Director, External Affairs

Job Title : Director, External Affairs

Team : External Affairs

Location : In-Person in Chicago (IL)

Employment Type : Full-time

FLSA Classification : Exempt


Start Date : ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.


Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

To learn more, take a look at Braven's Impact report.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director, External Affairs to play a pivotal role in growing our Chicago corporate and philanthropic fundraising through partnering closely with Braven's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief External Affairs Officer, and the Chicago program team. This role will be responsible for cultivating new prospective partners and stewarding existing philanthropic and employer partnerships, supporting volunteer recruitment, engaging with and helping to build the Chicago Board, engaging the local Investor Committee, and advancing Braven's brand.


This role is on the External Affairs team and reports directly to the Chief External Affairs Officer.

What You'll Do

Development and Board Management (75%)

• Donor and Prospect Cultivation
• Partner with the CEO, Chief External Affairs Officer, and development team to establish the Chicago region's fundraising strategy, annual revenue game plan, and quarterly action plans; track progress to goal and weighted pipeline, adjusting as needed.
• Steward donor relationships with excellence, leading prep and follow-up, joining most regional meetings, and owning a portfolio of relationships.
• Identify, vet, and cultivate new prospects; conduct research on priority prospects, create individualized cultivation plans, and project manage execution through the Moves Management stages from ask to commitment to renewal.
• Co-plan and execute external affairs-focused events; project manage national cultivation campaigns and ongoing stewardship of all Chicago region stakeholders except schools.
• Support the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer in stewarding local community influencers; develop relationships with champion Fellows and Post Accelerator Fellows and prepare them to represent Braven externally.
• Monitor higher education partner and new site updates to stay current on strategy, Fellow recruitment, MOU renewal context, and key relationships.
• Review grant application and report drafts; support timely submission of high-quality narratives and data.
• Board Management
• Partner with the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer to steward current board members, identify and vet prospects, and develop cultivation and engagement plans.
• Prepare and join 1:1 meetings and engagements with board members; customize collateral, lead prep and follow-up.
• Project manage all board meetings and lead content planning, including the management memo, run of show, deck, and pre- and post-follow-up communications.

Employer Partnerships (EP) & Volunteer Recruitment (15%)

• Partner with the national employer partnerships team to create the Chicago region's Employer Partnership (EP) strategy for revenue, volunteer, and program opportunities - identifying EP prospects, building a pipeline, researching, and creating engagement plans.
• Serve as a conduit of information about the Chicago region's program needs, deeply understanding nuances and priorities, and advocating for shared-value solutions for Fellows and EPs.
• Manage a portfolio of ~10-20 Chicago region local EPs, recruiting volunteers, preparing meetings, sourcing opportunities, and co-hosting events.
• Collaborate with the central EP team on local contacts for EPs in the national portfolio and take the lead with the central EP director in meetings.
• Support in-person events at EPs for Fellows.
• Support volunteer recruitment through in-person info sessions, tabling, and personal outreach with national and local partners.

Other External Partnership Support (10%)

• Partner with Braven's national communications, marketing, and policy teams to advance Chicago's external presence, including building a local policy agenda, securing brand visibility opportunities (speaking engagements, awards, media coverage), and supporting applications for public funding.
• Support execution of national campaigns and initiatives at the local level, including the Jobs Report and Impact Report processes, social media content, and conference participation for Chicago program leadership.
• Provide meeting prep, follow-up, and event support for the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer on communications, marketing, and policy-related engagements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements
Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3-5 years of related work experience in development, corporate partnerships, or high-stakes relationship management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to strategically identify, build, and develop relationships, with a strong aptitude for influencing others.
• Strong project management, strategic planning, and organizational skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively across lines of difference.
• Problem-solving mindset with adaptability in complex environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Track record of meeting or exceeding ambitious goals.
• Proficiency in Google Suite and Salesforce.
• Demonstrated commitment to building strong and welcoming cultures that help to develop others.
• Exemplification of Braven's core values.
• Experience that has informed your belief in Braven's mission and has prepared you to work with, or for, Braven's student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Chicago (IL) at least 3 days per week
• Ability to work in the evening for Braven related events and programming.
• Travel once/year to Braven's All Team Retreat.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Benefits
Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth as $92,000-$114,900 in Chicago. This is a full-time, exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.


Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include:

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Location

We gather in the office at least 3 days per week (on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and often work remotely 2 days per week (although certain commitments might adjust that from time to time). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of Chicago. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor. We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.