Director of External Affairs

About the role

The Director of External Affairs leads Prosper Portland's government relations, strategic communications, and public engagement. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a member of the Executive Team, the Director advises agency leadership, builds partnerships, and represents Prosper Portland with elected officials, public agencies, businesses, community organizations, and the media. This position manages the Policy and Communications teams and integrates their work to advance agency priorities. The Director of External Affairs retains responsibility for the external dimensions of Prosper Portland's inclusive strategies, community engagement, transparency, and partnership with communities through coordinated advocacy, clear public information, and accountable results. The position leads department planning and staff development and works across Prosper Portland to support sound decisions, effective implementation, and public trust.

Responsibilities

Government and Intergovernmental Relations

• Develops and leads the agency's government relations and advocacy strategy, advancing approved external policies and funding priorities through coordinated, nonpartisan engagement at the local, regional, state, and federal levels.
• Builds working relationships with the Mayor, City Council, City administration, legislative staff, public agencies, and regional partners.
• Coordinates agency engagement with the City's Office of Government Relations and relevant service areas.
• Prepares the Executive Director and other authorized representatives for Council hearings, Commission meetings, legislative testimony, budget deliberations, and partner briefings.
• Ensures timely, accurate responses to government inquiries and follow-through on commitments.
• Positions agency initiatives for state and federal resources, working with Finance, Capital Access, and program departments on funding priorities, project readiness, appropriations, and grant opportunities.

Policy Development and Strategic Initiatives

• Directs the Policy team's research and analysis of proposed legislation, ordinances, regulations, and public policies affecting economic development, urban renewal, real estate, business finance, and agency operations.
• Recommends positions based on public benefits, costs, risks, and implementation requirements.
• Oversees development and periodic update of agency-wide policies and positions, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Plan, Advance Portland, and the Financial Sustainability Plan, coordinating with Legal, Finance, and responsible departments on approval authority and operational requirements.
• Leads coordination and progress reporting for Advance Portland and other assigned strategic initiatives.
• Establishes shared work plans with responsible departments and partners, tracks deliverables, and recommends adjustments as priorities and conditions change.
• Supports public engagement, and approval coordination for the establishment and amendment of Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts, working with Real Estate and Community Development, Finance, Legal, program departments, the City, and community partners.

Strategic Communications and Public Affairs

• Directs the Communications team and establishes an integrated communications plan covering agency priorities, program outreach, internal communications, media relations, executive messaging, and major project announcements.
• Oversees brand management, marketing, editorial standards, and content production across the agency website, social media, newsletters, publications, video, and other channels.
• Ensures communications are accurate, accessible, timely, and understandable to their intended audiences.
• Advises the Executive Director, Executive Team, and Commission on public positioning and communication risks.
• Oversees preparation of speeches, testimony, talking points, presentations, and other executive communications.
• Directs media relations and serves as an authorized agency spokesperson.
• Establishes processes for media inquiries, fact verification, message approval, and preparation of staff and executives for interviews and public presentations.
• Develops and maintains issues management and crisis communications protocols, including escalation, designated spokespersons, coordinated approvals, and timely public updates.
• Works with Legal and responsible departments to address emerging concerns and correct inaccurate information.

Public Engagement and Strategic Partnerships

• Builds Prosper Portland's partnerships with businesses, neighborhood organizations, community-based organizations, public institutions, and regional economic development partners to advance shared goals and maintain constructive relationships.
• Directs public engagement strategies that clarify the decision under consideration, opportunities for participation, and how public input will be used.
• Develops and directs agency policy and training on external ADA, accessible participation options and accommodations, language support, and information sharing.
• Ensures community concerns and partner feedback inform policy and program recommendations.
• Communicates how input influenced decisions and maintains processes to respond to questions, resolve concerns, and track commitments.
• Oversees department support for advisory groups, public forums, and budget engagement.
• Directs strategic community giving within adopted policy and budget, with clear selection criteria, appropriate documentation, and assessment of results.

Resource Development and Grant Acquisition

• Develops and leads an agency resource development strategy to secure additional grants and funding for Prosper Portland's programs, projects, and operations.
• Aligns funding priorities with agency goals and the Financial Sustainability Plan.
• Provides strategic direction and oversight for the Resource Monitor and other assigned resource development staff, including grant research, grant writing, application preparation, and submission.
• Establishes work plans, deadlines, and performance expectations.
• Oversees identification and evaluation of federal, state, regional, philanthropic, and other funding opportunities.
• Assesses eligibility, strategic alignment, matching requirements, implementation capacity, and ongoing financial obligations before recommending opportunities for pursuit.
• Directs development of clear, competitive grant proposals and applications, including project narratives, supporting research, budgets, measurable outcomes, and required documentation.
• Ensures submissions meet funder requirements and receive appropriate agency approvals.
• Cultivates relationships with funding agencies, foundations, and potential partners to understand funding priorities, identify opportunities, and strengthen Prosper Portland's ability to secure external resources.
• Coordinates with Finance, Legal, Capital Access, and program departments on funding requests, budget commitments, partnership agreements, and award conditions.
• Ensures successful applications transition to responsible staff for implementation, financial oversight, and reporting.

Research and Performance Reporting

• Oversees economic research and qualitative and quantitative analysis to inform agency priorities, policy choices, and public understanding of Portland's economy.
• Coordinates with program owners on reliable data definitions, quality, and interpretation.
• Leads development of agency impact reports, public dashboards, and evidence-based narratives that explain investments, outcomes, and progress.
• Ensures reporting distinguishes agency activities from results and communicates limitations accurately.
• Establishes department measures for policy milestones, advocacy outcomes, communication effectiveness, public engagement, and delivery of support to other departments.
• Reports performance to the Executive Director and uses findings to improve work.

Department Leadership and Management

• Provides direct supervision and overall direction to managers and staff responsible for the Policy and Communications teams.
• Sets clear expectations, assigns work, evaluates performance, coaches employees, and supports professional development and succession planning.
• Develops the department's annual work plan, budget, staffing priorities, and service standards.
• Balances planned initiatives with urgent requests and establishes clear intake, prioritization, and coordination processes for agency departments.
• Manages department expenditures, procurements, contracts, and consultants within delegated authority.
• Establishes deliverables and monitors quality, cost, timeliness, and compliance with agency policies and applicable agreements.
• Creates a respectful and collaborative work environment, addresses operational problems, and supports consistent management practices in partnership with Human Resources.
• Models the agency's values and responsible stewardship of public resources.
• Serves on the Executive Team, leads or supports assigned agency initiatives, and may serve as Acting Executive Director when designated.
• Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in public policy, government relations, public affairs, strategic communications, public administration, community or economic development, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of five years of management or leadership experience in a related field, including supervision of professional staff and responsibility for work planning, performance management, and budgets.
• An equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience may be considered.