VP of Community

Socket.dev; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary

Health coverage

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Hybrid work schedule

Founding team culture

Job summary

Boston Legacy FC is seeking a Vice President of Community & Development to lead community strategy and fundraising in Boston and Brockton. This senior leader will set priorities, build partnerships, and guide how the club invests in the cities it serves.

The role includes developing the foundation orbit, cultivating major donors and corporate partners, and serving as Deputy Director of the BLFC Foundation to translate strategy into funded, activated programs across the region.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in community engagement, public affairs, nonprofit development, or related fields.
• Deep ties to civic and philanthropic networks in Boston and Brockton.
• Experience building community programs from the ground up at executive level.
• Proven success in fundraising with gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Experience serving on boards or civic leadership roles.
• Strong relationship-building, public speaking, and negotiation skills.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and travel for events.

Responsibilities

• Set and own multi-year community engagement strategy across Boston and Brockton.
• Lead development and fundraising to meet revenue targets.
• Identify and steward major donors and corporate partners.
• Oversee grants pipeline and ensure funder compliance.
• Represent the Club to donors and foundations.
• Partner with executive leadership to align strategy with city priorities.

Skills

Community engagement

Fundraising

Public affairs

Grant writing

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Job description

Boston Legacy FC sits at the heart of the Boston and Brockton communities, and we are seeking a Vice President of Community & Development to lead how we show up for, partner with, and invest in the cities and region we serve. This is a highly visible, externally facing senior leadership role for someone with deep, authentic ties across Boston and Brockton and a genuine passion for using sport as a force for good.

As VP of Community & Development, you will set and own the Club’s community engagement strategy and roadmap, and you will build the development function that funds it — cultivating donors, corporate partners, and grant-making foundations. You will be the senior voice at the table with mayors, legislators, and civic leaders in both cities, leading our philanthropic and grassroots efforts and growing the Boston Legacy footprint as a true community and civic partner.

This is a builder’s role in a start-up environment, and it carries executive-level accountability: you will set strategy, hold relationships that other departments rely on, and be responsible for the resources that make the Club’s community work sustainable.

This role also serves as Deputy Director of the BLFC Foundation, working in close alignment with the Foundation’s Executive Director to translate Foundation strategy into funded, activated programming across Boston and Brockton.

Key Responsibilities

Community Strategy & Civic Leadership

• Set and own the Club’s multi-year community engagement strategy, establishing the priorities, investment areas, and success metrics that guide the organization’s presence in Boston and Brockton.
• Serve as the Club’s senior-most community relationship holder — convening and building consensus among mayors, city councilors, state legislators, agency heads, and civic institutions across Boston and Brockton to align the Club’s growth with the priorities of each city.
• Hold a standing seat on relevant boards, commissions, and civic coalitions in both cities, representing the Club at the table where policy and investment decisions affecting the community are made — shaping outcomes, not simply attending.
• Design and direct the Club’s flagship community and philanthropic programs, then lead their activation through a team and network of partners — determining what gets built, where, and with whom.
• Negotiate and structure formal partnerships with anchor institutions — school districts, municipal government, youth soccer federations, and major nonprofits — in both cities, with authority to commit the Club’s resources and programmatic support.
• Establish the cadence and mechanisms for two-way dialogue with residents and community leaders, and be accountable for course-correcting the Club’s approach based on what communities in Boston and Brockton say they need.
• Set the DEI framework guiding how the Club shows up across both cities’ diverse neighborhoods, and hold internal and external partners to it.

Development & Fundraising

• Build and lead the Club’s development function, setting annual fundraising goals in partnership with the SVP of Partnerships and the BLFC Foundation and tracking progress against revenue targets.
• Personally identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, corporate partners, and philanthropic supporters to fund community and grassroots programming.
• Build and manage a grants pipeline: research funding opportunities, oversee proposal writing and reporting, and ensure compliance with grant and funder requirements.
• Represent the Club to donors, foundations, and philanthropic partners in Boston and Brockton, building the funding relationships that make community programming sustainable over the long term.
• Incentive compensation for this role is up to 10% of base salary biannually tied to the Foundation’s overall fundraising goals, board-approved — not a percentage of any specific gift, in keeping with nonprofit fundraising best practice (per the Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethics) and to protect the Foundation’s tax-exempt status.

Organizational Leadership

• Partner with marketing, communications, and executive leadership as the senior voice on community and development strategy — not an implementer of others’ plans.
• Own the community impact and development reporting function — defining what’s measured, presenting outcomes to Club leadership and ownership, and using data to justify future investment.
• Serve as Deputy Director of the BLFC Foundation, working in close alignment with the Foundation’s Executive Director to ensure community strategy, fundraising, and program activation operate as one coordinated effort.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in community engagement, public affairs, government or civic relations, nonprofit development, or related fields, including senior leadership experience.
• Deep, authentic, and current ties to civic, philanthropic, and community networks across Boston and Brockton.
• A track record of building and leading community engagement or social-impact programs from the ground up, at a senior or executive level.
• Demonstrated success in nonprofit development or fundraising — soliciting and closing gifts from individual donors, corporations, and foundations, and managing a grants pipeline.
• Experience serving on boards, councils, or in civic leadership roles.
• Cultural competency and credibility across diverse communities, with a sincere commitment to representing all of them well.
• Exceptional relationship-building, public speaking, and negotiation skills, with comfort as a senior public face of the organization.
• A builder’s, start-up mindset, able to set strategy at the executive level and roll up sleeves to deliver consistent, measurable results.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and matchdays, and to be present across Boston and Brockton as needed.

What We Offer

At Boston Legacy FC, we believe taking care of our team off the pitch is what allows us to compete at the highest level on it. Our benefits and culture reflect that commitment:

• Competitive Compensation — $140,000–$150,000 base salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications, plus a biannual performance bonus of up to 10% of base salary tied to the Foundation’s overall annual fundraising goals, board-approved — not a percentage of any specific gift.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage — medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and eligible dependents, plus mental health support.
• Financial Future — 401(k) plan with employer match to help you invest in what’s next.
• Time to Recharge — paid time off, sick leave, and recognized holidays.
• Hybrid Work Schedule — a minimum of three (3) days on site per week, with the remainder remote. Our team operates across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with home matches and training based in the region. Weekend and evening availability is required for matchdays, events, and travel as requested, and some roles may require additional on-site presence based on function.
• Behind-the-Scenes Access — experience matchdays, events, and club moments as an essential member of the team building Boston’s professional women’s soccer club from day one.
• A Founding Team Culture — join a tight-knit, mission-driven group where every voice matters, ideas move fast, and the work you do leaves a lasting mark on the club, the league, and the city.

Why Join Us? You’ll be part of a founding team creating a legacy—literally. Boston Legacy FC is more than a soccer club; it\'s a movement. We offer a unique opportunity to shape the future of a professional sports organization in one of the most passionate sports markets in the world.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement – Boston Legacy FC

Boston Legacy FC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all individuals are respected, valued, and empowered. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, religion, age, disability, neurodiversity, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic. Boston Legacy FC is dedicated to fostering a workplace that reflects the vibrant and diverse community we serve on and off the pitch. If you require a reasonable accommodation during any part of the hiring process, please let us know. We\'re happy to support you.