Program Director

About The Synergist 

The Synergist is a social venture that addresses a growing need to collectively face societal issues by addressing broken or inefficient systems and accelerating societal (co-)impact.

With globalization, the digital age  and increased mobility, we now have collectively more knowledge, capability, and capacity to solve the world’s most challenging social issues than ever before. But complex issues can’t be solved in isolation. The sheer number, variety, and interests of stakeholders on any given issue makes it difficult to focus everyone’s expertise and resources on a shared goal.

The Synergist is an independent, neutral backbone and incubator bringing together the right people, organizations, and institutions to focus on solving societal issues both personally and with technology tools. We foster an organized and collaborative environment that enables collective impact by: co-defining a shared vision, goals and strategies with members; bringing on board new partners; establishing and maintaining a transparent and balanced governance structure; coordinating all activity and bringing to life concrete projects and solutions that have been shaped with and complemented by members.

The Synergist is based in Brussels, Belgium.

• 2022 annual report: https://www.thesynergist.org/annual-report-2022/index.html
• The origin story of the Synergist by Nicholas Brooke
• Co-creation and collective intelligence in practice (Patient Engagement Open Forum)

Your Position

Reporting to the Synergist Program Executive Director, the Program Director is responsible for the operational success of his/her portfolio and team in charge of one or more initiatives for The Synergist. As the day-to-day lead and external face of the initiative(s), they are accountable for driving the overall strategy, managing and growing the membership base, and ensuring the best possible deliverables and results for the program. 

As a member of The Synergist, you will need to be adept at managing tensions between various stakeholders, and be able to turn these tensions into assets for The Synergist and for your program(s).

The Synergist offers candidates the opportunity to work in a young, entrepreneurial, fast-paced, demanding, yet very rewarding environment. Program Directors have a unique opportunity to drive programs that solve the world’s most pressing societal issues using an innovative and groundbreaking approach, interfacing and collaborating with world’s foremost thought leaders, experts, and executives from across the nonprofit and for-profit sectors internationally. The Synergist is the leader in this new field of collaborative leadership for collective impact and you will have the opportunity to grow alongside the organization.

Responsibilities: 

Program management:

• Develops and implements an operational plan that supports the strategic objectives of its portfolio (composed of various projects) through an agile, co-creation approach. 
• Aspires to deliver, and most of the time succeeds in delivering, the very best-in-class deliverables and results for its portfolio.
• Ensures his or her programs & projects are efficiently run, taking into account resources available and expectations of the board and key stakeholders.
• Develops an excellent grasp of the subject matter and acts as an informed value-adding participant with a seat at the table. 
• Defines governance & protocols and constantly looks for ways to strengthen the governance of the program. Nurtures relationships with members, partners and advisors. 
• Manages the funding of the organization according to the approved budget and monitors the cash flow and bookkeeping. Develops and leads a fundraising plan for her/his portfolio to develop the program and ensure sustainable growth. 
• Develops and maintains ongoing relationships with major donors and other partners/stakeholders. 
• Develops and tracks proposals and reports for all foundation and corporate fundraising.
• Assesses the impact of the organization’s activities through feedback and measurement. 
• Is accountable for her/his team allocation (ensuring funding is in balance with resources needed) & team personal development within the organization across the projects of her/his portfolio. 
• Maintains a positive team working atmosphere so Synergist team members, partners and stakeholders enthusiastically invest their own time and resources in the project.
• Creates an environment that makes the team perform at its best. The team works in an efficient, organized and agile manner, enabling the best outcomes.

Build awareness of the issue:

• Acts as leader, spokesperson and representative for the initiative(s). 
• Increases awareness of the program(s) and support for its activities among key audiences. 
• Enhances availability of information related to the program(s). 

Be a Synergist:

• Develops the Synergist collective impact and co-creation methodology and agility through program activities. 
• Looks for and maximizes synergies and connections between her/his team, people, projects and tools. 
• Manages tensions and interacts with others in a way that always fosters a positive, productive team atmosphere. 
• Supports CEO and management in business development opportunities at the Group level. 
• Ensures transparency and maintains high ethical standards, ensuring all applicable regulations are implemented. 

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Have a keen interest in and knowledge of shared value initiatives
• Have an excellent command of written and spoken English, and excellent communication skills
• Have at least 6-8 years of professional experience in programs management, stakeholder engagement, and business development, ideally in a Pharmaceutical context.
• Have experience working in an international work environment.
• Be stimulated by challenges and have a positive, proactive, can-do problem-solving mindset
• Have strong leadership skills with the ability to bring others on board to foster a highly performing-team environment
• Be well organized and at ease with balancing many conflicting priorities at once
• Be curious and open-minded, open to new ideas, concepts, and people
• Have excellent academic credentials

Not required but would be a plus:

• Professional experience working in the healthcare or environmental sector
• Professional or personal experience in social entrepreneurship or corporate social responsibility
• An MBA degree, MD, PhD or similar
• Fluency in one or more foreign languages

What's In It for You:

• The opportunity to work for global organizations partnering with strategic for and not-for-profit players to address societal needs (like patient engagement, epidemics management, women's health, rare diseases etc);
• The opportunity to join a dynamic, diverse and fun team that works every day to develop innovative and efficient programs aimed at solving challenges which others ignore or have been unable to resolve;
• The chance to constantly develop and refine new skills as The Synergist develops new partnerships and innovative ideas.