Managing Director, People & Culture

Job Description

The Foundation

The John

D. and Catherine T. Mac Arthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent philanthropic foundations, dedicated to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. Established in 1978 through the legacy of John

D. and Catherine T. Mac Arthur, the Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks that are advancing solutions to some of the world's most pressing social and environmental challenges.

Through programmatic grantmaking, impact investing, strategic partnerships, convening power, and collaborations at scale, Mac Arthur strives toward transformative change on some of the world’s most pressing social issues, including the existential threats of climate change, criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the United States, expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, strengthening Native communities, and empowering young people in Nigeria.

In addition to their award programs, Mac Arthur Fellows, and 100&Change, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy and to the strength and vitality of their headquarters city, Chicago. The Foundation also works to strengthen ecosystems of people, organizations and networks working on deploying catalytic capital, strengthening the philanthropic sector and addressing the social impacts of technology.

Across its portfolio, the Foundation approaches its work with urgency, intellectual rigor, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning, leveraging grants, impact investments, communications, convenings, contracts, and partnerships to achieve measurable and lasting impact.

Since its founding, Mac Arthur has awarded more than $9.19 billion through grants and impact investments to approximately 11,000 organizations and individuals and has supported work in 119 countries. Headquartered in Chicago, the Foundation maintains offices in India and Nigeria. As of December 31, 2025, Mac Arthur's assets totaled approximately $9.9 billion. In 2025 alone, the Foundation provided approximately $561.6 million in grants and program-related investments and committed an estimated $647 million in charitable spending, reflecting its continued commitment to investing boldly in solutions that create meaningful and enduring change.

The Mac Arthur Foundation seeks an accomplished, strategic, and values-driven executive to serve as its next Managing Director, People & Culture. Reporting directly to the Foundation’s President and serving as a member of the Foundation's executive leadership team, the Managing Director will provide vision, strategy, and leadership for all aspects of the Foundation's people and culture agenda. This executive will play a critical role in ensuring that Mac Arthur continues to attract, develop, engage, support, and retain exceptional talent while cultivating a workplace culture that enables staff to thrive and advance the Foundation's mission.

As a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership team, the Managing Director will serve as the Foundation's chief people strategist, leading efforts that strengthen organizational effectiveness, leadership capacity, employee engagement, and long-term talent sustainability. The successful candidate will combine strategic perspective with operational excellence, helping to shape the employee experience while ensuring that people practices, programs, and policies align with Mac Arthur's mission, values, and commitment to the Just Imperative.

Mac Arthur is navigating a period of change and heightened ambition. As the Foundation responds to an increasingly complex external environment,…