Director of External Affairs

Position: Director of External Affairs

Status: Exempt/Full-time

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Remote, Denver Metro Area

Overview:

Join the work to end homelessness in Metro Denver! The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is a nonprofit organization with over 25 years of leadership in addressing homelessness in the seven-county, Metropolitan Denver region. MDHI is an organization that values diversity and we encourage people from all backgrounds to join our team. As an employer we are committed to ensuring equity is applied to all employment policies, procedures, and decisions. This is consistent with the MDHI’s goal of achieving and ensuring diversity in the workplace and equity within the Metro Denver Continuum of Care.

MDHI operates as a remote work environment, with a small office in downtown Denver. Some positions require in-person meetings with partners, while others can be fully remote. We encourage applicants to consider their work style and ability to operate effectively in a virtual setting. MDHI is a system-level organization that is continually adapting to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness. This role requires a growth mindset and comfort with change.

Lastly, all roles within MDHI are grant-funded and contingent on continued funding.

Success/Impact Statement:

The Director of External Affairs will lead transformative efforts aimed at telling the story of the community’s efforts to end homelessness throughout the Metro Denver region. This will be conducted through the development and practice of strategic communications, engagement with the MDHI/CoC Board of Directors, stewardship of legislative policy development with federal, state, county and municipal partners, and through the practice of fundraising and the diversification of private grant funding. Through partnerships and strengthened collaboration at all levels, the Director will drive changes that enhance communications for the agency and community.

As Director of External Affairs, you will:

• Design, implement and manage MDHI’s communication plan to include internal and external communications, media relations, social media, department webpage, public relations and marketing, briefing materials, public information requests, crisis communication and other communication events and strategies. The position will identify audiences, consider diverse perspectives and outreach opportunities to increase awareness and impact of departmental programs and services, and build strategies to advance and sustain MDHI’s work.
• Monitor news coverage, activities, priorities and emerging issues; identify critical matters and address issues by partnering with key stakeholders to develop immediate or long-term communication strategies.
• Write and edit documents including, but not limited to, press releases, announcements, Board and community presentations, fact sheets, news articles, website content, newsletters, Executive Director communications, training materials, complaint responses and other internal or external written materials.
• Develop and maintain positive and professional relations with staff, officials, the public and the media in support of MDHI programs and priorities.
• Ensure accurate representation of MDHI’s service portfolio, programs and outcomes. Update all relevant sources as needed.
• Provide thoughtful leadership, strategic counsel and tactical support for employee communications in support of MDHI priorities.
• Establish a method and schedule for sourcing MDHI stories and sharing successes with internal and external constituents and stakeholders.
• Lead and support the organization’s existing and new efforts to build philanthropic partnerships for MDHI aimed at diversifying the organizations funding landscape.
• Monitor legislative affairs at the federal, state, and local levels and identify where advocacy is needed. Develop advocacy messaging for MDHI leadership, staff, board, and partners.
• Engage with the Metro Denver CoC Board and committees developing and conveying relevant materials and information that help to promote and guide their work.
• Hire, supervise, and support the External Affairs team of 2-3 FTE (Development and Grants Specialist, Programs Assistant, Communications Specialist).
• Advise and partner with the Executive Director and broader Leadership Team on organizational strategy and alignment with equity goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience that Drives Success in this Role:

• 5+ years of leadership experience in communications and/or nonprofit leadership.
• Proven expertise in leading system-wide communications initiatives within homelessness response or social services sectors.
• Strong experience with policy development, funding strategy, and organizational inclusion efforts.
• Ability to analyze and apply both quantitative and qualitative data to advance message and strategy.
• Proven ability to build partnerships and bring underrepresented organizations into formal systems.
• Experience in grant writing or funding advocacy.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (such as Communications, Public Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Social Work, or related disciplines) or equivalent work experience in homelessness systems, communications, fundraising, public sector engagement, or nonprofit leadership.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder groups.
• Strong understanding of systemic barriers to homelessness, response funding and program accessibility.
• Familiarity with HUD policies, CoC governance, and homelessness/housing best practices.
• Proven ability to integrate equity considerations into PR and workforce policies, including hiring, compensation, and promotion structures.
• Proven ability to develop and discriminate messages via multiple media and communication practices.
• Expert level familiarity with Microsoft Office tools (Teams, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

You Will Love This Position If You:

• Enjoy working with a diverse team representing various disciplines and experience.
• Seek to address systemic inequities through policy change, funding advocacy, and system redesign.
• Value community-centered leadership, lived experience expertise, and relationship-building.
• Appreciate strategic thinking and working towards shared goals.
• Value collective approaches.
• Operate effectively in a remote work environment and enjoy using collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack to stay connected.

Benefits: MDHI offers an excellent benefit package, including:

• Employer paid health medical, dental, and vision insurance at 100% for basic employee-only plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous paid time off, including holidays, employee birthday, and organizational shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Parental leave
• Life insurance and short-term disability plans available
• 403(b) retirement plan
• A flexible work environment, including remote work within the Denver metro area

Salary: The starting salary for this position is: $101,500 - $105,250/year

MDHI is committed to pay equity and transparency. Candidates should expect to begin within the stated pay range based on their qualifications for the position. MHDI does not engage in salary negotiations to prevent pay disparities that disproportionately impact people of color, women, and other underrepresented identities. We evaluate all compensation decisions annually to maintain pay equity across our employee base.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to: careers@mdhi.org.

This position is open until May 31, 2025 at 5pm. Interviews with qualified candidates will begin the week of June 2, 2025. The ideal start date for this role would begin around July 7, 2025.

We welcome you to inform MDHI confidentially if you need special accommodation to participate fully in our job application process.

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is a 501(c)(3) that serves as the Continuum of Care for over 150 local agencies, faith-based organizations, and government programs in the seven-county Metropolitan Denver community and is committed to leading and advancing collaboration to end homelessness in the region. MDHI and its Board of Directors are committed to building and maintaining a diverse membership and leadership to best represent the communities we serve.