MANAGING DIRECTOR 60-100 %

About the job

Develop a foundation further. Promote interconnected thinking and goal-oriented action. Strengthen future viability.

The Foundation Connected Thinking strengthens society's future viability by promoting interconnected thinking and goal-oriented action as key competencies for dealing with complexity. Founded in 2024, the leanly structured foundation develops its own offerings and projects – especially for teachers and schools as well as for people who professionally, politically or socially deal with complex challenges.

The strategic priorities for the coming years have been defined. Now it is about successfully continuing planned initiatives, specifically further developing offerings and learning from experience. At the same time, priorities must be set and continuously sharpened with an impact focus, as well as positioning and networking the foundation visibly.

For this, we are looking for an entrepreneurially minded, design- and implementation-strong leadership personality who also takes operational action in a small organisation.

 Your task

You lead the foundation in terms of personnel, organisation and finances and ensure efficient business operations. You develop offerings and projects from idea to implementation and coordinate internal and external participants. You represent the foundation externally and build and expand partnerships, networks and cooperations.

In doing so, you work closely with the founder and foundation board president and independently take on operational responsibility within the strategic framework.

Your profile

You have

• several years of leadership experience with responsibility for employees, organisation and finances – ideally with profit and loss responsibility in a smaller organisation or independently managed unit;
• proven implementation experience with offerings, services or projects from idea to successful realisation;
• experience in convincingly representing and positioning an organisation and its concerns externally and winning relevant stakeholders;
• experience in planning, budgeting and controlling as well as efficient resource management;
• experience working with strategic committees;
• a suitable higher education or further training or a comparable professional background;
• excellent and confident German language skills in spoken and written form.

A fundamental understanding of sustainability issues is assumed; good French skills are desirable.

Advantageous are familiarity with the Swiss education landscape, experience or a professional background in the education sector, experience in the foundation or non-profit sector as well as a business or NPO-specific additional qualification. English skills are also a plus.

What distinguishes you personally

You think interconnectedly, grasp complex contexts quickly and recognise the essentials as well as new opportunities. You are interested in educational, societal and future issues; you quickly and thoroughly familiarise yourself with new topics. You work in a structured manner and with moderation and have a good sense of what is appropriate in a small organisation. In dealing with people, you build trust and communicate clearly, convincingly and credibly. You contribute your own positions constructively; you take feedback reflectively and support jointly made decisions.

What to expect

You take on a central role in a foundation with a socially relevant mission in a development phase. You can build on what exists, try out new things and significantly shape the further development of the foundation – in a flexible environment with short paths and direct exchange.

Home office is possible by arrangement. Ideally starting 1 January 2027 or by agreement.

More about the foundation: www.stiftungvernetztdenken.ch

Interested?

We look forward to receiving your meaningful application by 15 October 2026 to info@verbandsberatung.ch.

The selection process is accompanied by verbandsberatung.ch ag. For questions about the role and the selection process, Dr Christine Lanner is happy to assist you at 076 405 38 95.