Managing Director of External Affairs

Opportunity 180 Introduction:

In a sentence: Opportunity 180 is seeking to ensure every kid in Nevada graduates from high school and college and career-ready, prepared to live the life they dream. The organization is entering Year 5 of its ambitious 10-year goal to ensure 100,000 more students have access to a high-quality education in their neighborhood, including investing in the great ideas and new learning environments of more than 650 current and future education leaders and bringing $100M into the market to create the conditions for great schools to thrive. 

The current landscape: In Nevada, despite a nearly 82% statewide graduation rate, less than 1 in 5 high school students is on grade level in math and less than half are on grade level in English Language Arts. Opportunity 180 seeks to partner with the broader community to lead both practice-based and policy-centered solutions to the State’s persistent educational challenges, and to do so by unifying around a common vision for success based on evidence and data. This requires a coordinated effort to align around a single North Star and deploy sustainable strategies to ensure efforts to meet the educational needs of kids can launch and thrive. 

To meet these ambitious goals and build the conditions needed to strengthen and amplify our work, we are seeking a Managing Director of External Affairs who can enhance the organization’s visibility, shape public discourse, and advance its North Star and Strategic Framework goals through strong external engagement.

For more information, visit Opportunity180.org.

Role Snapshot:

Develop and lead an integrated external affairs strategy that aligns communications, policy, government affairs, and relationship-building among community stakeholder groups and organizations to advance the organization’s Strategic Framework goals and North Star.

Elevate the organization’s voice, visibility, and influence through student-first policy support and advancement, compelling storytelling, media engagement, and strategic partnerships.

Strengthen relationships with stakeholders, including the funding community, to shape and influence education priorities and build broad-based support for programs and initiatives. 

The role breakdown: 

35% Communications, storytelling, and brand management

30% Advocacy and government affairs

25% Strategic stakeholder cultivation

10% Team leadership and general administration

The Managing Director of External Affairs at Opportunity 180 will serve as the primary ambassador for external engagement, with the specific objectives to:

• Lead and manage all aspects of organizational communications, including messaging, digital strategy, media relations, crisis communications, storytelling, and strategic content development and placement
• Build relationships with funders and sponsoring organizations to help reach/exceed the organization’s development and cultivation goals
• Lead the advancement of the organization’s policy and advocacy agendas at the local and state levels through compelling storytelling, data-driven narratives, and strategic coalition-building
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with policymakers, government officials, and advocacy partners
• Build and sustain high-impact partnerships with community leaders, education advocates, and other stakeholders
• Lead the development of compelling grant proposals, funding narratives, and stewardship reports in partnership with O180 leadership to secure resources aligned with the organization’s priorities 

Senior Directors at Opportunity 180 play a crucial role within the organization’s leadership, with the specific objectives to:

• Provide visionary leadership to energize and mobilize staff and stakeholders to engage in partnership with O180 to ensure a strong ecosystem that allows schools to thrive 
• Cultivate and foster strategic partnerships with organizations, schools, and community stakeholders to deepen the organization's reach and impact
• Demonstrate ownership of the organization’s multi-year objectives to accomplish the organization’s short and long-term goals
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of specific strategic initiatives outlined in the organization’s strategic plan aligned to your roles and responsibilities 
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities for programmatic growth, initiatives, and quality improvements related to the organization’s 10-year goals
• Participate in regular, formal, and informal, 360-degree feedback to support and equip team members with tools, strategies, and new ways of thinking about their work to achieve the desired impact and outcomes
• Collaborate closely with senior leadership, internal operations and program teams, and a team of Directors in decision-making, program management, and initiative implementation
• Enhance organizational cohesion and effectiveness by chairing an organizational health committee that fosters internal collaboration aligned with the organization's values 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Integration

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, Board members, and leadership team on matters related to communications, policy, brand positioning, and external engagement.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive external affairs strategy aligned with the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan.
• Manage contractor relationships, both on retainer and for ad-hoc business services

Communications & Brand

• Lead and manage all aspects of organizational communications, including messaging, media relations, crisis communications, and internal communications
• Collaborate with team members and external partners to advance stories, narratives, and data around Opportunity 180-supported schools, school leaders, and programs 
• Oversee brand positioning and consistency across all platforms and public-facing materials
• Amplify the organization’s voice and impact through compelling storytelling and strategic content placement and cultivation

Advocacy & Government Affairs

• Support the development and advancement of the organization’s advocacy goals in partnership with team members to maximize opportunities and mitigate challenges in the education ecosystem
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with policymakers, government officials, and advocacy partners
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and provide timely guidance and strategic responses

External Engagement & Influence

• Identify opportunities, represent the organization, and prepare other team members to represent the organization, in key external settings, including coalitions, media, legislative hearings, and public events
• Build and sustain high-impact partnerships with community leaders, education advocates, and other stakeholders
• Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador, elevating the organization’s profile and advancing its credibility and thought leadership to local, state, and national audiences

What you offer:

• Strategic communicator with a storyteller’s mindset, able to shape and adapt messaging for diverse audiences across digital, media, and in-person platforms to advance the organization’s North Star and influence.
• Proven experience managing organizational voice and brand, ensuring consistency and clarity across internal and external materials, public statements, executive communications, and stakeholder engagement.
• Deep understanding of or ability to quickly learn the Nevada policy landscape, particularly how legislative and political dynamics impact public education at the state and local levels.
• Strong relationship-builder with policymakers and community leaders with the ability to leverage those partnerships to influence policy and advance systemic change.
• Confident leader who is able to reflect on themselves and is committed to the work of O180.
• Situational awareness and ability to consider varied perspectives and interests aligned to the greater intention of the organization.
• Experience listening, synthesizing and distilling complex and sometimes ambiguous information.
• Ability and willingness to own high-priority tasks and projects with minimal guidance 
• Strong judgment and ability to manage confidential information with tact and integrity 
• Commitment to leadership and the development of self and others

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge or accomplishment required to perform this job. 

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in communications, external affairs, storytelling, government relations and/or advocacy, ideally in the nonprofit or education sector.
• Understanding of or ability to quickly learn the policy landscape and its key actors in Nevada.
• Understanding of or ability to quickly learn the public education landscape, particularly issues affecting equity, student outcomes, and education reform at the state and local levels.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling messages for varied audiences.
• Experience in building coalitions and motivating them to action.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize data, policy, and narrative into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing integrated strategies across multiple domains.
• Experience working with diverse communities and a commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Politically savvy, emotionally intelligent, and ability to navigate complexity with clarity.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams.
• Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and grant reporting. 

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: A current Nevada State-issued Driver’s License and current automobile insurance coverage, including automobile registration.

Compensation & Benefits:

• The salary range for this position starts at $130,000
• We offer excellent benefits, including a 401K plan, 100% coverage of medical and dental insurance with 50% coverage for dependents, opportunities for local and national personal and professional development, generous PTO, and relocation if needed
• Flexible work culture where we work from the office at least 2 days a week and from home the remainder of the week with the exception of in-person team meetings and programming.

 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear; on occasion, climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee is occasionally required to lift, up to 25 pounds.  The vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

 

Work Environment:  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to excessive heat, and wet and/or humid outside conditions.  The noise level in the environment is moderate and at times, high.

 

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position. Scheduled hours may change based on business needs.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.

 

The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CREATE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE.  WE MAINTAIN “AT WILL” EMPLOYMENT.