Back to jobs

Chief External Relations Officer

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

DESCRIPTION 

Job Title: Chief External Relations Officer  

 Reports to: President & CEO, Alyse Nelson 

 Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid, 2 in-office days/week required) 

 

Company 

Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading international non-profit organization. We invest in women leaders who are tackling the world’s greatest challenges – from gender-based violence to the climate crisis, economic inequities, and more. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying leaders with a daring vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. What sets Vital Voices apart is that we make long-term, holistic investments in leaders with bold ideas for change — providing them connections, capacity, a network of their peers, financial support, and visibility for their work. We have provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Laureates, US Youth Poet Laureates, Prime Ministers, award winning innovators and breakthrough social entrepreneurs. Over the past 27 years, we have directly invested in more than 47,000 change-makers across 188 countries, who in turn have improved the lives of millions of people in their communities and countries.  

 

Vital Voices’ staff is headquartered in Washington, DC. In the coming years, we have a bold vision to dramatically scale our impact. In early 2022, we opened the first ever Global Headquarters for Women’s Leadership, a 30,000+ sq. ft. historic building just blocks from the White House on 16th Street. It is a hub of activity, events, and collaborations — bringing together women leaders and their allies to tackle the world’s greatest challenges.

 

Following a period of significant organizational change, Vital Voices is entering a new chapter focused on strengthening individual philanthropy, deepening engagement with global leaders and philanthropists, and building a more sustainable, mission-aligned funding model for long-term impact.

Opportunity for impact 

This role is a rare opportunity to help build the external engine of a high-impact global organization investing in women leaders tackling the world’s greatest challenges. As Chief External Relations Officer, you will design and lead Vital Voices’ fundraising, external engagement, and advancement strategy, building a strong individual philanthropy engine while aligning communications, partnerships, and events to support long-term resource growth and global influence.You will serve as the CEO’s key partner on how Vital Voices shows up in the world, aligning narrative, campaigns, and stakeholder engagement with the Vital Voices 2030 Goals to make measurable progress on proving the power of collective action.

 

Role & Responsibilities

The Chief External Relations Officer will serve as Vital Voices’ senior fundraising and external relations leader, with primary responsibility for driving development strategy and funding growth while also overseeing communications, partnerships, and events. This executive will translate the CEO’s vision into integrated advancement strategies that grow resources, visibility, and global influence aligned with Vital Voices’ 2030 goals and long-term growth.

  • Fundraising: Lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy across individual, corporate, and foundation revenue streams, setting and meeting annual and multi-year goals that sustain and grow Vital Voices’ revenue.​ Manage and coach an 8-person development team to cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth individuals, foundations, brand partners, and major donors, partnering with the CEO and Board to deepen philanthropic relationships.​ Personally engage in the cultivation and stewardship of Vital Voices’ most significant individual donors, serving as a visible relationship leader alongside the CEO and Board.
  • External Affairs: Build and sustain high-impact partnerships with corporations, media outlets, advocacy groups, and mission-aligned institutions that expand Vital Voices’ global reach and influence.​ Lead the strategy and execution of major convenings and flagship events that raise visibility, drive fundraising and engagement, deepen stakeholder relationships, and represent Vital Voices in high-profile national and international forums.​
  • Strategic Communications: Oversee a global communications strategy that elevates the Vital Voices brand, strengthens media visibility, and tells compelling stories of women leaders across digital, social, web, and earned media.​ Partner with the CEO and communications leadership to shape messaging and external positioning, ensuring communications efforts effectively support fundraising and stakeholder engagement goals.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Advise the CEO and senior leadership on communications, advancement, crisis response, and positioning, keeping external strategies responsive to global dynamics affecting women and communities.​ Partner with program and advocacy teams to assess and align development and communications strategies with field work and organizational priorities, integrating fundraising, communications, and events for greater impact.​
  • Team Leadership, Culture, and Performance: Lead and align the development, communications, and events teams around shared goals, clear priorities, and strong collaboration, fostering a culture of accountability, creativity, results, and mission-driven execution.​ Set clear, measurable objectives for revenue, visibility, and engagement. Regularly assess performance, report progress to leadership and the Board, clarify roles, and refine strategies to position Vital Voices for long-term growth.​

 

Professional Qualifications

Vital Voices is seeking a seasoned, mission-driven external affairs leader who can elevate the organization’s global profile and resource base. The ideal candidate will bring the following experience and background:

  • Bachelor’s degree in communications, international relations, public affairs, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.​
  • 15+ years of senior experience in fundraising, communications, board relations, and external affairs in a growth-focused or mission-driven organization.​
  • Proven success leading fundraising campaigns and securing major gifts from high-level donors and partners.​
  • Exceptional communication, storytelling, and writing skills for diverse global audiences and platforms.​
  • Strategic and analytic thinker with strong project management skills, able to apply out-of-the-box thinking to turn organizational vision into integrated fundraising, communications, and advocacy strategies.​
  • Experience leading and mentoring cross-functional teams through organizational growth and change.​
  • Strong digital marketing and social media skills, including use of data and analytics to optimize outreach and engagement.​
  • High integrity, sound judgment, and discretion in managing sensitive information and high-profile relationships.​
  • Hands-on, collaborative leader who balances executive-level vision with a willingness to roll up sleeves and execute.
  • Preferred experience in global women’s leadership, human rights, women’s empowerment, civil society, humanitarian, or closely related fields, with deep commitment to the mission of Vital Voices.​
  • Preferred nonprofit leadership experience with responsibility for fundraising, brand-building, and integrated communications strategy.​
  • Preferred international experience and cross-cultural fluency; additional language skills are a plus.​

 

Logistics

  • This is a full-time, exempt position based in Washington, DC, with a hybrid schedule (minimum two in-office days per week). Occasional domestic and international travel (up to 20%) may be required.

Vital Voices provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Vital Voices complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  

Application

Interested candidates can apply directly by submitting their application via the following Greenhouse Link. 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Vital Voices Global Partnership? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Vital Voices requires a minimum of two days in our DC office per week. Please indicate the response that you most identify with. 

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Vital Voices Global Partnership’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.