Senior Vice President, Development and Communications

ExpandED is dedicated to ensuring that all young people have access to enriching learning opportunities that affirm their identities, teach them valuable skills, and spark new possibilities. Through program development, capacity-building, research and advocacy, we work toward our vision of a vibrant and stable publicly-funded system of school-community partnership so that all New York City children thrive.

Established in 1998, the organization today works with more than 119,000 children and 900 programs throughout New York City to ensure that students in under-served communities have access to innovative, engaging ways of learning to enable them to reach their full potential. Over the last two decades, ExpandED Schools’ program, research and policy efforts have led to increased recognition of the academic, social, and emotional benefits of afterschool, increased funding, and new models for school-community partnership.

Purpose of Position

The Senior Vice President, Development and Communications, has primary oversight over public and private fundraising and communications needed to reach our goals. The Senior VP, Development & Communication, works across the organization and externally to develop fundraising strategies that motivate, inspire, and connect people to ExpandED’s mission and objectives. To achieve this, the Senior VP will manage board relations, public and private fundraising for our $15M organization and strategic communications to inform and engage our stakeholders.

The right candidate for the role has strong familiarity with private fundraising from philanthropic and corporate institutions as well as from individuals.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead a team of five: Senior Director, Development; Senior Development Officer, Development Associate, Senior Director, Communications; and Communications Associate, fostering a collaborative and supportive team culture, creating opportunities for team building and guiding individual growth.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Development to design and implement a robust private fundraising strategy (currently $6M annually), complemented by strong public contracts and competitive awards. This includes increasing support from corporations, foundations, and individuals and working to ensure message alignment and strategic use of resources.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Communications as a strategic thought partner to shape messaging, media strategy, digital content, and storytelling for the organization and its pillars of work as an intermediary organization. Develop and implement an integrated communications and marketing plan that seizes near- and long-term opportunities, builds awareness of the organization and its priorities, and drives measurable action.
• Ensure effective integration of a united fundraising and communications strategy, working across the organization to align development and communications priorities.
• Represent the organization to funders and prospects, nurturing clear and creative fundraising strategies that leverage ExpandED’s role as a public-private system-builder.
• Work alongside the CEO and Board leaders on Board engagement, as well as Board prospect identification, cultivation, onboarding, and Jr Board Management.
• Work as primary staff contact to the Board’s Advancement Committee to identify strategies to increase the organization’s profile and generate creative ideas to engage new supporters.
• Manage, through delegation or task ownership, the development of special events, including annual gala and Junior Board events.
• Ensure Development team maintains strong fundraising operations and accountability by improving data collection, grant reporting and budgeting.
• Work with ExpandED’s Chief Financial Officer to understand the organizational budget, funder trends and significance to a healthy organization, and ensure appropriate reconciliations for all private revenue and the Development and Communications team budget.
• Work with ExpandED leaders to further develop and refine the organization’s core messages and clear, effective cross-organizational fundraising and communications processes.
• Support the organization’s leaders in the development and delivery of key communication points to be shared with the media, donors, and the public at large.

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Commitment to educational equity
• Bachelor’s degree and at least ten years of related experience required
• Experience cultivating corporate relationships
• Strong cultural competence with respect for and extensive knowledge of the cultures of the various stakeholders we work with and the communities we serve
• Commitment to collaboration and participating as a member of a team that recognizes that it is strengthened through its diversity
• Excellent planning and organizational skills with a proven ability to execute tasks efficiently
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, including clear and persuasive speaking and writing
• Expertise in using data to improve programs and instruction
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and execute projects independently
• Computer skills, especially MS Office: Outlook, Word, Teams, and Excel; and Google products: Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides; and Zoom
• Flexibility, adaptability and comfort with complexity and change
• Willingness to travel throughout NYC (up to 2-3 days per week) including evenings and weekends.

Our organization follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, as needed. All staff must spend 5 days in the office per month as determined by their team schedule. Additionally, leaders of teams may call team members together for in-person meetings in the office when they reasonably believe that the work will be more productive and/or efficient if completed through in-person collaboration, and all full-time employees are expected to attend monthly all-staff meetings at the office. Finally, this position requires regular use of public transportation and some work in school buildings that may require climbing stairs.

Benefits:

ExpandED Schools offers a generous benefits package, which includes:

• Full-time and eligible part-time employees receive medical, dental and vision plans for employees and dependents, largely subsidized by ExpandED Schools
• Health, dependent care and transit pre-tax accounts
• Employer-paid life insurance and supplemental disability coverage
• A generous paid time off package which includes 24 personal days, 8 sick days, and 13 paid holidays (prorated for part-time staff)
• 403b retirement plan with eligibility for employer contribution of 5% of annual compensation after one year of employment (no match requirement)
• Commitment to work-life balance
• Partial tuition reimbursement offered to employees after six months of service
• Professional development opportunities, including funds to participate in external training and coaching opportunities

ExpandED Schools believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. ExpandED Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as such, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.