Seiu Education and Support Fund- Chief Advancement Officer
Who We Are:
An increasing number of Americans – mostly women and people of color – are employed in service sector jobs marked by low wages, no health care, job insecurity, and lack of training and career advancement opportunities. The SEIU Education & Support Fund (ESF) tackles these issues by designing and facilitating worker-centered, relationship-based, and accessible education, training, and workforce development programs. We serve as a strategic partner to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and collaborate with other unions, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and employers to help workers access good jobs and spark positive social change. Throughout our work, we promote a culture of empowerment that honors experience, culture, diversity, and inclusion. With a dedicated staff of 50 professionals and an annual budget of approximately $18 million, ESF’s mission is to provide education and training programs that empower workers, raise standards, and promote high-quality jobs.
About the Role:
As the inaugural Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), you will join ESF's Senior Leadership Team and set the strategic vision for development and communications. Leveraging ESF's newly drafted strategic plan, you will build fundraising and communications operations to further ESF's mission and long-term sustainability.
Currently, half of ESF’s revenue comes from collectively bargained funds. As CAO, you will Identify, cultivate, and manage new and existing philanthropic funders and government grant opportunities while building the systems needed for the development team. You will collaborate organization-wide to bring in new sustainable philanthropic dollars with a focus on growing public workforce development contracts and philanthropic funds by leveraging local, state, and national funders.
You will also lead communications for the organization with the goal of externally building awareness of ESF. Initially, this will involve an organization-wide branding campaign and website overhaul to present a unified identity across our core and affiliate programs. You will craft messaging for target audiences and develop supporting collateral.
To start, you will oversee two consultants - a grant writer and a website manager. Over time, you will build a small, dedicated team for fundraising and communication.
As a culture carrier, you will reflect ESF’s mission, a respect for a diverse and inclusive work environment, and a commitment to workers' rights and workforce development. An inspirational leader and collaborative change-maker is what ESF is looking for.
You will report to ESF's Executive Director, Kursten Holabird.
Major Functions and Key Responsibilities:
As Chief Advancement Officer, you will be responsible for the following threads of work:
Organizational Leadership and Management
- Participate as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team to guide and manage the growth and direction of the organization, champion the strategic plan, and foster a staff culture aligned with our values
- Cultivate and manage a small and growing team of fundraising and communications professionals, embedding a culture of collaboration and professional growth
- Develop clear expectations and performance measurements to guide fundraising and communications goals and activities
- Develop, implement, and manage the budget for the development and communications departments
- Lead the design and implementation of systems and practices that support cross-department collaboration, integration, communication, and relationship building to meet/exceed annual fundraising and communications goals
Fundraising
- Establish a sustainable revenue strategy inclusive of philanthropic fundraising and government grants/contracts in partnership with ESF’s Finance Team and program directors by understanding funding needs for programs
- In partnership with our grant consultant, source, prepare, and submit grant proposals for all philanthropic and government grant applications
- Partner with the Director of Evaluation and Learning to strategically align impact models, programs, and innovation opportunities with funding opportunities
Communications
- Provide strategic oversight and creative leadership to guide vision and messaging for external communications, including public relations and marketing, to increase knowledge and awareness of ESF, its mission, activities, and the value of its work, as well as craft compelling cases for support to galvanize our community and introduce us to new champions.
- Represent ESF in external-facing work with funders and other stakeholder communities and serve as a passionate advocate for ESF's mission
- Collaborate with Directors to generate all marketing materials, website, social media, and newsletters to ensure alignment across all departments
What You’ll Bring:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. That said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the following;
- At least ten years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising and communications
- Experience developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising and communications strategy within nonprofit fundraising
- Experience securing both private philanthropy and government grants and contracts
- Experience building and managing a team, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage multi-directionally
- Commitment to embodying ESF’s values and contributing to our worker-centered culture
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent time and priority management skills and ability to work in a fast-paced growth environment
- Flexibility and tolerance for ambiguity
- Experience with Salesforce and a strong fluency with Google Workspace for business.
What we offer
- This is a full-time position with a salary range of $135,000-$140,000.
- We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package that includes:100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and eligible dependents stating on the date of hire
- ESF employees are automatically enrolled in a defined benefit (i.e., pension) retirement plan, with ESF fully covering the contributions (18% of employee’s annual compensation). Employees are vested after only five years of employment.
- ESF celebrates all the federal holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving
- Employees accrue sick, personal days, 4 weeks of vacation, and 2 floating holidays
- $500.00 home office reimbursement to set up your home office
- Monthly cell phone stipend (or company-sponsored cell phone)
- The summary of benefits can be found here [1]
Location
We are a fully remote organization. Candidates must be in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast region, encompassing Virginia, DC, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Travel will be expected about twice a month between DC, New York, and Massachusetts.
Submitting your Application
All applicants will receive a response to their application within two weeks of submission. Please email mcarlton@positivelypartners.org [2] with questions or for support submitting your application. While subject to change, candidates elected to advance throughout the process can expect up to two interviews with Positively Partners, followed by an interview with Executive Director Kursten Holabird, and, for finalists, an interview day with staff and stakeholders, including a robust and holistic reference check process.
COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
SEIU Education and Support Fund follows the spirit and intent of all federal, state and local employment law and is committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. In alignment with our mission, we recognize the importance of our staff reflecting the communities our work aims to benefit and the desirability of increasing employment opportunities for people from historically marginalized groups. We encourage and seek applicants from people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, bilingual and bicultural individuals, and people with disabilities. Strong candidates may not meet all the requirements but still have valuable experience and expertise to offer. If you believe you could be a strong candidate, please apply!
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