What We Do:

At Uptake.org, we leverage Uptake's people, technology and expertise to help organizations use data to change the world. At Uptake, our purpose-built products ingest and analyze sensor and enterprise data, transforming it into actionable insights and immediate outcomes. Together with our customers across a variety of industries, we drive real business value and set new standards for productive, secure, safe and reliable operations. We are based in Chicago, and deeply involved with our community.

We believe in a world that works for everyone. A world where organizations of all types and sizes can leverage the power of data to make an impact. Uptake.org isn’t a grantmaker; we develop data-driven technology solutions designed to create change. We create applications that multiple organizations — nonprofits, social enterprises, government agencies and foundations — use to increase efficiency, take action and improve impact.

A company’s greatest asset isn’t its money, machines, or even people. A company’s greatest asset is the result of all of those things coming together to do something excellent – whatever it is that a company does better than anyone else in the world. It’s what we call our “genius.” At Uptake, our genius is solving the high value problems of industry through predictive insight. In our philanthropy, we are deploying this expertise on some of the world’s most pressing and complicated issues.

Rather than basing our philanthropy on gifts of money, time, or our products, we work directly with nonprofits to develop new applications on our technology platform that make a measurable difference. We build custom data tools and deliver them directly into the hands of people on the front lines – staff, students, activists, people in the field, and more. We partner with social good organizations to transform the data they collect into high value insights that can dramatically impact their mission -- all powered by Uptake technology and our “killer app” APM. These tools help them solve problems that can be uniquely addressed through technology and data science.

What You’ll Do:

As the Director of Uptake.org, you’ll steer all aspects of Uptake’s philanthropic arm. Your primary responsibility will be outlining and executing against the organizational agenda of the Uptake.org team. You’ll serve as the face of the organization - representing Uptake.org’s interests on the ground and at conferences and speaking engagements - as well as the lead operator of our dedicated .org team at Uptake’s Chicago headquarters.

Programs under your purview will include work on partnerships that leverage Uptake’s existing product Asset Performance Management on projects focused on social good, Student Union (an app enabling first-generation college applicants to build a portfolio of schools that give them the best chances of admission and graduation), as well as the Data Fellows program, which empowers data-for-good professionals from non-profits, foundations and social enterprises by connecting them to experts in data science and security.

Responsibilities:

• Execute and expand the strategic vision of Uptake.org, including ultimate accountability for team goals and objectives.
• Actively track and report on progress against quarterly goals, ensuring steady growth and expansion in depth and breadth over time.
• Report to leadership the status of Uptake products embedding in organizations serving a social good.
• Stay current on developments in the data-for-good space, identifying and providing insight on potential opportunities to leverage Uptake’s tools to combat pressing global challenges; communicating these opportunities to leadership from all parts of Uptake.
• Manage the organization's pipeline of new ideas, steering all aspects of new program creation.
• Serve as liaison between Uptake’s day-to-day business functions and philanthropic priorities.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with current and potential organizational partners.
• Accountability to and regular communication with stakeholders at sites where Uptake.org’s technology has been deployed.
• Collaborate across Uptake’s functions (marketing, brand, data science, product & tech) to develop custom, best-in-class solutions, as well as effectively communicate and promote the activities of Uptake.org, both internally and externally.
• Lead rigorous program evaluation to ensure programmatic excellence.
• Frequent travel to represent Uptake.org’s interests across the globe, including at conferences, speaking engagements and meetings with potential partners.
• Contribute to public relations opportunities and publishing of articles related to the unique philanthropic work of Uptake.org.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum of 7 years experience effectively leading a team in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment.
• Strong background in entrepreneurship, social enterprise or nonprofit management (or a combination of them).
• Proven track record of setting (and attaining) challenging strategic goals and objectives
• Superior analytical, organizational, and execution skills; demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and tight deadlines.
• Ability to translate technical content and product information into digestible materials for non-technical audiences.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Unwavering commitment to the idea that that technology can and should be used to solve our most pressing global challenges.
• Experience in IoT, Big Data, civic tech, analytics, and nonprofit technology a plus.

Why Work Here

Uptake is a values-driven organization. We’re curious, flexible, honest, hardworking, and collaborative. As a team, we bring our diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences together to solve tough, meaningful and important problems. Our work extends beyond the needs of the Global 2000 and includes the deployment of our products and intellectual capital through Uptake.org. We believe in creating an environment with room to challenge one another to arrive at the best possible answer, and we believe we should have fun while we are doing it. We’re proud to be one of Chicago’s best places to work in 2018 according to Fortune and Great Place to Work.

We offer generous benefits including health, dental, vision, parental leave, 401K match, and unlimited PTO. We are lifelong learners, and our Uptake University program offers training and professional development on a wide variety of topics including everything from [insert some of the best examples that appeal to tech/engineering + others]. We also have employee-led community groups that provide vehicles for networking, professional development and create a sense of belonging including Women@Uptake, Pride@Uptake, Science@Uptake, Parents@Uptake, and many more.

Don't take our word for it. We’ve been lucky enough to get the honor of being a two-time CNBC Disruptor 50 honoree, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and are ranked in the top 25 of the Forbes Cloud 100.