Overview

Since 1972, Covenant House has served and advocated for youth and young families experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and exploitation. Our overarching goal is to end homelessness among youth and young families by helping them achieve housing stability, heal from trauma, tap into their innate resilience, and hone their interests and skills to forge new pathways to independence. This work is carried out across Covenant House sites in 34 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

About the Role

The Senior Vice President of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships will support the organization’s strategic initiatives by leading the development and implementation of our organization wide advocacy efforts and develop strategies to establish and nurture key strategic partnerships. This position will blend advocacy and strategic collaboration to deepen the organization’s influence and effectiveness. The SVP will report directly to the Chief Strategy Officer and manage the VP of Strategic Partnerships (Planning and Youth Advocacy). Through the practice of collective impact, you and your team will identify opportunities for collaboration, align resources, and build a robust ecosystem of prevention support for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Advocacy

• Develop, own, lead and coordinate the advocacy agenda at the international, federal, state and local levels, advancing Covenant House’s advocacy platform and supporting CHI and the sites across the federation in executing key elements of our international advocacy efforts.

• Create pathways for youth advocacy including participation in policy analysis and development, advocacy skills building and training, and participation in advocacy opportunities, including the annual Covenant House Hill Day

• Provide training and technical assistance to Covenant House sites to advance site specific youth advocacy and lived experience initiatives and programs

Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, establish, and nurture strategic partnerships that align with the organization’s mission and strategic goals

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement partnership strategies that enhance programmatic impact

• Represent the organization in key partnerships and collaborations with external entities, including government agencies, non-profits, academic institutions, and private sector partners

• Design, implement and lead a Collective Impact Model, establish partnerships to advance our work to address the social determinants of health (food security, income & social status, education, housing, neighborhood & built environment, etc.) to advance our mission of ending youth homelessness as we know it today

Leadership & Management

• Provide strategic leadership and direction to a team of professionals focused on advocacy, prevention efforts strategic partnerships

• Participate in the organization’s strategic planning process and contribute to the development and implementation of strategic initiatives

• Communicate the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic goals to internal and external stakeholders

Other Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Chief Strategy Officer and senior leadership team to ensure alignment of strategic initiatives with organizational goals

• Manage budgets, staffing, and administrative aspects related to strategic partnerships, research, and impact

• Produce and oversee the production of publications, presentations, and other resources that disseminate knowledge and best practices

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership and management skills with a proven ability to build and lead effective teams

• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing strategic partnerships

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and influence diverse stakeholders

• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks effectively

• Commitment to the mission and values of the organization

Required Qualifications

• At least ten (10) years of experience successfully building advocacy and strategic partnerships at international, federal, local and state levels

• Proven experience in a leadership role within a non-profit or similar organization

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Public Policy, Social Science, Education, Non-Profit Management, or a related field

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel once per year to New York City in January for our annual in-person traditions

• This role is remote with the expectation to travel up to 20%-25% of the time for site focused work, key leadership meetings and professional conferences

Our Community

Our critical mission demands that we have all voices at the table. A team of diverse people, perspectives, and experiences is smarter, stronger, and more effective for our young people. At Covenant House, every team member is valued, respected, heard, and supported, and we welcome honest and courageous self-reflection on any aspects of our work that are based on biased or outdated viewpoints. We deliberately create opportunities for our staff to grow and thrive.

Covenant House International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind: CHI is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CHI are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, family or parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CHI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.

If you have a disability or medical condition and need a reasonable accommodation, such as an ASL interpreter or a different interview format, or if you have physical accessibility needs, let us know. Contact us at 1-800-388-3888, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time or email us at chipeopleandculture@covenanthouse.org.