Chief External Affairs Officer

About Compass

Compass is an innovative mission-driven organization that supports families with low incomes to save for their future and access greater economic opportunity. We believe in our clients and in their ability to achieve their goals and dreams. We deliver high-quality financial coaching combined with externally funded savings opportunities and seek to shape the national approach to poverty alleviation through practice and policy change. Compass is also an emerging leader in a national effort to leverage housing assistance as a platform for economic mobility. Our mission is to partner with families with low incomes to build assets as a pathway out of poverty. We focus on reaching families led by Black and/or Latina women. To achieve our mission we operate client-centered savings and financial coaching programs deliver training and technical assistance to other practitioners and shape policy solutions that dismantle barriers to asset building. Click here to learn more about our strategic plan.

Since 2010 Compass has partnered with more than 7300 families and helped them increase their earnings by over $50 million and build more than $35 million in savings. Graduates of our asset building programs save on average $10000 average 70 point credit score increases and increase their annual income by $26000. An independent multi-year evaluation by Abt Associates found that Compass Family Self-Sufficiency program produces benefits to families that far outweigh the cost.

We are looking for a senior leader who wants to be part of taking our programs and our impact to the next level.

About the Job

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced advancement leader who combines philanthropic fundraising depth with a genuine marketing and brand-building mindset someone who can bring rigorous analytics to fundraising strategy translate marketing investment into visibility and revenue and build the team capacity Compass needs to sustain a multi-year multi-channel resource strategy across individual philanthropy corporate and foundation partnerships business development/earned revenue and government funding.

Reporting to the CEO and serving as a key member of Compass Executive Team the Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) will lead Compass development business development marketing and communications functions driving the philanthropic earned-revenue and brand strategies that fuel the organizations national growth.

With a $15M operating budget 85 staff members and a growing base of institutional corporate and government support Compass is midway through a seven-year strategic plan and scaling innovative approaches to economic mobility for families with low incomes. The External Affairs team is composed of 8 staff based in Greater Boston. The current fiscal year budget allows for the expansion of the development and marketing team and the CEAO will play a pivotal role in building the team and systems needed to sustain that growth.

Compass federal and state policy strategy is led directly by the CEO with support from a dedicated Director of Policy and an experienced policy team. The CEAO will partner closely with the CEO on policy-related communications and external messaging ensuring Compass policy priorities are well integrated into its brand fundraising and stakeholder engagement strategy without owning day-to-day policy management.

All Compass staff embody our values

Believe in People: At Compass we have a fundamental belief in all clients and their ability to achieve their goals and dreams. Our unique approach to coaching fosters a culture of aspiration dignity and hope.

Pursue Excellence: We hold ourselves to the highest professional and ethical standards in every aspect of our work and we strive to always do better.

Go Further Together: Our team builds trust respects each other and acts with care and empathy. We believe in harnessing our strengths to find joy in what we do and in doing this work as a team and to bring out the best in each other.

and our core competencies:

Ownership: Steps up and follows through to consistently deliver high-quality work.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion: Champions the value of diversity and the creation of inclusive spaces.

Adaptability/Agility: Drives continuous improvement through proactive problem solving for continued innovation.

Teamwork: Contributes actively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve shared goals.

Primary Responsibilities:

Development & Fundraising Strategy

Design and lead a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy across individual giving corporate and foundation partnerships government grants and special events to meet Compass annual philanthropic revenue targets.

Build out and manage a growing development team adding capacity to support major gifts corporate partnerships and grants management.

Bring a strong analytical lens to fundraising modeling revenue scenarios tracking risk and opportunity and using data to sharpen strategy and prioritize the highest-return relationships.

Partner with the CEO on major gift cultivation and solicitation and support Board members in fundraising engagement.

Own Compass relationship with growth-capital and philanthropic investors coordinating regular check-ins and ensuring funders see clear evidence of program cost efficiencies and earned-revenue growth.

Business Development & Earned Revenue

Lead and grow Compass business development function building the connective tissue between training/technical-assistance sales direct-service growth leads and the development teams institutional fundraising.

Develop a clear operating model for how business development development and program teams coordinate on pipeline pricing and lead qualification.

Own new corporate revenue opportunities beyond traditional philanthropy expanding Compass earned revenue base.

Marketing & Communications

Set the vision and strategy for Compass brand marketing and communications elevating Compass visibility with donors policymakers media and other external audiences.

Oversee the Marketing & Communications team ensuring the function operates as a strategic driver of revenue and visibility rather than solely a brand-approval function.

Partner with the Chief Program Officer on program marketing clarifying the division of labor between brand/external marketing and client-facing program marketing.

Guide the evolution of Compass organizational and client-facing brands ensuring clarity and consistency across national audiences.

Ensure PR strategy media placements and engagements with outside communications partners are effectively mobilized.

Strategic & Executive Leadership

Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO and a full member of the Executive Team contributing to enterprise-wide strategy and decision-making.

Manage up effectively proactively surfacing decisions trade-offs and recommendations rather than waiting to be directed.

Partner with the CEO on policy-related communications and messaging ensuring alignment between Compass policy positioning and its broader external affairs strategy.

Model clear well-sequenced communication that helps the Executive Team and broader staff understand and act on complex strategic shifts.

Team & Organizational Leadership

Recruit coach and retain a high-performing inclusive development business development and marketing team including managers who need strong mentorship to grow into their roles.

Right-size and structure the development business development and marketing functions as Compass scales building durable systems.

Model accountability and follow-through consistent with Compass culture of ownership and delivery.

Serve as an active member of Compass Executive Team.

Qualifications and Skills

The CEAO will be a seasoned hands-on leader with at least 10-15 years of progressive experience spanning development marketing/communications and business development ideally in a growth-oriented nonprofit or mission-driven organization. The CEAO will have the following experience and attributes:

10 years of progressive leadership experience spanning fundraising/development and marketing or communications; prior Chief Development Officer Chief Advancement Officer or equivalent experience strongly preferred.

Demonstrated success building and leading a multi-year philanthropic fundraising strategy including major gifts corporate and foundation giving and government grants.

Genuine marketing and brand understanding able to translate marketing investment into fundraising results and organizational visibility.

Experience building or scaling a business development or earned-revenue function and defining how it works alongside a philanthropic development team.

Strong analytical orientation: comfortable modeling revenue scenarios assessing risk and opportunity and using data to drive fundraising and marketing strategy.

Track record of building mentoring and elevating teams including newer or less-experienced managers.

Experience managing up effectively and independently with a demonstrated ability to bring recommendations and decisions to senior leadership rather than deferring.

Comfort partnering on policy and public affairs communications even without direct policy expertise.

Experience managing special events and high-visibility external engagements.

Exposure to affordable housing asset-building or economic mobility sectors is a plus.

Education:

Bachelors degree required.

Advanced degree in a related field (e.g. nonprofit management communications business) is a plus.

Personal Attributes:

Deep commitment to Compass mission and values.

A rare combination of communicator strategist systems-builder and relationship-builder.

Relational and externally oriented; builds trust quickly with funders partners and policymakers.

Strategic and analytical thinker who brings a risk-and-opportunity lens to decisions.

Proactive decisive leader who is comfortable owning outcomes rather than waiting for direction.

Courageous communicator who manages up clearly and constructively.

Strong team-builder who equips others to lead rather than trying to do all of the things personally.

Hands-on roll-up-your-sleeves orientation balanced with enterprise-level thinking.

Commitment to building diverse teams and fostering inclusive leadership.

This job description is not intended to provide a comprehensive listing of all duties or responsibilities.

Benefits

The salary range for this role is $185K - $195K. Well promote your professional growth and development by providing access to a competitive salary and benefits package and additional employee benefits that include but are not limited to:

Healthcare: medical dental vision: Compass covers up to 80% of employee premiums and 80% for dependents. There is no waiting period to enroll in health insurance.

Paid time off: Employees receive up to 36 Wellness days and 8 holidays per calendar year plus the final week of the calendar year off and Fridays in August as organizational wide holidays. All employees enjoy a two-hour early closure starting the Friday after Memorial Day through the week of Labor Day.

Parental Leave: Employees who have been employed for at least three (3) months are eligible to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. *Employees must be with the organization for six (6) months to receive up to twelve (12) weeks of full pay from the organization.

Retirement plan 401(k) & 3% match

Life insurance & disability Insurance

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Professional development & certification

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Equipment: $200 one-time stipend for work from home expenses

Internet Reimbursement: Up to $40 per month for personal internet expenses

Additional Information

This position is remote-first with a strong preference for candidates based in or near Philadelphia PA or Boston MA. The CEAO will travel frequently to Compass offices in Philadelphia and Boston with occasional travel to other markets (e.g. Chicago Washington DC Minneapolis and New York) and will join all-staff gatherings in person four times per year.

How to Apply

This search is being led by English Hudson Consulting. To apply please send a resume and cover letter (not more than 2-pages in length) describing your interest in and experience relevant to the position to Please use the subject line: Compass CEAO Search. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Compass Working Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider applications for all positions without regard to age race color ethnicity national origin ancestry creed religion gender gender identity or expression sexual orientation citizenship physical or mental disability medical condition genetic information marital status veteran status military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compass Working Capital is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities receive the accommodations required for them to interview for a position on our team. Should you require accommodations please contact

Compass also provides hiring preference to Section 3 residents. Section 3 Residency is defined as a low-income resident of the area where the HUD-assisted project is located.

For the purposes of Section 3 low-income is defined as 80% of the Area Median Income. To learn more information about Section 3 income eligibility please refer to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Website.