Vice President, External Relations

Position description

Job Title: Vice President, External Relations Reporting Office: Washington, DC or NYC

Department: External Relations Job Classification: Fulltime; Exempt

Supervisor: President and CEO Union Classification: Non-Union

Accountable To: Chief Operating Officer Last Updated: 6/20/2025

Purpose of the Job

The Vice President, External Relations is a key member of the executive leadership team at Human Rights First and is responsible for the strategic oversight and integration of the organization’s marketing and communications, fundraising, and strategic partnerships. This role leads the vision, planning, and execution of efforts to build brand awareness, grow and diversify revenue, and strengthen institutional relationships that advance the organization’s mission.

The Vice President oversees external engagement efforts supporting revenues in excess of $12 million annually, with plans for continued growth and expansion. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Vice President provides leadership across three core functions: (1) designing and executing communications strategies that elevate Human Rights First’s voice and influence; (2) expanding the organization’s donor-centered fundraising program; and (3) cultivating and expanding partnerships with external stakeholders, including foundations, corporations, coalitions, and other mission-aligned institutions.

This position manages team members across marketing & communications and the development teams, aligning their efforts under a unified external engagement strategy. The Vice President collaborates closely with program, legal, and policy staff to ensure messaging and relationship management reflect the organization’s priorities and values.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the President & CEO and Executive Team on all matters related to external engagement, brand positioning, and revenue growth.
• Develop and lead an integrated external relations strategy encompassing communications and fundraising.
• Advise the President & CEO and the Executive Team on matters related to public positioning, communications strategy, and reputation.
• Oversee and align the work of the Marketing & Communications and Development teams under a shared vision and set of goals.
• Represent Human Rights First externally, including with media, donors, coalition partners, and at public events.

Marketing & Communications

• Lead the development of a bold and cohesive brand strategy that resonates with diverse audiences across digital and traditional channels
• Modernize digital communications infrastructure and social media presence to amplify the organization’s thought leadership and narrative impact
• Supervise earned media outreach and strengthen relationships with national and international journalists
• Oversee content strategy, including storytelling, rapid response, reports, multimedia, and public-facing campaigns aligned with advocacy priorities
• Act as a public spokesperson and senior media liaison for the organization
• Develop internal capacity and systems for data-informed audience targeting, message testing, and analytics
• Oversee crisis communication strategy and ensure alignment with the organization’s values and obligations.

Development & Fundraising

• In partnership with the Development Team, provide strategic leadership for all fundraising efforts, including foundation grants, corporate partnerships, individual giving, and government funding opportunities.
• Work with the Director of Development to ensure that external messaging and public presence align with donor communications and philanthropic priorities.
• Support strategic alignment between fundraising and communications teams, including participation in major campaign messaging, annual reports, and donor-facing materials.
• Together with the Development Team, implement the design and execution of comprehensive development plans that align with organizational priorities and long-term sustainability goals.
• Guide the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a diverse portfolio of donors and funders, including high-net-worth individuals, philanthropic institutions, and public sector partners.
• Ensure effective grant proposal development, reporting, and compliance processes for foundation and government funding streams.
• Partner with the President & CEO and Board of Directors to strengthen donor engagement and expand networks of support.
• Establish and track fundraising performance metrics, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement across development operations.
• Serve as a resource for cross-departmental collaboration on public-facing events and campaigns with development objectives.

Strategic Partnerships

• Develop and steward relationships with mission-aligned institutions—coalitions, think tanks, multilateral institutions, civil society organizations, and private sector allies.
• Lead cross-functional strategy to increase the organization’s visibility through co-branded events, public campaigns, and thought leadership opportunities.
• Build a coalition engagement roadmap to ensure Human Rights First is a visible and credible leader in key national and global advocacy spaces.
• Collaborate with programming and policy teams to align partnerships with Human Rights First’s core priorities and strategic campaigns.
• Track and report on external engagement efforts and opportunities to senior leadership.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Competencies (DEIA)

Human Rights First acknowledges the existence of systemic and structural biases and believes it is necessary to be strategic and intentional in pursuing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in all aspects of governance, operations, and programming. As an employee, you are expected to:

• Support adoption of best practices to create a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work experience for colleagues and external partners.
• Strive to consider the people, places, and cultures that might be missing from your work and look for opportunities to increase inclusivity in all the work you do.
• Support the mission of Human Rights First in all interactions with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Dedicate efforts to enriching DEIA consciousness throughout our office-wide interactions.
• Foster a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by promoting adherence to the standards delineated in the Culture of Respect and Teamwork statement in the Employee Handbook.

Supervisor Responsibilities

As a supervisor you are responsible for the performance of your direct-report(s). You should guide, train, support, and motivate your team member(s) to help them accomplish their job-specific goals. As a supervisor it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of your direct-report(s) responsibilities and know how to get the tasks accomplished in their absence. You should continually work to earn the respect and credibility of your direct-report(s) by building an inclusive and supportive learning environment. As such, building trust with your team members is vital to a healthy work relationship. Specifically, you will:

Performance Management

• Set clear performance goals at the start of each annual performance period.
• Meet with direct-report(s) on a weekly basis to discuss progress on projects, priorities, and goals.
• Assist direct-report(s) with workflow/bandwidth management and ensure that direct-report(s) understand their duties and delegated tasks.
• Provide timely and ongoing constructive feedback, including soliciting feedback from colleagues from other departments with whom direct-report(s) collaborate.
• Document progress of individual direct-report(s) goals that maps performance goals by administering an annual performance review and mid-year review of performance goals.
• Support and assist in planning direct-report(s) professional development activities; assist with finding professional growth opportunities.

Administration

• Maintain a safe and healthy work environment by establishing and enforcing organization standards and adhering to legal regulations.
• Develop and update employee job descriptions, as necessary.
• Approve timekeeping records in a timely manner.

Leadership

• Assist direct-reports with ongoing coaching and counseling.
• Provide quick and appropriate resolution of all challenges, discrepancies, and miscommunications.
• Share, support, and carry out decisions made by the organization’s management.
• Ensure adherence to Human Rights Firsts’ personnel policies and practices.
• Focus on creating a culture where accountability and fairness are present in every situation.
• Support an innovative workplace that fosters creativity, encourages new ideas, and supports examining different approaches to existing initiatives.
• Recognize the contributions of your direct reports in ways that are meaningful to them.

 

Qualifications

Required Knowledge, Skill, and Experience

• Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development, communications, or external affairs, including 5+ years in senior leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing teams across multiple disciplines.
• Proven ability to develop and execute integrated external relations strategies that drive organizational impact and revenue growth.
• Strong background in brand development, media relations, and digital strategy.
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience cultivating and stewarding major donors, corporate partners, foundations and individual donors.
• A results-driven orientation with a proven track record of setting and exceeding goals.
• High ethical standards and sound judgement.
• Ability to travel primarily between the New York and Washington DC, and LA Offices.
• Deep commitment to human rights, equity, and social justice.

Application instructions

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