Nicole Jacobs

Providing operational and strategy support to global institutions to help them align operational and strategic goals. This work spans registration support, operational surge assistance, and institutional policy development.

• Project Management Leadership: Led implementation excellence across RTI’s global portfolio of $2.5B. Developed tools, SOPs and RACIs to support repeatable service delivery, advised executive leaders on needed pivots to mitigate risks, and trained teams on project management best practices. • Strategic Leadership & Process Improvement: Headed cross-functional task forces to improve global operations and project management. Improved performance contributed to historic growth of $1.2B revenue increase. • Portfolio Management: Oversaw a portfolio totaling $220M. Developed project plans with teams, defining and guiding success, and ensured quality of results through day-to-day operations oversight and team leadership. • Risk Management: Helped teams to accurately identify, assess and mitigate risks (financial, client, partner and reputational). Trained staff on risk management, reducing client issues while boosting trust. • Client Management: Served as the point of contact with clients on projects under direct management; communicated results, proactively discussed risk, and collaborated on goals to exceed expectations. • Training & Staff Development: Developed and delivered training to 400+ staff on project management which improved staff ability to successfully manage clients, risk, budgets, and contractual requirements. • Knowledge Management (KM): Built and managed RTI’s KM platform, making 600+ operational tools and policies accessible to staff, improving learning, capacity, and project management implementation. • Executive Advisory Support: Trusted advisor to executive leaders, helping to execute strategic visions by leading special initiatives, analyzing trends, performance data, and market intel to help drive growth. • Staff Development: Developed and oversaw RTI’s first formal onboarding for operations and project management staff in addition to mentoring them on systems, policies, and client management.

Pioneered RTI’s first strategy for boosting the capacities of its global partners, launching the institution as an industry leader in locally led development and increasing institute competitiveness, impact, and sustainability. • Built RTI’s first portfolio of projects that focused on improving global partner operational and managerial capacities; led and secured two $30M flagship projects through proposal design and leadership. • Designed new services and tools to strengthen institutional maturity of partners and operational excellence, expanding revenue streams and innovations that increased competitiveness and contributed to new wins. • Delivered technical assistance and managed multi-country projects. Managed project team staff, ensured clarity in objectives, tracked milestones, created compelling stories to highlight impact, and managed client relationships. Project management also involved training and mentoring partners and ensuring their success.

• Oversaw operations for $220M global portfolio. Ensured the highest quality results through alignment of technical activities and budgets, compliance, partner oversight, reporting, and client management. All projects exceeded client expectations. • Recruited and trained new operations staff; mentored them on systems, client and internal policies, and soft skills on managing deliverables, people, and risk. Promoted staff development, ensured cohesiveness of goals, and informed management on key issues to make needed pivots as projects evolved.

• Managed development projects and new business development in Lebanon and Jordan that totaled over $13 million, including an $11.2 million project in Lebanon that focused on public–private partnerships and building the capacity of local municipalities. • Provided technical assistance, strategic direction, and extensive in-country management support. Managed staff, evaluated project impact, developed quarterly and annual work plans and reports, and served as the liaison with donors. • Oversaw overall award administration and ensured quality and timeliness of all deliverables. Provided capacity building support to Relief International’s microfinance programs.