Chief External Affairs Officer

Chief External Affairs Officer Oakland, California Overview Common Future works to close the racial wealth gap. Our current economic system does not work for everyone. Generations of Black and Indigenous communities and other communities of color have been and are currently intentionally locked out of wealth and power, holding us all back.

Founded in 2001, Common Future is building a future where all people—no matter their race and class—have power, choice, and ownership over the economy.

As a women-led, multiracial organization, our diverse team of strategists, community organizers, financial activists, and policy enthusiasts provides capital, operational support, and strategic partnership to budding solutions addressing racial and economic injustice. To advance racial and economic equity, Common Future incubates, co-creates, and funds field-defining initiatives and influences key sectors. We collaborate with leaders who have the imagination and courage to rethink our economy. We bring initiatives that model how to build wealth and power in excluded communities to life.

Our culture values include centering equity, being the communities we serve, embracing experimentation, reimagining what’s broken, collectively solving problems, and modeling a new way of working. We strive to be an innovator that prioritizes the well-being of our employees. Read more about us at commonfuture.co.

Purpose Common Future is seeking a Chief External Affairs Officer to serve as a senior executive leader responsible for building and sustaining the financial foundation and brand reputation that makes our mission possible. This is a pivotal role at a pivotal moment: as the landscape for equity-focused organizations grows increasingly complex and the need for durable, flexible funding becomes more urgent, Common Future needs a bold, relationship-driven leader who can match the ambition of our programmatic work with an equally ambitious funding and communications strategy. The Chief External Affairs Officer will own Common Future's revenue strategy across institutional philanthropy, individual donors, capital raising, and emerging revenue streams, developing a business model that supports both organizational sustainability and economic independence. Success in the role includes owning a $10M total annual fundraising goal, which includes $6 - 7M in operations and $3M in investment capital. The CEAO will hold a personal portfolio of funder and investor relationships, including high-net-worth and big-bet philanthropic prospects, and will be an active and visible presence in the field, traveling to conferences and convenings (20-25% time) to build new relationships and deepen existing ones. In addition, the Chief External Affairs Officer will steward Common Future's brand and strategic communications, including providing guidance to the team managing public relations and cross-platform media. This senior leader will remain attentive to the external environment and develop strategies to support the positioning of the Co-CEOs, our organizational impact, and our collective thought leadership. As a member of Common Future's Executive Leadership Team, the Chief External Affairs Officer will partner closely with the programmatic team leads on revenue strategy, ensuring that fundraising is tightly integrated with programmatic priorities, and will work in a matrixed fashion across the Impact Investments, Initiatives, and Finance teams. They will oversee Fund Development and Strategic Communications, and will set the tone for a culture of excellence, creativity, and deep relationship-building in service of an equitable economy.

Our Commitment As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Common Future does not discriminate against applicants or employees due to their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, physical ability, hairstyle, previous incarceration, or length of time spent unemployed. As an organization, we are committed to reflecting the diverse communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s okay. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Benefits Common Future offers a work environment that is committed to the wellbeing and support of our employees. We embrace a human-centered approach to our practices and policies. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes:

•Ongoing 4 day work week, Monday - Thursday, 32-hour workweek, 80% time at 100% pay •Remote and flexible work options •20 days of PTO •18 paid holidays*, including a week off in the Spring and Winter •Fully paid medical, dental, vision for employees. Dependents covered at 75% •Access to a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical and dependent expenses •Paid long-term disability and life insurance •16-week paid parental leave •$500 annual professional development stipend •$500 monthly caregiver stipend •Immediately vested 4% 403b retirement plan contribution after 90 days •$800 one-time home office set up stipend for new employees •$150 per month coworking, home office, and cell phone stipend •Annual in-person retreat, and more!

*Holidays that fall on Fridays are not rescheduled to another day.

Notes Applications will be evaluated as they arrive and the position will remain open until filled.

Due to the high volume of applications, our hiring team is not able to field requests for feedback or informational interviews sent via LinkedIn or email. If you are a good match for the role, our team will reach out to you directly. Posted: 2026-07-30T22:50:18.421Z