Director, External Affairs

Director, External Affairs

Team : Dallas-Fort Worth Region

Location : Hybrid in Dallas-Fort Worth Region

Employment Type : Full-time

Start Date : August 2025

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students followed by support that lasts through graduation.

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director, External Affairs. This role is critical to meeting the Dallas-Fort Worth Region's $7.8M fundraising goal in the first year. It involves cultivating and managing philanthropic and employer partnerships, supporting volunteer recruitment, engaging and helping to build the Dallas-Fort Worth Board, and advancing Braven's brand.

This role is on the Dallas-Fort Worth Region team and reports directly to the Executive Director (ED), Dallas-Fort Worth Region.

What You'll Do

Development (35%)

• Support the ED to establish the Dallas-Fort Worth region's fundraising strategy, and work with ED and Braven's development team to complete the Dallas-Fort Worth region's annual revenue game plan.
• Track the Dallas-Fort Worth region's revenue progress to goal and overall weighted pipeline; project manage the implementation of the Dallas-Fort Worth region's quarterly action plans and adjust as needed based on lessons learned.
• Support the ED in stewarding donor relationships with excellence; leading prep / follow-up, joining most regional meetings, and owning a portfolio of relationships.
• Partner with the ED and Braven's development team to identify, vet, and cultivate new prospects; conduct research on priority prospects and create individualized cultivation plans.
• Strategize with the ED to secure and prepare for donor meetings by leading meeting prep and follow-up (e.g. drafting emails, creating agendas, and customizing meeting collateral).
• Strategize with the ED on how to engage donors through the Moves Management stages and project manage the execution of next steps, from making an ask to securing a commitment and stewarding relationships effectively to win a renewal.
• Review grant application and report drafts, and support the central development team in submitting high-quality narratives / data on time.

Employer Partnerships & Volunteer Recruitment (15%)

Board Management (15%)

Operations (15%)

Steward Regional Relationships (10%)

Marketing & Communications (5%)

Policy (5%)