Executive Vice President – External Affairs Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America (VOA) is seeking an Executive Vice President in support of our External Affairs department. This position’s objective has a strategic responsibility to develop a brand message and implementation of external affairs strategy through VOA communications, public policy and strategic partnerships. The selected candidate for this role will be responsible for the implementation of said strategy and working in partnership with the Development Department.

This implementation includes actions at the national level designed to represent the organization as a whole, as well as efforts designed to increase the capacity of our local operations to execute the strategy.

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including community organizations, government agencies, and corporate partners
• Will be a champion for customer service to the affiliates
  Marketing and Communications
• Develop brand identity and communication strategy for new strategic direction in Community Engagement with Vice President of Communications, that enhances the organizational reputation and brand
• Implement by developing collateral materials and focusing Volunteer of America publications
• Raise public awareness of Volunteers of America and the Strategic Direction, ensuring an appropriate degree of consistency in both the messages conveyed and the means/methods employed to convey them
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure increased involvement of the general public in community engagement, our programs and a broader mission of service

• Work in partnership with the Development Department to implement combined strategies for fundraising and branding

• Develop and implement public policy strategy for the new strategic direction with Vice President of Public Policy
• Direct other Volunteers of America’s public policy issues regarding social justice and government relations strategies
• Devise and implement strategies to engage the organization in advocacy
• Ensure that Volunteers of America’s program experience and insight continues to add a distinctive and nonpartisan voice and perspective to the policy discussions and that its broader communications reflect its advocacy policy priorities
• Coordinate a government relations plan that creates key liaisons with all critical government agencies
• Work with affiliates to increase their public policy strategies, build a robust public policy network and create a vision for national alignment

• Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within the departments
• Develop strong business analytics and metrics to monitor and improve department performance
• Serve and with executive team members and provide leadership to the organization
• Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and executive team members to develop and manage strategic direction
• Direct, manage and motivate external affairs team
• Strategize and contribute as a member of the senior management leadership of the entire organization

• Record of success in a decentralized, federated, growing, multi-state service organization and familiarity with the development of community engagement
• Strong understanding of impact measurement framework ad methodologies
• Ability to embrace and support our Ministry
• Keen analytic and systems thinking skills that support and enable sound decisions in a complex organization
• Enterprising foresight coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit to recognize future trends and new opportunities
• Consultative style that ensures the transfer or acquisition of knowledge to, from, and among affiliate organizations with a focus on making our affiliates wildly successful
• Inviting style characterized by responsiveness and accessibility to staff and affiliates
• Ability to listen and communicate clearly, effectively and persuasively at all levels of the organization, both orally and in writing
• Ability and political savvy to build and sustain relationships with many constituencies, both internal and external, including affiliates, colleagues and funding sources
• Proven ability to lead, direct and empower senior level professionals
• Ability to think and implement strategically to attain the organization’s long-range vision
• Ability to work flexible hours. Ability to travel is required

• 7 to 10 years in a leadership role at an organization, with a record of success in executive leadership and strategic visioning
• Advanced degree preferred