Vice President of External Affairs

Washington, DC, USA
Posted on  

Job Description

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is a social change organization dedicated to creating a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV advocates for law, policies, and funding to address domestic violence, and provides training, technical assistance, education, and support to state and territorial domestic violence coalitions.

NNEDV is deeply committed to creating and sustaining an organizational culture that values diversity, inclusion and equity and envisions an organization that reflects the rich cultural diversity of the community. In pursuit of this vision, we are committed to educating, developing, and supporting an organization that embodies diversity in its many forms.

NNEDV seeks an experienced Vice President of External Affairs to join our team. The Vice President of External Affairs oversees our Development and Communications Team and Public Policy Team. The position is responsible to have and build relationships with allied women's rights and social justice organizations, governmental partners, policymakers, private foundations, corporate partners, and other stakeholders to increase their understanding of and support of our work to end domestic violence. The VP of External Affairs will help lead the vision and direction for creating and leveraging partnerships (e.g., financial, private and public institutions, community support, etc.) to support and deliver on our mission of ending domestic violence, and will develop and expand our public policy reach by developing strategic relationships with legislative and executive branch leaders. The VP will help lead this work in conjunction with the President and CEO and work closely with all NNEDV teams to define an effective strategy to advance public awareness and change the attitudes that condone or ignore gender-based violence.

This position reports to the NNEDV’s President and CEO, serving as an integral, trusted, and supportive member of the NNEDV executive leadership team.

GENERAL RESPONSIBLITIES
  • Support NNEDV President and CEO as a partner in executive decisions and organizational management.
  • Partner with and elevate NNEDV’s membership of 56 state and coalition territories.
  • Advance NNEDV’s commitment to racial equity and inclusion on all levels, internally and externally, as part of its core mission. Ensure all work is survivor-centered and rooted in racial justice.
  • Responsible for the organization's overall federal policy initiatives in close collaboration with the Policy team and Public Policy Committee, maintaining and building relationships within Congress and the Administration, as well as in the political and public policy community. Advise and work on specific issues including the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), appropriations, economic justice, housing legislation, and the implementation of other federal statutes.
  • As needed, serve as a spokesperson with the press, represent NNEDV in other appropriate public venues, and oversee the development of a proactive media strategy in close collaboration with the Development and Communications team.
  • Maintain and increase existing federal and corporate funding, grow foundation and individual donor giving support, and implement other new funding strategies and initiatives.
  • Build and strengthen relationships within and beyond the domestic violence and sexual assault fields.
  • Identify emerging issues, opportunities, and crises and develop responses for both NNEDV and membership.
  • Work closely with HR and fiscal/grant management staff to achieve the organization’s goals.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will work closely with all departments and teams, and contribute to the stewardship of the organization, both internally and externally, promoting a culture of performance and accountability, cross-team collaboration, and continuous quality improvement. As an experienced subject matter expert, the VP of External Affairs will oversee development and communications, lead our national policy agenda, collaborate with our network of state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, and enhance our collaboration with governmental, non-profit, and corporate stakeholders. Required qualifications include:

  • Minimum Fifteen Years of Relevant Work Experience as an Executive Leader. This includes: 1) significant experience in nonprofit leadership and the management of complex organizational systems; 2) experience leading a government affairs office with direct experience working with Congress and/or the Administration; 3) experience in the development and evaluation of strategies and tactics for reaching policy objectives; 4) demonstrated experience in raising funds from government, corporate, foundation and individual donors; and 5) and knowledge and experience in the development and implementation of effective media and communication strategies, organizational voice, and branding.
  • Demonstrated Experience Working in the Domestic Violence or Gender-Based Violence Field. This includes, but not limited to, experience working within the movement to end domestic violence, such as at a state or territorial coalition, local program, or culturally specific program.
  • Commitment to the Organizational Mission. This includes: 1) understanding of coalition-building work; 2) demonstrated commitment to anti-violence work, anti-domestic violence work, and racial equity; and 3) an ardent respect for domestic violence survivors.
  • Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This work will include ensuring that our policy positions, funding outreach, and communications messaging is rooted in inclusivity and equity.
  • Significant Experience in Identifying, Cultivating, Soliciting and Stewarding Major Donors, Foundations, and Corporate Entities. This includes: 1) a track record of successfully soliciting six-figure gifts; 2) experiences securing corporate and foundation grants for gender equality and gender-based violence; and 3) knowledge of current trends in foundation and corporate funders committed to supporting organizations with a similar mission.
  • Grants and Budget Management Experience. This includes drafting, reviewing, editing, or submitting successful grants from federal agencies, including the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) at DOJ, and/or the Family Violence Prevention and Services Office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The successful candidates should have organizational budget experiences both in federal and private grants.
  • Excellent Writing and Communication Skills. Outstanding communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and to strategically frame the work of NNEDV through external and internal communication platforms. Proven success in interactions with local and national media.
  • Ability to Effectively Manage Competing Priorities and Deadlines. This includes: 1) demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks, manage time, evaluate progress, and adjust activities to complete tasks for self, supervised staff, and with collaborating teams; 2) ability to establish timelines and keep all relevant stakeholders informed of and in compliance; 3) self-motivated; and 4) ability to work independently.
DESIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
  • Strong relationships with state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, as well as other women's and social justice organizations, particularly organizations that focus on survivors.
  • Subject matter expertise in domestic violence policy or a closely related area.
  • Experience leading the drafting and analysis of legislation and the development and evaluation of strategies and tactics for reaching policy objectives.
  • Demonstrated success in developing and maintaining relationships with partners, donors, foundations, and nonprofit and government agencies, and in the ability to build bridges between key constituencies.
  • Analytical aptitude and experience in the development and evaluation of strategies and tactics for reaching diverse constituencies.
  • Excellent computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office (particularly Excel and Word) and online content management systems
  • Willingness to travel as needed.
  • A high degree of personal initiative and proven interpersonal and team skills.
  • Flexibility, collegiality, demonstrated ability to serve in a confidential capacity, a positive attitude and sense of humor, and the ability to work quickly and nimbly under pressure.
LOCATION
This position offers a flexible and collegial working environment based in our offices on Thomas Circle in downtown Washington, DC, near McPherson Square Metro. At the time of this posting, NNEDV is in remote status. NNEDV is telework-ready and the position may initially start based at home as needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

TO APPLY
Send: 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) brief writing sample (for example, donor pitch, congressional letter, etc.) to Deborah J. Vagins, VPExternalAffairsJob@nnedv.org. Please combine the three application components listed here into a single PDF and attach to your email. Please copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email.

Applications that do not contain all of the required items will not be considered.

Applications received by January 15, 2022 will be given priority; however, the position will remain open until filled.

No U.S. mail or faxes please.

SALARY RANGE
This is a full-time, exempt position.
The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $155,000, commensurate with experience.

BENEFITS
  • NNEDV pays the entire cost for each employee’s Health (HMO plan), Dental, Life, and Short- Term and Long-Term Disability Insurances.
  • NNEDV contributes 3% to each employee’s 401k retirement plan (no match required).
  • NNEDV provides 18 paid holidays (including the last full week of each year), and up to three weeks of accrued annual leave and 10 accrued days of sick leave.
  • NNEDV also offers vision insurance at a nominal cost.
We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. NNEDV encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

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