Center for Caregiver Advancement Senior Director of External Affairs

 

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Senior Director of External Affairs will oversee the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to enhance the visibility, reputation, and impact of the nonprofit organization. This role involves managing public relations, government relations, community outreach, and stakeholder engagement. The Senior Director will work closely with the executive team to align external affairs strategies with the organization’s mission, values, and goals. The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record of successful media relations, government relations, and/or community outreach. The Senior Director of External Affairs oversees a team of Communications, Fund Development, Data & Research, including Directors, Managers, Coordinators and Analysts.  This is a new position and a new department. This new role at CCA establishes a cross-functional vertical that aligns Fund Development, Data & Research, and Communications to create seamless integration and efficiency across these teams. The person in this position will design and implement systems to ensure consistent, organization-wide information flow, enabling each department to leverage shared content, streamline proposal writing, and amplify program impact narratives. By coordinating these three departments, the role will drive internal alignment that fuels cohesive, strategic external communications and supports CCA’s overarching goals.

ABOUT US

The Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) is building the workforce of highly trained caregivers that many Californians can’t live without. For over two decades, CCA has been at the forefront of an equity-driven movement for quality training and quality jobs. CCA is one of the largest providers of training for long-term caregivers in California– training over 35,000 home care and nursing home caregivers in the past 20 years. We are pioneers in home care training and are the only organization in the country to show the value of evidence-informed training programs on both the workforce population and the low-income older adults and people with disabilities for whom they care, with curriculum licensed in four other states.

CCA develops quality training programs for both IHSS home care workers and Skilled Nursing Facility workers. We have a deep partnership with SEIU Local 2015 - the labor union that represents IHSS and SNF workers across California. Our Labor Management Training Partnership for nursing home workers is grounded in partnership systems in which skilled nursing facility employers collaborate with SEIU Local 2015 in order to benefit the workforce and provide higher-quality care to residents through high-quality courses, certifications, and apprenticeship programs.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Relationship Management

• Collaborate with the CEO to identify and prioritize relationships critical to CCA's mission-driven impact.
• Develop strategies to cultivate relationships with key clients, partners, stakeholders, and vendors.
• Coordinate Senior Leadership Team roles to ensure smooth implementation of the Relationship Management strategy.
• Represent CCA at events, conferences, and networking opportunities to enhance brand awareness.
• Identify and address potential threats to CCA's funding or impact in partnership with the CEO.
• Assist the CEO with Board recruitment, orientation, development, and ongoing support activities.

Communications and External Affairs

• Lead the Communications team in advancing CCA's strategic priorities through various communication methods.
• Assess the impact of communication strategies and guide continuous improvement.
• Recommend communication investments that align with CCA's strategic priorities.
• Oversee public relations, government relations, and community outreach initiatives.
• Build strategic partnerships with government agencies, community organizations, and key stakeholders to enhance CCA’s influence on policy initiatives.
• Support the CEO in directing the Development Director to create a strategic plan for diversifying and expanding CCA's funding sources.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Recruit, hire, lead, and mentor External Affairs team managers, providing guidance, training, and support to them in their supervisory roles.
• Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement within the External Affairs department.
• Develop and implement professional development plans for team members to enhance their skills and career growth.

Data Analytics and Strategic Planning

• Guide the Data Analytics team in delivering reports and analyses crucial to CCA's programs and operations.
• Assist in prioritizing data requests and ensure timely, accurate reporting.
• Utilize data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making and organizational planning.
• Collaborate with other departments to identify key performance indicators and metrics for measuring success.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, political science, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in external affairs, public relations, or a related field, preferably within the nonprofit sector.
• Strong leadership and team management skills with experience in mentoring and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to develop and implement strategic communication plans.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with experience in public speaking and media relations.

CCA is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.  All employment decisions at CCA are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to age, race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by federal and CA state laws.

Envision Consulting was retained by the Center for Caregiver Advancement to conduct the search for their incoming Senior Director of External Affairs

Applicants needing accommodation for any part of the application process may contact Envision Consulting at 626.889.7905 to request and arrange for assistance.