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Job Title: Chief of External Affairs

Department: Business Development Advocacy & Communications (BDAC)

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Status: Full-time | Executive Leadership

About Living Goods

Living Goods (LG) is a leading non-profit organization innovatively transforming the health of vulnerable communities. We support networks of trusted community health workers (CHWs) to transform health outcomes for women and children, and work to advance system change by partnering with governments to sustainably lead. We focus on ensuring CHWs are treated as essential health workers who should be digitized, equipped, supervised and compensated—so they can make the greatest impact—and harnessing community-level data to transform health systems. We focus on treating some of the deadliest but most easily treatable deadly childhood diseases, supporting women of reproductive age with pregnancy support and family planning, and ensuring every child is fully vaccinated. At the end of 2020, Living Goods was supporting more than 11,000 CHWs in Kenya and Uganda to deliver care to more than 8.5 million people.

Living Goods’ strategic plan focuses on the next frontier of impact: enabling government partners to improve health outcomes nationally, by ensuring CHWs can reach their full potential. Building on our unique experience supporting more than 12,000 CHWs to deliver quality health care to more than 9 million people, this plan focuses on ensuring high-quality, digitally enabled community health care can be professionalized and scaled more sustainably, in more countries—saving and improving more lives

Role Location :

The role is remote. The candidate can be based anywhere in the USA East Coast; preference is for Washington DC or NYC. We will consider other locations, especially if a large fundraising market, for exceptional candidates.

Due to the time zone differences between our USA-based team, our Country Offices, and the location of other global staff, USA-based staff are expected to be available for early morning meetings starting at 7 am EST.

The role holder must be willing to travel up to 15-20% of the time.

About the Role

The Chief of External Affairs plays a critical leadership role in advancing Living Goods’ mission by driving revenue growth, shaping the organization’s public voice, and strengthening its visibility and influence across key audiences. This position oversees Business Development, Advocacy, and Communications—ensuring these functions work in synergy to elevate the organization’s impact, positioning, and long-term sustainability.

As a key member of the Global Executive Team reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of External Affairs contributes to shaping the organization’s overall strategy to ensure it is both fundable and findable. The role leads a global team of approximately 20 staff across Africa and the United States, including three senior functional heads, and is responsible for guiding high-performing teams to deliver on ambitious growth, influence, and visibility goals.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning:

+ Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO to evolve Living Goods’ vision, mission, and theory of change, ensuring the organization remains both fundable and discoverable.

+ Provide executive leadership across fundraising, advocacy, and communications, ensuring these functions are integrated and strategically aligned to drive impact and growth.

+ Lead the development of robust strategies for each function to support Living Goods’ mission and position in the global health ecosystem.

+ Engage Board members and key external stakeholders on strategic priorities related to resource mobilization, visibility, and influence.

+ Oversee budgeting and resource planning across business development, advocacy, and communications.

Business Development:

+ Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO to evolve Living Goods’ vision, mission, and theory of change, ensuring the organization remains both fundable and discoverable.

+ Provide executive leadership across fundraising, advocacy, and communications, ensuring these functions are integrated and strategically aligned to drive impact and growth.

+ Lead the development of robust strategies for each function to support Living Goods’ mission and position in the global health ecosystem.

+ Engage Board members and key external stakeholders on strategic priorities related to resource mobilization, visibility, and influence.

+ Oversee budgeting and resource planning across business development, advocacy, and communications.

Advocacy:

+ Oversee the design and implementation of global, regional, and national advocacy strategies that support policy change and resource mobilization aligned with Living Goods’ mission.

+ Build and maintain strategic relationships with high-priority stakeholders.

+ Ensure proactive tracking and analysis of political, policy, and funding developments that may influence the organization’s strategy and operations.

+ Represent Living Goods in high-level forums, conferences, and strategic advocacy engagements.

Communication:

+ Oversee the design and implementation of global, regional, and national advocacy strategies that support policy change and resource mobilization aligned with Living Goods’ mission.

+ Build and maintain strategic relationships with high-priority stakeholders.

+ Ensure proactive tracking and analysis of political, policy, and funding developments that may influence the organization’s strategy and operations.

+ Represent Living Goods in high-level forums, conferences, and strategic advocacy engagements.

Leadership:

+ Build and mentor high-performing, mission-aligned teams across fundraising, advocacy, and communications, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

+ Contribute to organizational leadership as a member of the Global Executive Team, helping drive cross-functional alignment and strategic execution.

+ Lead change management efforts to optimize team structures, workflows, and processes for greater impact.

US Operations:

+ Oversee all US-based operations and personnel-related matters, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and legal requirements.

+ Partner with the CFO and Finance team to manage leases, compliance, payroll, benefits, and act as an authorized signatory on bank accounts and legal documents

Essential Qualifications, Experience & Attributes :

+ Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising, partnership development, communications, and advocacy within the non-profit sector, including at least 5 years in senior external leadership/fundraising roles.

+ Fundraising Expertise: Proven track record of fundraising success, raising significant amounts annually in a nonprofit setting with additional experience in communications and advocacy. Proven success in soliciting and closing 6- and 7-figure gifts/grants from philanthropic foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors, corporations, and major gifts. Demonstrated success in designing and implementing fundraising strategies that have achieved substantial revenue growth. Demonstrated ability to influence key stakeholders, including senior leaders.

+ Relationship management: Exceptional and proven relationship-building and fundraising abilities. Experience cultivating donors and developing strategies to ensure their continued engagement.

+ Strategic Thinker: Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans that drive organizational growth and impact. Ability to think big picture and be a detail-oriented implementer who can mobilize teams to translate strategy into plans and results.

+ Leadership Skills: Strong track record of hiring, developing, and managing high-performing, remote, cross-cultural teams to achieve ambitious, measurable results.

+ Data/systems: Experience fortifying systems, including CRM, and creating organizational structure and process management.

+ Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to serve as a compelling advocate for Living Goods work.

+ Experience working within a multi-country diverse, complex organization with networked structures and multiple stakeholders.

+ Passion/mission alignment: Strong alignment with Living Goods' mission and values.

Personal/Professional Attributes:

+ Collaborative relationship builder with a deep understanding of Living Good’s mission.

+ Ability to operate effectively at both the strategic and tactical levels.

+ Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

+ Willingness and availability to travel to Africa three times a year (typically Burkina Faso, Kenya, or Uganda). Be available for additional travel in the USA.

+ Intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and self-motivation.

+ Commitment to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, excellence, diversity, and equity.

+ Passion for the organization's mission and work.

Terms of Appointment:

The salary range for the role is USD 148,000 – USD 200,000; the final offer will be based on the candidate’s experience.

Information on the role’s competitive benefits package, including health insurance and bonus opportunity, can be shared upon request.

Living Goods is an equal - opportunity employer and will consider every qualified applicant for employment. Living Goods does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Our current job openings are displayed on our website, where you can search for open positions and apply directly. Living Goods does not offer any positions without an interview and never asks candidates for money. If you are asked for money, we strongly recommend that you do not respond and do not send money or personal information. If offered a role at Living Goods, we’ll request consent to complete a background check, which is part of our hiring process.

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