Senior Director External Relations, Chicago
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Job Location:
Chicago, IL - USA
Yearly Salary:
$ 135000 - 145000
Posted on:
11 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
iMentor is seeking a strategic externally oriented leader to serve as Senior Director of External Relations in Chicago. This role is responsible for advancing regional revenue strengthening iMentors presence in the market and building partnerships that expand opportunity for young people.
Reporting to iMentors VP of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships the Senior Director will lead the execution of a comprehensive external relations strategy across philanthropy corporate partnerships government engagement and brand visibility. They will serve as a key representative of iMentor in the Chicago region cultivating relationships with funders civic leaders and institutional partners and activating the Regional Board as a driver of revenue engagement and network expansion.
This role operates at the intersection of national strategy and execution working in close partnership with national philanthropy and marketing & communications teams as well as regional leadership to translate enterprise priorities into effective regional strategies and outcomes.
Revenue Strategy and Execution
- Set and lead the regional revenue strategy in alignment with organizational priorities and local market opportunity
- Build and manage a growing portfolio with a trajectory toward overseeing $2$3M in annual philanthropic revenue across corporate foundation and individual giving
- Cultivate secure and steward five- and six-figure investments through strategic relationship management and donor engagement
- Drive new pipeline development by identifying and advancing priority prospects in partnership with national leadership
- Support accurate forecasting and portfolio management to drive consistent revenue performance
Regional Board Leadership
- Activate the Regional Board as a driver of fundraising engagement and network-building
- Partner with regional leadership to support board recruitment engagement and participation in revenue-generating activities
- Lead the planning and execution of board strategy including meetings communications and engagement opportunities
Market Presence & Partnerships
- Represent iMentor in the Chicago market strengthening the organizations visibility and positioning through events convenings and partnerships
- Build and steward relationships with corporate community and cross-sector partners to expand iMentors reach and impact
- Lead local activation of national campaigns and initiatives ensuring strong local resonance and engagement
- Identify and pursue partnership opportunities that integrate mentor recruitment funding and brand visibility
Government & Civic Relationships
- Build and maintain relationships with government civic and education stakeholders to support iMentors presence and growth in the region
- Partner with national and regional staff leadership to identify and pursue public funding opportunities
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Serve as a key connector across national and regional teams ensuring alignment between fundraising partnerships communications and program priorities
- Contribute to regional strategy and planning in partnership with leadership
- Foster a culture of collaboration accountability and shared ownership across teams
- Partner closely with Chicagos recruitment leadership to manage and grow the local corporate partnerships portfolio ensuring strong alignment between mentor recruitment goals and philanthropic investment
- Serve as a key member of the Chicago Leadership Team supporting healthy effective cross-team communication coordination and a cohesive regional presence
Qualifications
- 810 years of experience in fundraising partnerships or external relations with increasing scope of responsibility
- Experience leading multi-stream revenue strategies (corporate foundation individual and/or public funding)
- Demonstrated success securing and managing high-value gifts and partnerships including six- and seven-figure investments
- Experience engaging and activating boards or senior volunteer leaders
- Experience working within federated or nationalregional organizational structures with the ability to translate enterprise strategy into locally relevant market strategies
- Demonstrated ability to balance local ownership with national alignment navigating complexity and influencing across teams and stakeholders
- Mindset of an adaptive leader with a willingness to build iterate and flex as the organization grows and changes regardless of title or hierarchy
- Strong judgment and decision-making skills with the ability to navigate complexity without relying on fixed answers or rigid structures
- Experience taking initiative managing ambiguity and making sound high-impact decisions
- Proven ability to operate as an external ambassador and build relationships with senior stakeholders including executives board members and civic leaders
- Strategic thinker who can translate vision into execution and measurable results
- Excellent communication negotiation and presentation skills
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary $135000 to $145000 annually commensurate with experience.
- Up to 100% employer-funded comprehensive medical and dental coverage.
- 18 paid days annual vacation (increasing annually to 21 23 25) 13 paid holidays plus your birthday plus one floating holiday iMentor closed between Christmas Eve and New Years Day plus 8 sick days annually.
- 401k match up to 4%.
- Flexible Home/Office/School working arrangement.
- Pre-tax commuter benefits.
- Dependent care and health care flexible spending plans.
- 1 hour of wellness time off per week for wellness activities of your choosing.
- Flexible personnel wellness budget for reimbursements or marketplace purchases.
- Every staff member is eligible for organization-sponsored professional development annually.
- 9 weeks of paid parental leave
Required Experience:
Exec
About Company
iMentor matches every student in our partner high schools with a college-educated mentor—a personal champion to help them on their college journey.
