VP, Development, Marketing, & Communications

Role Summary:

Reporting to the CEO, the Vice President (VP) of Marketing, Development, and Communications (MDC) will lead the design, refinement, and execution of an integrated and strategic fundraising plan that ensures the sustainability of NYC Outward Bound Schools, fosters future growth, and advances strategic priorities. The VP of MDC will lead best-in-class philanthropic efforts, nurturing, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from individuals, government, corporations, and foundations. The VP of MDC also oversees a consistent and compelling branding and messaging strategy that tells the story of our organization's impact on the young people of NYC and maximizes the organization’s visibility.

The VP provides oversight and direction to a small team to execute goals as well as develop the teams’ capacity while building upon their strengths. The VP works in close collaboration with the Board of Directors and the organization’s leadership team to make strategic decisions and build an equity-focused staff culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences. The ideal candidate will have a passion for supporting the youth of NYC, and be energized by continuous improvement and cross-team collaboration.

Over half of NYCOB revenue is in contracts for providing services to schools, including fee for service. The VP, working with the schools and outdoor adventure teams and the Director of Client Relations, is responsible for marketing program services to schools and the DOE. This includes ensuring a marketing and PR strategy, and providing materials to promote the services.

This role will also be responsible for helping to develop and promote other revenue generating efforts.

Essential Functions:

• Create a fundraising model, inclusive of corporate and foundation relations, individual major gifts, corporate donors, annual giving, and new potential sources of philanthropic support.
• Establish and manage all key actions to meet or exceed overall fundraising goals, including maintaining a strong donor pipeline and cultivating new funding opportunities for major donor gifts and foundation grants
• Work with the CEO, Board, and development and program teams to lead all major fundraising efforts, track progress toward fundraising goals, and achieve annual fundraising goals to support the organization’s vision and strategic plan.
• Manage and develop detailed and documented portfolios of major individual, corporate, and grant donors and prospects, including developing targeted fundraising campaigns when appropriate
• Manage and execute on the fundraising outreach and event planning for the organization’s annual gala
• Develop and maintain a multi-channel calendar of events and engagement activities to increase donations from current and new donors
• Oversee the development of compelling, accurate, and consistent messaging related to NYC Outward Bound Schools as a valuable and fulfilling opportunity to positively impact young people and public schools in NYC
• Expand the visibility of the organization’s work through marketing and communications efforts, including digital and print media, that uniquely position the organization and its impact on students
• Build and maintain media relations and oversee content creation including digital media and print materials that appropriately capture the compelling impact of the organization on the young people of NYC
• Build positive external relationships, alliances, and partnerships that advance the mission of the organization and engage potential new prospects and partners

General Expectations for All Leaders:

• Cultivate an engaging and inclusive environment that attracts and retains a diverse pool of qualified talent.
• Recruit, hire, mentor, and supervise staff to effectively attain the goals of the department and the organization
• Monitor organizational culture and employee morale to identify improvement opportunities.
• Provide regular meaningful feedback, coaching, and support to direct reports in alignment with NYC Outward Bound Schools’ mission, vision, and core values as well as to the individual’s developmental needs.
• Foster a culture of cross-departmental collaboration, individual initiative, accountability, and responsibility across the organization
• Model and promote the organization's core values of community, collaboration, equity, integrity, and learning
• Provide guidance and support to the organization's leaders and employees
• Develop presentations and memorandum, as needed
• Maintain compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and best practices
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to educational equity for BIPOC youth, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in development/advancement and communications, at least five of which has been in leadership or management positions
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals
• Ability to originate and implement creative fundraising strategies
• Experience with major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, and grant management
• Demonstrated ability to manage, motivate, and develop a high-performing team.
• Experience in the effective engagement and development of a board
• Proficiency in data-driven strategic planning, including the ability to develop and implement comprehensive plans and track progress toward the plan’s ultimate goals.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, work collegially, and achieve influence across a wide range of diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to generate innovative ideas, originate action without instruction, take initiative, and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Ability to remain detail-oriented while also maintaining focus on the big picture
• Demonstrated flexibility, maturity, and ability to juggle competing priorities
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal; experience and skill in public speaking and presentations
• Unquestionable integrity and ethical standards in leadership.
• Excellent digital literacy skills, including but not limited to Microsoft Office and Google.
• Familiarity with the field of education is a plus.

ABOUT NYC OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOLS

Why can’t school be more like an Outward Bound course? NYC Outward Bound Schools believes students thrive when they engage with the world beyond their classrooms, embarking on joyful, experiential learning that prepares them for community, college, and career. Partnering with the NYC public school system, we serve over 28,000 students in nearly 80 schools across the five boroughs. Our work combines outdoor adventure with classroom-based support, empowering students to develop academic, emotional, and social skills that help them persist through challenges and lead fulfilling lives.

Compensation:

Annual Salary: $180,000-220,000

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• HRA/FSA/Transit accounts
• Life insurance
• 403(b) with employer match after one year
• Generous PTO
• Hybrid work policy

Location:

• Hybrid position: Requires multiple days per week on site in Long Island City as outlined in the organization’s remote work policy.

NYC Outward Bound Schools is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination against and harassment of any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable state or federal law.