Chief of External Affairs – REMOTE

Organization: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project

About The organization

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. The ACLED team conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios, and makes both data and analysis open for free use by the public. ACLED material is regularly used to inform journalism, academic research, and public discourse on conflict, and to support the work of practitioners and policymakers. ACLED is the highest quality and most widely used real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.

The role

ACLED is recruiting a full-time Chief of External Affairs to oversee ACLED’s communications, advocacy and outreach, fundraising and grants, and sales departments.

The Chief of External Affairs will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Communications
  • Direct the organization’s communications department including oversight of all aspects of communications; provide leadership and supervision to communications staff.
  • Responsible for directing and coordinating public relations for ACLED.
  • Develop and direct external communication and marketing strategy to maximize the mission of ACLED.
  • Develop and coordinate the production of external communication including ACLED’s website, e-newsletter, speeches, presentations, annual report, brochures and other electronic and printed materials.
• Outreach & Partnerships
  • Review and determine the optimal structure and procedures for current and prospective partnerships, including their pipeline growth and development, cultivations, and stewardship.
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive outreach strategy, including but not limited to relationship and network management as well as events management.
• Advocacy
  • Direct the organization’s advocacy and outreach department including oversight of the President & CEO’s outreach plan; provides leadership and supervision to advocacy and outreach staff.
• Fundraising and Grants
  • Direct the organization’s grants and development department including oversight of all aspects of grant writing, budgeting, and reporting; provide leadership and supervision to grants and development staff.
  • Responsible for growing ACLED’s development pipeline.
• Sales and Development (Fundraising & Grants)
  • Oversee sales strategies and development of sales teams, operations, and administration.
• General
  • As a member of the ACLED senior leadership team, actively contribute to overall strategic planning;
  • Collaborate, with other members of the senior management team, to define ACLED’s annual objectives, organizational priorities, policies, and key performance indicators;
  • Work as a collegial team member to ensure alignment and collaboration between departments;
  • Create and lead the development and implementation of a cohesive strategic and operational External Affairs plan that aligns with and supports ACLED’s mission, vision, and strategic goals;
  • Advise the President & CEO and Executive Director on all matters related to External Affairs;
  • Other tasks as may be assigned by the Executive Team.

This position is fully remote and can be done from any location with reliable internet service (EST working hours preferred). The start date for this position is January 2024. This position reports to the Executive Director, based in PST.

This position is open to nationals of any country. For more information, please review the Applicant FAQs. Please submit your salary range for consideration.

Skills and competencies

ACLED is seeking applicants who have the following skills and experience:

• 10+ years of overall professional experience in roles that include public relations activities (required), grant oversight and development (required), and sales experience (preferred);
• Proven success developing and executing initiatives to strategically position and increase an organization’s profile, reputation and engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders;
• Experience working successfully and collaboratively with a Board of Directors, senior management, and professional colleagues;
• Demonstrated ability to select, train, motivate, and inspire staff, while holding them accountable for their performance;
• Proven ability to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, evaluate and close the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria within a specified time;
• Experience in developing and managing budgets;
• Experience or familiarity with non-profit organizations (required);
• Work or academic experience focused on topics related to peacebuilding, conflict, human rights, and/or global affairs (or similar) (preferred);
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written;
• Ability and confidence to present clearly and concisely to external audiences;
• Comfort working within evolving systems and processes (dynamic and flexible);
• Ability to work remotely with limited supervision;
• Excellent organization and time management skills;
• Good judgment and high attention to detail;
• Bachelor degree in Communications, Public Relations, Speech, English, Journalism or other relevant field;
• Fluency in English (essential);
• Ability to travel as necessary (up to 20% of travel is envisaged).

How to apply

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter detailing qualifications, experience, and salary requirements through our careers portal.

Further information on the project is available online at acleddata.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates are advised to apply early.