Vice President, Civic and Social Impact

Clayco; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 200,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision plans

401k and retirement benefits

Generous PTO and holidays

Employee assistance program

Learning & development programs

Flexible spending accounts

Life insurance and disability coverage

Job summary

Clayco is seeking a Vice President, Civic and Social Impact to lead the Office of Civic and Social Impact & Giving, shaping strategy and guiding philanthropic initiatives across Clayco’s pillars. You will partner with the Executive Chairman, CEO, and Board to ensure high-impact, transparent giving and strong community engagement.

This senior role requires a track record in strategy, fundraising, and budget governance, with the ability to coordinate across national and local offices and represent

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit/public policy, administration, or related field preferred.
• Demonstrated success building and executing philanthropic or impact strategy with measurable outcomes.
• Experience owning and managing budgets, forecasting, and governance for giving programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive philanthropic strategy across Clayco’s mission pillars.
• Advise senior leadership and Board on philanthropic initiatives and budgets.
• Lead fundraising strategies and donor development for the Foundation and enterprise-wide programs.
• Oversee governance, reporting, and compliance for giving programs and metrics.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Fundraising

Public speaking

Budget management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $8.1 billion in revenue for 2025, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for mission critical, industrial, life sciences, power & energy, aviation, commercial, institutional, residential and sports & entertainment related building projects.

The Role We Want You For

The Vice President, Civic and Social Impact is a high-impact executive role leading the Office of Civic and Social Impact & Giving, which encompasses all civic and social impact work across the Clayco Enterprise and the Clayco Foundation. Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, the Vice President builds on and advances a comprehensive, multi-channel philanthropic giving and impact strategy, anchored in Clayco’s five mission pillars of art, science, education, economic development, and democracy, that drives sustainable growth, brand visibility, community participation, and stakeholder engagement in the places where Clayco people live and work. The role is strategic, operational, and outward facing. The Vice President is a strategic partner and advisor to the Executive Chairman and Founder, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Growth Officer, and the Clayco Board of Directors on all philanthropic and impact initiatives; serves as a spokesperson for the Enterprise’s impact to civic, corporate, government, philanthropic, and nonprofit audiences; and owns the philanthropy budget along with the standards, processes, reporting rhythms, and governance that support high-quality giving decisions. The Vice President supervises one direct report, the Civic and Social Impact Coordinator, and partners closely with Executive Leadership, Marketing and Communications, Public-Private Partnerships, Legal, and Finance and Accounting.

This role is especially suited for someone who listens deeply and grasps nuance, who can manage complexity and multiple projects amid change, who collaborates effectively across an organization without formal authority, and who is a clear and supportive manager. The right candidate is equally comfortable designing strategy with the Board, defending a budget with the CFO, sitting across from a nonprofit partner, executing on annual strategies, and speaking on Clayco’s behalf in the community.

The Specifics of the Role

Strategy and Executive Partnership:

• Advance and implement a comprehensive philanthropic giving and impact strategy across the five mission pillars in coordination with Clayco’s leadership, designed to grow brand awareness, program participation, community visibility, and the donor base;
• Serve as strategic advisor to the Executive Chairman and Founder, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Growth Officer, and the Board on all philanthropic and impact initiatives both on a national and geographic level with a strong focus on our key offices and large project presence;
• Translate strategy into an annual operating plan with clear goals, budget allocations, and outcome metrics, and report progress on a set cadence;
• Identify opportunities for enterprise-wide collaboration that leverage Clayco’s talent, assets, and capabilities, building buy-in with business and functional leaders.

Program and Partnership Leadership:

• Direct philanthropic programs from concept through close, in partnership with community organizations, ensuring clear plans, accountability, and measurable outcomes;
• Manage the portfolio of pledges, sponsorships, memberships, and event commitments across the Enterprise, from negotiation through fulfillment both nationally and regionally;
• Connect Clayco employees to the mission through volunteerism, matching gifts, and employee-led giving;
• Support pursuit and client-facing teams on community engagement and local participation commitments tied to Clayco projects.

Fundraising and Donor Development:

• Lead fundraising strategies that expand support for Clayco’s key initiatives and deliver measurable mission impact;
• Develop individualized cultivation and stewardship strategies for the Foundation’s highest-priority donor and prospect relationships;
• Leverage networks across Clayco’s communities, the design-build industry, and the broader philanthropic landscape to identify and engage new funding opportunities;
• Build the relationships, systems, and readiness needed to support future strategic and capital priorities.

Budget, Governance, and Operations:

• Own the philanthropy budget, including annual development, allocation across mission pillars and business units, and forecasting of multi-year commitments;
• Maintain a clear view of committed, pledged, and available funds, partnering with Finance and Accounting on reporting and audit support;
• Set the standards, processes, reporting rhythms, and internal controls that govern the Enterprise and Foundation giving pipeline and support consistent, high-quality decisions;
• Ensure compliance with legal, tax, and regulatory requirements for corporate and foundation giving, and oversee the integrity of the giving management system (CyberGrants);
• Provide regular data driven impact reports on Clayco’s investments.

Communications and External Representation:

• Serve as a spokesperson for the Enterprise’s impact and maintain a productive network among government, philanthropic, business, and nonprofit leaders;
• Partner with Marketing and Communications on the philanthropic platform, including client-facing content, digital communications, and messaging;
• Direct the annual impact report and ensure Clayco activates the recognition and visibility earned through its commitments;
• Prepare executive and board-level briefing materials, presentations, and decision-ready analysis;
• Lead and develop the Civic and Social Impact Coordinator as a clear and supportive manager, setting priorities and providing regular coaching and feedback;
• Recommend and, as approved, build additional team capacity as the function grows.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field preferred;
• 10+ years of progressive experience in corporate social responsibility, corporate or private foundation philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, development and fundraising, or government and civic affairs, including experience at a senior leadership level;
• Demonstrated success building and executing a philanthropic or impact strategy, including defining outcomes and reporting results credibly to executive and board audiences;
• Proven fundraising and donor development track record, including cultivation and stewardship of major relationships;
• Experience owning and managing a budget of meaningful scale, including multi-year commitments, forecasting, and financial controls;
• Strategic thinking paired with strong analytical and problem‑solving skills;
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the comfort and credibility to serve as a public spokesperson;
• Ability to build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners, and an existing network among government, philanthropic, business, and nonprofit leaders;
• Strong self-starter and team player, able to take full ownership of workstreams while working collaboratively across a large, fast-moving, matrixed organization;
• Sound judgment and discretion, with the ability to maintain confidentiality and navigate sensitive, high-visibility matters;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with CyberGrants or a comparable grants management system preferred;
• Willingness to travel and to attend evening and weekend civic and community events as required.

Some Things You Should Know

• No other builder can offer the collaborative design-build approach that Clayco does.
• We work on creative, complex, award-winning, high-profile jobs.
• The pace is fast!

Why Clayco?

• 2025 Best Places to Work – St. Louis Business Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Phoenix Business Journal.
• 2025 ENR Top 400 – Top Data Center Contractor (Top 3).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Design-Build Firms – Design-Build Contractor (Top 5).
• Discretionary Annual Bonus: Subject to company and individual performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package Including: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401k, generous PTO and paid company holidays, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, learning & development programs and more!

Compensation

• The salary range for this position considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: Education, qualifications, skills, training, experience, certifications, internal equity, and location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The Clayco Nationwide salary range for this position is approximately $200,000 - $240,000 +/- annually (not adjusted for location).