Braven

Director – External Affairs

Braven

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Chicago • Illinois • United States

Visit company website

Explore more

✨ AI Apply
Apply

Salary

💰 $92,000 - $114,900 per year

Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • Partner with the CEO, Chief External Affairs Officer, and Braven’s development team to establish the Chicago region’s fundraising strategy and complete the annual revenue game plan.
  • Track the Chicago region’s revenue progress to goal and overall weighted pipeline; project manage the implementation of the Chicago region’s quarterly action plans and adjust as needed based on lessons learned.
  • Steward donor relationships with excellence; leading prep/follow-up, joining most regional meetings, and owning a portfolio of relationships.
  • Partner with the Chief External Affairs Officer and Braven’s development team to identify, vet, and cultivate new prospects; conduct research on priority prospects and create individualized cultivation plans.
  • Strategize with the Chief External Affairs Officer on how to engage donors through the Moves Management stages and project manage the execution of next steps, from making an ask to securing a commitment and stewarding relationships effectively to win a renewal.
  • Review grant application and report drafts, and support the central development team in submitting high-quality narratives/data on time.
  • 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.
  • Partner with the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer in stewarding current board members, including identifying and vetting board prospects, partnering with the central team on briefs, and developing cultivation and engagement plans.
  • Prepare and join the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer’s 1:1 meetings/engagements with current board members, customize meeting collateral, lead meeting prep, and follow-up.
  • Project manage all board meetings and lead content planning. Collaborate and coordinate across teams on the draft of the management memo, run of show, deck, pre- and post-follow-up emails, and note-taking during meetings.
  • Create action plans for the quarter, month, and week to achieve goals across workstreams, adapting and adjusting when we’re not hitting shared goals.
  • Ensure systems are accurate with external stakeholder information (e.g., Salesforce, Asana/Jira, Confluence).
  • Ensure strong preparation and follow-up for all internal and external meetings.
  • Attend key program events (e.g., Learning Lab 1, Mock Interviews, Capstone Challenge Kickoff, Capstone Challenge Presentations) and ensure a strong flow of information with Chicago’s program team and between the external affairs team.
  • Partner with Chief External Affairs Officer and the on local strategy and project manage the ongoing cultivation and stewardship of all Chicago region stakeholders except schools.
  • Project manage and execute on national cultivation cross-functional campaigns (e.g., jobs report, impact report, holiday campaign).
  • Co-plan and execute external affairs-focused events such as site visits, lunch and learns, treks, and jobs/impact report events.
  • Support the CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer in stewarding and owning a portfolio of local community influencers.
  • Develop relationships with champion Fellows / Post Accelerator Fellows and volunteers, and prepare/ train them to represent Braven to external audiences.
  • Monitor higher education partners and new site updates to understand the high-level strategy, Fellow recruitment, Memorandum of Understanding renewal context, and key relationships.
  • Partner with the central communications team to conduct research and secure opportunities for the region to build brand visibility and awareness, including speaking engagements, awards, and media coverage.
  • Partner with the central communications team on the Jobs Report and Impact Report processes – review draft content, project manage photo shoots with Fellows, prepare stakeholder list, and draft notes for personalized outreach.
  • Support efforts for the Chicago program leadership to attend/speak at, prepare for, and follow up from conferences.
  • Collaborate with the Chicago Program team and the central communications team on social media strategy and write/review drafts of content to post weekly.
  • Partner with the central policy team to build a local policy agenda and cultivation plans.
  • Assist with applications for public funding.
  • Assist with meeting prep and follow-up for Braven’s CEO and Chief External Affairs Officer.
  • Attend policy-related events as needed.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree
  • 5 – 7 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.
Benefits
  • 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
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
project managementstrategic planningrelationship managementproblem-solvinggoal setting
Soft Skills
influencingcollaborationadaptabilitycommunicationorganizational skills
Certifications
Bachelor’s Degree