Chief External Affairs Officer

Common Future•Oakland, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Common Future is seeking a Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) to serve as a senior executive leader responsible for building and sustaining the financial foundation and brand reputation that makes their mission possible. This role is crucial for navigating the complex landscape for equity-focused organizations and securing durable, flexible funding. The CEAO will own the organization's revenue strategy across institutional philanthropy, individual donors, capital raising, and emerging revenue streams, developing a business model that supports both organizational sustainability and economic independence. The role includes owning a $10M total annual fundraising goal, managing a personal portfolio of funder and investor relationships, and representing Common Future externally through travel to conferences and convenings (20-25% time). Additionally, the CEAO will steward Common Future's brand and strategic communications, providing guidance to the team managing public relations and cross-platform media, and staying attentive to the external environment to support the positioning of the Co-CEOs, organizational impact, and collective thought leadership. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CEAO will partner closely with programmatic team leads on revenue strategy, ensuring fundraising is integrated with programmatic priorities, and will work in a matrixed fashion across Impact Investments, Initiatives, and Finance teams. They will oversee Fund Development and Strategic Communications, setting a tone of excellence, creativity, and deep relationship-building.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in fundraising, development, or a related field, with demonstrated success raising significant philanthropic and/or investment capital at an executive level.
Proven track record of building and closing a portfolio of major donor, institutional funder, and/or impact investor relationships, including experience with transformational and big-bet gifts.
Strong brand instincts and experience in organizational positioning, external communications, and supporting executive visibility.
Deep understanding of and passion for racial and economic justice, with a clear perspective on how philanthropic and investment capital can be a tool for systems change.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing a multi-channel revenue strategy - spanning foundation grants, individual giving, high-net-worth cultivation, digital fundraising, and/or capital raising.
Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational change and ambiguity, including building or rebuilding systems, strategy, and team culture, without losing momentum on revenue goals.
Experience managing and developing teams at varying levels of seniority and expertise, with a high standard of excellence and accountability.
Exceptional relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage authentically with a diverse range of stakeholders, from community members to major institutional funders and high-net-worth individuals.
Willingness and capacity to travel 2 - 3 times per quarter for conferences, convenings, and in-person funder engagement, with any accommodations considered.
Demonstrated ability to apply an equity lens to how capital is pursued, what kinds of funders and investors are cultivated, and how funder relationships are built and maintained, modeling the values Common Future advances externally.
Exceptional strategic thinking skills, with a high level of intellectual curiosity, a builder and rebuilder mentality, and comfort operating in complex and ambiguous environments.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership, boards, and external stakeholders.
Entrepreneurial style, with enthusiasm for working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Understands the Work and Organization
Project Management/Planning
Relationship Building
Strong Communication
Strategic Thinking
Practices Emotional Intelligence

Responsibilities

Develop, own, and implement a comprehensive revenue strategy across institutional philanthropy, individual donors, high-net-worth giving, capital raising, and online/digital fundraising channels.
Own a $10M total annual fundraising goal, which includes $6 - 7M in operations and $3M in investment capital.
Lead and steward Common Future's business model with a cross-organizational lens, identifying opportunities to diversify and strengthen revenue streams, increase unrestricted and flexible funding, and build long-term financial sustainability and economic independence.
Partner with programmatic team leads and the CFOO to align fundraising strategy with programmatic priorities.
Collaborate across teams to align and integrate revenue strategies organization-wide, including capital raising with Impact Investments and Community Credit Lab (CCL), restricted grant fundraising with programs, Finance, and digital fundraising.
Track, analyze, and report fundraising performance to the Co-CEOs, Executive Leadership Team, and Board.
Generate, hold, and actively steward a personal portfolio of institutional funders, high-net-worth individuals, and capital investors, with a focus on big-bet and transformational giving opportunities.
Travel to conferences, convenings, and in-person engagements at least 2 - 3 times per quarter to build and deepen funder and investor relationships and represent Common Future externally.
Develop and lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for current and prospective funders across all giving levels, applying an equity lens.
Identify and pursue new philanthropic, corporate, and capital sources aligned with Common Future's mission.
Support and participate in funder diligence and pre-diligence processes for the CCL Fund and other capital-raising efforts.
Steward and strengthen Common Future's brand, ensuring it is compelling, consistent, and resonant across platforms and external audiences.
Ensure that Common Future's narrative and brand strategy is tightly integrated with fundraising efforts.
Work collaboratively with communications and programmatic staff to produce high-quality external-facing materials.
Ensure high-quality execution of communications across all organizational channels.
Directly manage the Fund Development and Strategic Communication teams, with accountability for team performance, professional development, and budget.
Hold a strong vision for the Fund Development team's work and effectively cultivate a culture of excellence, creativity, and accountability.
Provide strategic guidance, coaching, and support to direct reports.
Identify and create opportunities to develop the professional expertise of Fund Development team members.
Oversee fiscal management of the Fund Development team budget.
Serve as a member of Common Future's Executive Leadership Team (ELT), partnering with the Co-CEOs and peer executives to shape organizational strategy, culture, and financial sustainability.
Make sound decisions with available information and course-correct quickly as new information emerges.
Engage as a visible, collaborative leader in both virtual and in-person settings.
Provide relevant guidance and thought partnership on an ad-hoc basis to team members across the organization.
Maintain open communication with the ELT to ensure cross-functional collaboration and shared alignment on organizational priorities.

Benefits

Ongoing 4 day work week , Monday - Thursday, 32-hour workweek, 80% time at 100% pay
Remote and flexible work options
20 days of PTO
18 paid holidays, including a week off in the Spring and Winter
Fully paid medical, dental, vision for employees. Dependents covered at 75%
Access to a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical and dependent expenses
Paid long-term disability and life insurance
16-week paid parental leave
$500 annual professional development stipend
$500 monthly caregiver stipend
Immediately vested 4% 403b retirement plan contribution after 90 days
$800 one-time home office set up stipend for new employees
$150 per month coworking, home office, and cell phone stipend
Annual in-person retreat