Job Description
Based in Seattle, WA, and reporting to the Board, the President will partner closely with the Founders in leading the Foundation to deliver against its vision of a world where all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. As a visionary leader and operational steward, the President is responsible for advancing the Foundation’s mission, amplifying its impact, and ensuring the effective execution of its strategy. The President will uphold the Foundation’s core beliefs, foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, and champion the needs of young people, their families, and the communities that support them.
Specific responsibilities include:
• Strategic Leadership: Apply experience and expertise in education to lead the delivery of the Foundation’s current strategy across its four priority areas, while guiding long-range strategic planning in partnership with the Chair.
• Program and Resource Stewardship: Oversee a significant grantmaking portfolio, direct flagship programs (Bezos Scholars Program and Vroom), and ensure effective stewardship of resources.
• Initiative and Partnership Development: Harness the expertise and networks of the Founders and team to steward current and catalyze new initiatives, partnerships, and investments.
• Evidence and Learning: Continually reexamine the Foundation’s work, seeking opportunities to refine approaches, improve effectiveness, and ensure timely use of evidence to support program design.
Further specific responsibilities:
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a high-performing team of talented individuals.
• Organizational Culture: Foster a culture of collaboration, excellence, momentum, learning, and respect among staff, partners, and grantees. Invest in professional growth, coaching, and development, and model open communication, transparency, and constructive feedback.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with partners, grantees, and
communities, ensuring their insights and voices inform the Foundation’s work.
• External Presence: When important in advancing the mission, serve as a humble and credible spokesperson with external audiences.
• Board Partnership: Work directly with the Chair and closely with the Board, maintaining open and regular communication to advance the Foundation’s governance.
• Family Engagement: Support the ongoing engagement and development of the next generation of family members, fostering their involvement and leadership in the Foundation’s mission and work.
• Strategic Foresight: Ensure the Foundation remains at the forefront of research-backed, impactful philanthropy by embracing and adapting to the evolving needs of young people and families.
The President will be a visionary and mission-driven leader who brings a rare combination of strategic acumen, operational excellence, expertise in education, and humility to the role. The ideal candidate will possess the experience, intellect, and interpersonal skills to advance the Foundation’s vision of a world where all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. This individual will be an authentic steward of family values, a collaborative partner to the Board, and a champion for the communities and partners the Foundation serves. Above all, the President will be a values-driven leader—humble, collaborative, and committed to strengthening the ecosystems that enable young people to thrive.
In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
• Credibility and Commitment to Mission: Brings deep expertise in education, early childhood, and/or youth development, ideally spanning early learning to K-12. Prioritizes service to young people, families, and communities, and embodies BFF’s core beliefs.
• Visionary and Strategic Leadership: Demonstrates the ability to set and communicate a compelling vision, guide long-term strategy, and lead through transformation, balancing ambition with pragmatism. Possesses the discernment to make timely, sometimes difficult decisions, including saying “no” with empathy and clarity. Acts in a transparent and consistent manner.
• Management and People Leadership: Has significant experience leading sizable teams or organizations, fostering a highperforming, inclusive, and collaborative culture. Recognized for their experience in team development and well-being. The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to strong performance; accountable in driving results and practical solutions.
• Financial and Operational Acumen: Brings a track record of ensuring effective stewardship of resources and leveraging evidence
and research for impact; brings strong operational and financial management skills.
• Convening Power: Builds trust and influence across diverse stakeholders. Serves as a humble, credible ambassador, amplifying others’ voices and forging partnerships to deepen impact.
• Partnership with Board: Brings the ability to comfortably build and sustain effective relationships with an engaged Board and Founders. Brings emotional intelligence, discretion, and diplomacy, and supports governance and next-generation engagement.
Compensation
The salary range for this position will be $500,000-$700,000 per annum. Salary will be determined by a candidate’s relevant experience. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of this range. The candidate will be eligible for a bonus.
The Foundation offers excellent and comprehensive benefits, including generous paid time off, competitive medical, dental, and vision options, a health savings account, and a 401(k) match.
Location
The President will be based in Seattle and will perform this role from the Foundation’s Seattle office.
Contact
Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search, and prospective candidates are invited to contact Russell Reynolds Associates directly. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. To apply for the role or submit a nomination, please reach out to BFFPresident@russellreynolds.com.