How to apply for Special Projects Officer, Strategy

About Ambitious Impact

Ambitious Impact is a nonprofit that helps people transition into high-impact careers through cost-covered programs like the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program. It fills gaps in the philanthropic ecosystem by launching new organisations. Working here means your analysis directly shapes new charities and funding decisions.

About the role

You support the executive team by researching and executing strategic initiatives, from analysing opportunities to launching new organisations. You will run cost-effectiveness models, help founders build fundable plans, and design new programmes for AIM's portfolio. The work moves between analysis and implementation, so you will not just write recommendations; you will help put them into practice.

A typical day

You might spend the morning building a cost-effectiveness model for a regranting proposal, then meet with a founder to refine their strategic plan. In the afternoon, you could draft a recommendation for the executive team or design a new support process for incubated charities. The work varies between deep analysis and hands-on implementation.

Who Ambitious Impact is looking for

• Background in management consulting, strategy, business operations, or analyst roles with client exposure.
• Strong analytical mindset and numeracy for cost-effectiveness modelling.
• Strong writing skills and ability to move between analysis and implementation.
• Comfortable helping founders develop strategic plans and connecting them to a network.

Tips for this application

• Show you understand AIM's programs, especially the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program, and how this role supports them.
• Provide concrete examples of strategic analyses you have done, including cost-effectiveness modelling or similar quantitative work.
• Demonstrate experience moving from analysis to implementation, such as launching a programme or process.
• Explain why you want to work remotely for a nonprofit that launches new organisations, not just any strategy role.
• If you have helped founders or clients develop fundable plans, describe that work and the outcome.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your ability to conduct strategic analyses and make recommendations on opportunities like regranting budgets or founder support programmes.', 'Experience helping founders or clients develop fundable strategic plans and connecting them with networks.', 'Your analytical and numeracy skills, especially cost-effectiveness modelling.', 'Your track record of moving between analysis and implementation in a consulting, strategy, or operations role.']

Research before applying

• Read about Ambitious Impact's programs, especially the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program, on their website.
• Look into the types of organisations AIM has incubated and their focus areas.
• Understand cost-effectiveness modelling and how it applies to philanthropic efforts.
• Find out who is on AIM's executive team and what strategic initiatives they have mentioned publicly.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would analyse a regranting budget opportunity and what metrics you would use.
• A time you helped a founder or client develop a fundable strategic plan and how you connected them with relevant contacts.
• Your approach to designing a new programme or process for a portfolio of incubated charities.
• How you balance analytical work with implementation when launching new organisations.
• Your familiarity with AIM's programs and the philanthropic ecosystem, and how you would support the executive team.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic cover letter that does not mention AIM's programs or the specific responsibilities of this role.
• Focusing only on analysis without showing you can implement or launch new organisations.
• Neglecting to provide concrete examples of cost-effectiveness modelling or strategic analyses you have done.