Chief Executive, External Affairs

Earth Force; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Earth Force is seeking a Chief Executive, External Affairs to join as a full partner with the Chief Executive, Programs. Based remotely in the United States, you will own revenue strategy, development, and external representation, while helping set organizational direction with the Board.

You will lead a multiyear fundraising plan, cultivate major gifts, and build durable relationships with funders, school districts, and partners.

Qualifications

• Fundraising track record demonstrated via grants, major gifts, and donor cultivation.
• Mission commitment to civic skills and youth voice shaping environmental decisions.
• Strong written and spoken communication with funders, districts, and partners.
• Financial fluency including budgets, cash flow, and grant reporting.
• Experience leading a significant function or program with measurable results.
• Staff management with responsibility for performance and development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multiyear fundraising strategy and revenue plan.
• Build and maintain relationships with funders, districts, partners, and board members.
• Shape strategic communications and ensure clear, credible messaging.
• Lead public relations and marketing efforts to raise Earth Force's profile.
• Manage or supervise operations and HR functions to support program delivery.
• Ensure grant budgets comply with funder requirements and timelines.
• Oversee financial health and participate in annual budgeting with the Operations Director.

Skills

Fundraising track record

Mission commitment

Strong communication

Financial fluency

Experience in leadership

Staff management

Job description

Job Title: Chief Executive, External Affairs

Position: Full-time, exempt

Supervisor: Board of Directors

Location: Remote, US-based

Organizational Mission: Earth Force engages young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future.

Our Vision: We see a future where young people from all walks of life improve environmental decision making by participating in the development of environmental policies and practices.

What We Do

We provide school districts and nonprofit organizations with the system design, curriculum, professional development, and ongoing support to implement Environmental Applied Civics. Environmental Applied Civics engages young people in authentic learning whereby they investigate environmental problems in their communities and advocate to community decision makers to address them.

Position Overview

The Chief Executive, External Affairs joins a Chief Executive, Programs already in place as a full partner, together holding executive responsibility for Earth Force's direction, performance, and mission fulfillment. This position reports directly to the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive, External Affairs takes primary ownership of revenue strategy, development, and external representation, while sharing joint accountability with the Chief Executive, Programs for organizational strategy, culture, and the health of the organization.

Commitment to Earth Force's mission and vision is paramount. Above every other qualification, the successful candidate must bring a genuine, demonstrated belief in the power of civic skills and youth voice to shape environmental decision-making, and a real investment in Earth Force's role in building that future.

Earth Force runs on a high-trust culture. That trust shows up first as psychological safety: staff are expected to push back on all aspects of our programming, including with fellow senior leaders, and to bring forward new approaches within the boundaries of a strategy the team has built together. It also shows up as partnership: people are given latitude to shape how their piece of the work gets built, working closely with colleagues rather than executing a fixed playbook handed down from above. The Chief Executive, External Affairs carries that same spirit to the senior leadership table, sharing leadership with the Chief Executive, Programs rather than directing from above, while also being able to step outside the organization and represent Earth Force with a clear, unified voice.

Essential Duties

This position is responsible for:

Owns primarily:

• Fundraising Strategy and Execution: Lead the development and execution of a multiyear fundraising strategy, including donor and prospect pipeline management, CRM, and repeatable cultivation, stewardship, forecasting, and reporting processes. Personally cultivate and secure grants, major gifts, and other revenue sources, and identify opportunities to diversify beyond the organization’s current funding base, including growing individual and board giving over time. Earth Force's annual budget currently averages approximately $1.2 million, with grants and contributions comprising roughly 80% of that; this role holds primary responsibility for securing that portion.
• External Relationships and Representation: Build and maintain relationships with funders, board members, district leaders, partners, and other external stakeholders. Represent the organization effectively in meetings, convenings, and other public settings.
• Strategic Communication: Translate the organization's programmatic work, strategy, and impact into a compelling case for support. Ensure that communications and organizational messaging are clear, consistent, and credible.
• Public Relations and Marketing: Serve as Earth Force's primary spokesperson and lead public relations and marketing efforts to build the organization's brand recognition and public visibility, in coordination with the Communications Lead.
• Staff Supervision: Supervise the Operations Director - including oversight of HR/personnel policy, benefits administration, and state and charitable registrations/corporate filings managed by that role - and ensure operational capacity supports program delivery.
• Grant Financial Compliance: Ensure grant budgets are managed in compliance with funder requirements; oversee financial reporting timelines.
• Organizational Financial Oversight: Oversee organizational financial health (budget-to-actuals, cash flow, audit readiness) in partnership with the Operations Director; lead the annual budgeting process.

Shares with Chief Executive, Programs:

• Shared Executive Leadership: Share full accountability with the Chief Executive, Programs for organizational decision-making, culture, and performance, and report jointly to the Board of Directors on the state and direction of the organization. Where the two Chief Executives disagree, they work to resolve it together, with the Board available to weigh in as needed.
• Organizational Strategy and Planning: Work with the Chief Executive, Programs, board, and other staff to shape long-range organizational strategy and connect priorities across programs, fundraising, and organizational capacity.
• Funding-Program Alignment: Align funding strategy with program priorities; advise on program sustainability and scaling.
• Board Development: Support board recruitment, development, engagement, and succession planning.
• Contract and Legal Signing Authority: Share authority, in partnership with the Chief Executive, Programs, to review and execute contracts, leases, and other binding agreements on behalf of the organization.
• Risk Management and Insurance Oversight: Share responsibility, in partnership with the Chief Executive, Programs, for organizational risk management, including review and renewal of business insurance policies (general liability, D&O, property).

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a leader whose commitment to Earth Force's mission is unmistakable, and who is energized by the opportunity to co-steward a national organization with more than 30 years of impact in Environmental Applied Civics into its next chapter. The right candidate operates as a true peer within a shared leadership structure: genuinely comfortable partnering with the Chief Executive, Programs, low-ego, and able to build strong, collegial relationships with board members and staff. They think strategically, while also building the systems and relationships needed to translate strategy into execution.

Earth Force is a fully virtual team, which means clear, proactive communication is part of how the work gets done, not an afterthought. Team members are expected to give and receive direct feedback as a normal part of collaborating, and the same openness that shapes how we set strategy also shapes how we work together day to day. The right candidate is comfortable with ambiguity, evolving organizational structures, and a role that will continue to take shape over time.

Qualifications

Required

• Fundraising track record: Has a demonstrated track record of success in nonprofit fundraising.
• Mission commitment: Brings a genuine, demonstrated belief in the power of civic skills and youth voice to shape environmental decision-making, and a real investment in Earth Force's role in building that future.
• Strong communication: Communicates clearly and persuasively in writing and in person. Is credible and comfortable with funders, district leaders, board members, partners, and other external audiences.
• Financial fluency: Can read, interpret, and develop organizational and grant budgets; oversee cash flow and audit processes; and communicate financial information clearly to funders and the board.
• Experience and education: Has led or held primary ownership of a significant function or program, for example as a development director, chapter executive director, or in a comparable role, with accountability for results, not just participation in decisions made by others.
• Staff management: Has managed or supervised staff directly, with responsibility for their performance, development, or day-to-day work, not just informal mentorship or dotted-line coordination.

Preferred

• Field credibility and visibility: Has peer-recognized credibility in environmental education, youth civic engagement, or a related field and is able to represent the organization effectively.
• Media and public representation experience: Is effective as an organizational spokesperson and has working knowledge of digital and emerging media.
• People leadership and coaching experience: Has managed and developed staff, strengthened team capacity, and supported leadership growth and succession.
• Board development experience: Has experience recruiting, developing, and supporting a board of directors, beyond maintaining routine board relationships.

Compensation

Salary $90,000 to $110,000 commensurate with experience; benefits include comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, FSA, 401(k) (with employer match), a flexible work schedule, and unlimited, balanced PTO.

Earth Force is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants and employees based on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the organization, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our commitment to Earth Force's mission.