignment with Audacious values 

Creative team-oriented and collaborative willing to pitch in where needed 

Intellectually curious; a quick study who stays current on social change and emerging trends in philanthropy and can lead on ways to evolve our work 

Confident without certainty; decisive without rigidity 

Judgment to lead through influence rather than ownership 

What Success Looks Like 

A strategy that evolves as the world does growing sharper and more grounded cycle over cycle because someone owns its development and can hold key decisions steady even when stakeholder interests pull in different directions 

A clear evolving sense of what belongs in Audaciouss portfolio built from what selection and diligence have taught not assumed upfront 

A network of donors and partners who stay engaged and where relationships are nurtured from inception and where trust learning and respect are built over time 

Recommendations reaching the Executive Director hold up because the diligence learning and collaboration behind them are real and rigorous 

Additional Information :

The deadline to submit an application for the Managing Director Discovery & Insight role is August 19 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.

TED Conferences LLC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability status protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We invite all qualified candidates to apply online with their cover letter and resume.

Remote Work :

Yes

Employment Type :

Full-time