Your role:

Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Executive Director of the Baxter Foundation, the Associate Director, Corporate Responsibility & Global Philanthropy, this role advances enterprise efforts at the intersection of philanthropy, corporate responsibility (CR) and social investments.

This role will contribute to the design and execution of the Foundation’s global strategy, managing a philanthropic portfolio of more than $32 million annually toward a $275 million investment goal by 2030. The role will drive measurable impact while strengthening Baxter’s reputation as a leader in corporate responsibility. This is a unique leadership opportunity to shape strategy, oversee community partnerships, shape Foundation Board governance, lead storytelling and execution to deliver meaningful outcomes for communities worldwide while creating enterprise-wide impact.

This is a hybrid position based at Baxter’s corporate headquarters in Deerfield, IL, with approximately 10–15% global travel.

What you'll be doing:

Lead Global Portfolio Strategy 

• Define, design and execute multi-year global grantmaking and investment strategies aligned with the Foundation’s mission and Baxter’s enterprise priorities 

• Develop and implement annual roadmaps to deliver on the strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, global context, and health resilience focused philanthropy 

• Develop and maintain a forward-looking 3–5 year investment roadmap to guide strategic funding decisions 

• Accountable for portfolio performance, social return on investment and global impact scaling 

• Oversee and evolve the health product donation program and identify opportunities for enhancement or growth 

Drive High-Impact Grantmaking 

• Lead the full lifecycle of grants and strategic investments – from sourcing and due diligence through award decisions and performance monitoring 

• Establish and own global community impact KPIs, measurement frameworks, and ROI tracking. Drive adoption of innovative funding approaches, including emerging models such as impact-focused funds 

Build Strategic Partnerships 

• Position the Baxter Foundation as a collaborative leader in the philanthropic ecosystem, influencing funding and practices to improve health resilience 

• Position Baxter as a corporate responsibility and thought leader at key forums, conferences, and partnerships to elevate our leadership in global community impact 

• Identify high-potential leading nonprofit organizations and opportunities that align with the Foundation’s priorities to build and scale high-impact global strategic programs and trust-based philanthropic partnerships  

Collaborate Across the Enterprise 

• Lead integration and collaboration of teams across Baxter—including Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Human Resources, Sustainability and Communications, among others—to align community impact with Foundation and business strategy, culture-building, and enterprise initiatives 

• Shape programs that strengthen both community outcomes and employee experience 

• Influence senior leaders/executives and secure enterprise investments for Foundation priorities, including identifying opportunities to expand funding and resources 

• Develop business cases and strategic narratives to enable, inform and engage senior leaders, including Baxter and the Foundation Board of Directors, along with  Legal, Finance and Treasury stakeholders 

• Contribute and lead data collection for annual sustainability reporting and recurring leadership updates 

Advance Thought Leadership & Storytelling 

• Own a global philanthropic thought leadership strategy that positions Baxter as a trusted voice in corporate responsibility 

• Oversee strategic narrative tied to enterprise brand and sustainability positioning 

• Partner with communications teams to build a strategic content pipeline and amplify key milestones, partnerships, and results 

• Act as key advisor to leadership on portfolio strategy, trends, and emerging opportunities 

• Represent Baxter, as needed at nonprofit, industry, and community events 
   

Lead and Develop Talent 

• Lead through influence in a global, matrixed organization  

• Manage and/or mentor team members, contractors, vendors, and interns to foster a collaborative and high-performing environment 

What You'll Bring: 

• Experienced, strategic leader with 10+ years of success delivering global community impact programs, managing and building multi-year, multi-million-dollar philanthropic portfolios, and leading strategy across philanthropy, corporate responsibility, global health and related fields 

• Experience leading administrative and financial operations, solid project management skills, including driving initiatives and influencing decisions across global matrixed organizations 

• Exceptional relationship builder and influential communicator, serving as a strong ambassador and spokesperson with the ability to navigate complexity and translate it into clear, cohesive messaging both internally and externally. 

• Collaborative team player with high emotional intelligence, known for transparent decision-making and effective, inclusive ways of working 

• Growth-oriented change leader with a strategic mindset and strong appetite for transformation and driving collaborative innovation 

• Ability to translate data and impact into compelling narratives taking into account the reputational considerations connected to being a corporate foundation 

• Strong analytical, organizational, financial and project administration capabilities 

• Executive presence and excellent communication and presentation skills 

Baxter is committed to supporting the needs for flexibility in the workplace. We do so through our flexible workplace policy which includes a minimum of 3 days a week onsite. This policy provides the benefits of connecting and collaborating in-person in support of our Mission.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $152,000 to $209,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees. For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | Baxter