External Affairs Director

Location: 1203 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Employee Type: Full-Time
Travel: 15%

About the Role

The External Affairs Director stewards the CHOICES brand and directs marketing, communications, and public affairs strategy — including crisis communications, executive messaging, and digital and social media. This role leads development and fundraising efforts, including donor relations and revenue diversification, manages the external affairs budget, and supervises the Development & Communications Manager and Community Outreach Coordinator. This is a management-level position and a member of the organization's Leadership Team; may be hybrid, with in-person work required.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Executive Functions
  • Serve as a member of CHOICES' Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, long-range planning, and operational decision-making
  • Direct and oversee external communications, marketing, and branding strategies that support CHOICES' strategic direction across Tennessee and Illinois operations
  • Provide strategic communications counsel to the President & CEO and leaders across the organization on organizational positioning, stakeholder engagement, and reputational opportunities
  • Collaborate on and execute annual fundraising and communications plans aligned with CHOICES' values, mission, vision, and $6+ million budget
  • Monitor and analyze the external environment—including policy changes, funding trends, and public sentiment—to inform organizational strategy
  • Prepare and manage external affairs budgets and track metrics to measure team performance against projected targets
• Communications & Media Relations
  • Oversee all organizational messaging, including executive-level speechwriting, narrative development, and key messages that ensure clear, consistent, and compelling communication
  • Maintain quality control over all outward-facing communications across platforms and materials
  • Oversee media inquiries, interview requests, and spokesperson preparation
  • Provide real-time crisis communication management and anticipate issues before they become crises to protect organizational reputation
  • Oversee digital communications strategy, including website management, social media, and email campaigns
• Development & Fundraising
  • Direct CHOICES' individual and corporate fundraising strategies, overseeing engagement efforts to expand the donor base
  • Lead major gift cultivation and solicitation, personally managing a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects
  • Develop and manage strategies to increase CHOICES' grant portfolio, including foundation, corporate, and government funding
  • Build collaborative relationships across foundations and corporations, identifying and crafting new partnerships to advance CHOICES' mission
• Grant Writing/Management
  • Lead the identification of grant opportunities and drive the development and compilation of grant application materials by managing the process of creating and assembling all necessary materials for grant applications, ensuring timely submission
  • Maintain the annual grants calendar for application, reward, and reporting dates by keeping an organized and up-to-date grants calendar
• Team Leadership & Operations
  • Provide direct supervision, coaching, and professional development for Development and Communications Manager based in Memphis and Community Outreach Coordinator based in Carbondale
  • Ensure timely execution of donor communications and acknowledgments, event logistics, database maintenance, and community outreach activities
  • Foster a team culture of innovation, accountability, and mission alignment

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; graduate degree preferred
• At least five years of progressive professional experience in nonprofit communications and development, with supervisory experience
• Supportive of comprehensive reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion care, midwifery, and gender-affirming care
• Experience working with foundation program officers, with a track record of securing six- and seven-figure grants or gifts
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gift cultivation and donor portfolio management
• Knowledge of fundraising principles, practices, techniques, and current trends
• Experience developing and managing departmental budgets
• Crisis communications experience
• Proficiency with CRMs and donor databases sufficient to oversee data integrity and reporting, along with general technology fluency
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including large and small group presentations
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to give and receive feedback effectively
• Successful track record in setting priorities with keen analytic, organizational, and problem-solving skills that support sound decision-making
• Excellent relationship-building skills with the ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with internal and external stakeholders
• Personal qualities of integrity and credibility

Preferred Qualifications

• Grant writing experience
• Experience in reproductive health, healthcare, or social justice sectors
• Understanding of the post-Dobbs reproductive healthcare landscape
• Familiarity with multi-state operations
• Ability to multitask and adapt in a fast-paced environment

Pay

$80,465.00 - $128,783.00 / Year

Working Conditions

• This role is primarily performed in an office setting and requires regular talking and hearing for meetings, presentations, and stakeholder communication, along with frequent sitting and occasional local and regional travel
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role
• This role is subject to a job classification in which some employees at our facility have occupational exposure
• Up to 10-15% travel may be required for this position, including regional and national conferences, funder meetings, and visits to CHOICES' Illinois location