Chief External Affairs Officer

Thought Leadership and Field Influence

• Position AERDF as a leading voice in education innovation and learning science, leveraging its work to expand influence and reach new audiences
• Identify and lead opportunities for convenings, partnerships, and public engagement that elevate AERDF’s work and shape the broader field
• Develop and implement strategic campaigns to encourage adoption and use of AERDF’s insights, tools, and innovations by key stakeholders and systems

External Influence and Policy

• Define the vision and strategy for AERDF’s external influence efforts, ensuring alignment with long-term priorities
• Build partnerships and coalitions that extend AERDF’s reach and contribute to shaping the broader education and R&D ecosystem

Operational Leadership and Execution

• Establish a clear operating cadence across external affairs functions, including planning cycles, priority setting, and performance tracking

• Define KPIs and ensure disciplined execution with measurable outcomes
• Build and scale high-performing teams across communications, partnerships, and development, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
• Serve as a visible culture carrier, reinforcing and exemplifying AERDF’s values while operating with a builder’s mindset, bringing a hands-on, start-up mentality prioritizing agility and ownership in a dynamic, evolving environment

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a senior external affairs leader with a demonstrated ability to operate at both the strategic and executional levels within complex, mission-driven organizations. They will bring a track record of developing and executing integrated external strategies, including communications, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement, that drive organizational visibility, influence, and growth. This individual will be a player-coach leader, capable of building and scaling functions while personally leading high-impact initiatives, relationships, and outcomes.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

Core Competencies
Setting Strategy and Narrative

• Ability to translate complex, technical R&D work into a clear, compelling external strategy and narrative
• Strong strategic instinct with a competitive, field-shaping mindset
• Experience aligning communications, partnerships, and fundraising into a unified external agenda

Executing for Results

• Track record of “getting things done” with visible progress and measurable outcomes
• Ability to build systems, set priorities, and drive disciplined execution across multiple functions
• Comfort operating in ambiguity while maintaining momentum and accountability

External Affairs Leadership

• Deep experience across communications/marketing, philanthropy, policy, partnerships
• Ability to build and scale a high-performing external affairs function
• Credibility with funders, partners, and external stakeholders at the highest levels

Team and Organizational Leadership

• Ability to lead, manage, and develop teams while driving clarity, accountability, and performance
• Willingness to operate both strategically and tactically (player-coach mindset)
• Strong collaborator across leadership team and functions