Chief External Affairs Officer

Are you ready to directly impact the lives of first-generation college students and champion economic mobility for all?

About Us

Did you know that only 21% of low income, first-generation college students in the U.S. graduate within six years? Those who do graduate have a median household income 27% lower than their peers. While there are a multitude of college access programs for high school seniors and job assistance programs for low-wage earners, there are few programs that ensure first-generation students stay in school and build the skills necessary to prepare for long-term careers. This is where America Needs You (ANY) comes in. ANY fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and California in 2016, growing from serving 50 students to nearly 600 students annually. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a new virtual program designed to help 10,000 first-generation college students navigate their careers. Visit https://americaneedsyou.org/firstgenu/ to learn more.

Position Description

The Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) manages the revenue generation ($5M+), communications, volunteer recruitment and engagement, and alumni programming for ANY. As a member of the senior leadership team, the CEAO will also provide leadership on overall organizational strategy, including setting annual organizational priorities. The CEAO is also deeply engaged with the Governing Board, managing the Development Committee and other key, board-related items.

We Offer:

• A warm, collaborative work environment with a rich culture of support and feedback
• A generous benefits package (health/dental insurance, 403(b), FSA, three weeks' vacation, etc.)
• Ongoing internal and external opportunities for professional development
• Connections to a large, high-powered professional network
  
  

Key Responsibilities:

Fundraising

• Develop, manage, and deliver a clearly defined fundraising strategy that will lead to consistent growth in revenue to meet organizational needs through:
• Annual Campaigns
• Special Events, including the Annual Benefit Dinner
• Corporate Partnerships
• Foundation Grants
• Major Gifts
• Planned Giving
• Endowment Campaigns
• Design and manage development systems and structures that provide both support and accountability, as well as ensure an appropriate balance between standardization and flexibility across all fundraising activities
• Manage all aspects of fundraising operations, to include pipeline development, gift processing, acknowledgement and stewardship strategies, and engagement calendars
• Work with Finance team to ensure timely monthly close process and clean annual audits
  

Communications

• Manage development and implementation of organization-wide brand strategy
• Supervise compelling cross-platform communications (e-communications, direct email marketing messages, peer-to-peer, website, and other public-facing content, including the annual report) to engage existing and new audiences
• Cultivate and manage media contacts
• Collaborate with CEO on ANY's thought leadership and national conference presentations and attendance
  
  

Volunteer Recruitment/Engagement

• Manage recruitment for more than 1,000 volunteers annually across ANY programs
• Develop a national recruitment and conversion plan that contains best practices and timelines to ensure alignment across all markets
• Manage national volunteer campaigns, such as National Mentoring Month, Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Thank Your Mentor Day, among others
  
  

Alumni Programming

• Manage the development and launch of a volunteer-driven career counseling and job search check-in model for alumni
• Manage ongoing data collection and analysis of alumni outcomes in their senior year of college and post-graduation, especially the annual alumni survey
• Manage development of a comprehensive evaluation strategy to capture short- and long-term outcomes related to career progression, earning potential and growth, and volunteer engagement of Fellow alumni
  
  

Organizational Leadership

• Work closely with other members of the senior leadership team to make high-level strategic decisions for the organization
• Work closely with Executive Directors to develop aligned local fundraising and volunteer engagement strategies and revenue pipelines to ensure local development goals are met
• Drive a strong, revenue-oriented development culture based on growth targets
• Manage the External Affairs team with a coaching and growth mindset
  
  

Board Management and Reporting

• Present development and communications updates to the Governing Board and manage related board communications
• Lead the Development Committee and collaborate with the Finance and Audit Committees
• Draft development-related budgets as well as provide periodic updates to ensure sound fiscal management
  
  

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of experience
• 5+ years of management experience
• Able to drive innovation, change and growth
• Proven track record of creating and executing effective fundraising strategies for diverse revenue streams
• Superior management, administrative and communication skills
• Comfortable balancing multiple priorities and deliverables effectively
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills
• High level of energy and commitment
• Strong understanding of technology and information systems pertinent to the role (Salesforce, Classy expertise a plus)
  
  

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter and a resume. Please note that your application will not be considered without a cover letter. No phone calls please.

Salary for this position is in the range of $140,000 to $160,000 and commensurate with experience.