Chief Development and Communications Officer

Job Description: Chief Development & Communications Officer

Organization: The Housing Collective

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Hybrid | In Bridgeport, CT office 2-3 days per week

About The Housing Collective:

The Housing Collective is a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness and ensuring equitable access to safe, affordable housing for all. Through innovative programs and collaborative partnerships, we strive to create lasting solutions to housing challenges across the state. As a backbone organization, HC operates at the intersection of policy, practice, community voice, and investment—aligning systems, not just delivering programs. HC partners with more than 200 organizations statewide and is recognized as a leading voice in housing and homelessness systems change in Connecticut.

HC maintains an annual budget of approximately $15 million and advances systems change through a diversified revenue model that includes government funding, philanthropic support, individual and corporate giving, and earned revenue. HC’s work spans multiple initiatives and regions and requires sophisticated revenue strategy, strong external positioning, and disciplined cross-functional execution.

Position Overview:

The Chief Development & Communications Officer (CDCO) oversees a multi-million-dollar annual revenue portfolio spanning public and private sources. They are a senior executive responsible for strategically positioning The Housing Collective to grow, sustain, and future-proof revenue across all funding streams, including government grants and contracts, philanthropic funding, individual and corporate giving, and fee-for-service business development.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving on the Senior Leadership Team, the CDCO works alongside organizational leadership to co-design enterprise-wide revenue strategies and leads the outreach, engagement, and cultivation of funders and donors in support of those strategies.

The CDCO provides executive leadership over Development and Communications, ensuring that fund development strategy, external positioning, and narrative are tightly aligned with HC’s long-term goals. The role holds annual budget authority for the Development & Communications Department and is accountable for revenue performance across all funding sources.

The Housing Collective is at a pivotal moment of organizational growth and evolution. While HC has built scale and impact through public funding to support its work, the external funding landscape is shifting rapidly, and the organization is intentionally building the infrastructure, strategies, and relationships needed to significantly expand private philanthropy, individual giving, and fee-for-service revenue. The CDCO will play a critical role in designing and scaling this next phase of HC’s revenue model—strengthening financial resilience, diversifying funding sources, and positioning the organization for long-term sustainability and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Strategy, Funder Engagement & Growth

• Work in close partnership with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to design and refine HC’s revenue strategy, aligning funding priorities with organizational strategy and systems-change goals.
• Serve as a key thought partner to initiative leaders, translating program strategy into fundable narratives and investment pathways without directing program execution.
• Lead execution of agreed-upon revenue strategies across funding streams.
• Design and lead outreach, engagement, and cultivation strategies for public, philanthropic, corporate, and individual funders, building durable, long-term relationships.
• Personally engage with key funders, donors, and partners, and support the CEO and senior leaders in high-level relationship management and solicitation.
• Develop and manage fund development revenue forecasting, pipeline visibility, and performance tracking to inform executive and Board decision-making.
• Ensure HC’s revenue model is diversified, resilient, and positioned for sustainable growth in a dynamic funding environment.

Government, Philanthropic & Grant Strategy (Pre-Award)

• Collaborate with the CEO, Chief Initiative Officer(s), and program leadership to shape government and philanthropic funding strategies, including funder targeting, positioning, and sequencing.
• Lead the pre-award fund development process, including grant writing oversight, proposal development workflows, internal coordination, and submission timelines.
• Ensure proposals accurately reflect agreed-upon program priorities while advancing HC’s broader organizational positioning and revenue strategy.
• In partnership with the Finance team, monitor revenue performance, budget alignment, and compliance risk across funding streams.
• Partner closely with the Finance team, which assumes responsibility for post-award grant and contract management, to ensure clear handoffs, aligned budgets, compliance, and timely reporting.
• Establish clear cross-functional workflows across Development, Finance, and program teams.

Individual Giving, Corporate Partnerships & Board Engagement

• Help build a strong culture of shared accountability for fund development at the Board and executive level.
• Design and lead HC’s individual giving and major donor strategy, including campaign design, cultivation pathways, and stewardship frameworks.
• Lead strategy for corporate and financial institution partnerships, aligning revenue opportunities with HC’s mission and external positioning.
• Enable and support executive and Board participation in fund development.
• Serve as the primary staff lead for a Board committee related to development and/or external affairs, partnering with trustees to advance fundraising, donor engagement, and external advocacy.

Communications, Narrative & External Positioning

• Provide executive oversight of HC’s Communications Department, ensuring alignment between communications, revenue strategy, and organizational positioning.
• Ensure communications strategy strengthens HC’s positioning with funders, policymakers, and field leaders at the state and national level.
• Directly supervise the Communications Director, who manages day-to-day communications operations and HC’s external public relations and strategic communications contract.
• Collaborate closely with the CEO, who serves as HC’s primary external spokesperson, to support messaging and preparation tied to organizational growth and funder engagement.

Team Leadership & Department Management

• Lead the Development & Communications team with a focus on strategy, systems, and execution excellence.
• Directly supervise a Development Associate, providing coaching, performance management, and workload prioritization.
• Design and scale the Development & Communications Department over time, including potential future roles such as Development Manager and Development Director, and Grant Writer.
• Build and maintain clear internal workflows that define responsibilities across Development, Finance, and program teams and support effective collaboration.

Transition & Organizational Continuity

• Participate in a structured transition period with the outgoing Chief Philanthropy and Communications Officer to ensure continuity of relationships, institutional knowledge, and strategic momentum.
• Maintain confidence among funders, partners, Board members, and staff during a period of leadership transition.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of 10–12 years of senior-level experience in nonprofit development, advancement, or revenue leadership.
• Experience leading revenue strategy at the enterprise level, beyond managing individual funding streams.
• Demonstrated success designing and leading complex, multi-stream revenue strategies, including significant government funding.
• CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential strongly preferred; candidates without CFRE must commit to obtaining certification within 12–18 months of hire.
• Strong experience with funder and donor cultivation, relationship management, and executive-level fundraising.
• Experience overseeing or closely integrating communications, narrative strategy, and fundraising functions.
• Proven ability to partner with CEOs and Boards on revenue strategy and external engagement.
• Strong people-management experience and comfort leading through growth and change.
• Experience in housing, homelessness, health, or other systems-change fields strongly preferred.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic, systems-oriented thinker
• Strong collaborator able to lead through influence in a matrixed organization
• Confident executive presence with funders, partners, and Board members
• High degree of judgment, integrity, and accountability

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 18–24 months, the Chief Development & Communications Officer will have strengthened HC’s revenue infrastructure, expanded private and philanthropic funding, launched or scaled fee-for-service revenue, and embedded fund development as a shared leadership and Board priority—positioning the organization for long-term resilience and impact.

NOTE: Candidates with deep development experience who are continuing to build their communications leadership skills are strongly encouraged to apply.

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage (employer-paid and cost-shared options), HSA/FSA pre-tax savings, employer-paid life & long-term disability, EAP, plus voluntary benefits and employee discounts.