Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs - AVP : Job Details

AVP empowerslesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy. We were one of the first LGBTQ anti-violence organizations in the country and are a national leader in the anti-violence movement.

AVP is seeking a strategic and visionary Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs to lead AVP's Government Affairs, Public Policy, Development, and Communications efforts, strengthening our relationships with funders, nonprofit partners, coalitions, public agencies, elected officials, and LGBTQ+ survivors of violence. As a member of the four-person Management Team and working closely with the Executive Director, the Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs will provide high-level leadership across government affairs, fundraising, messaging, media strategy, and public policy. This role requires someone deeply committed to AVP's mission of ending violence within and against LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities, and who can inspire, mentor, and manage a diverse team of managers while advancing our external impact. The Director will report to and collaborate closely with the Executive Director and will manage at least three staff members: the Senior Manager of Communications, Senior Manager of Development, and the Manager of Training and Outreach. They will also collaborate with and develop the advocacy skills of the Program Directors by supporting Directors and their staff in advocating for AVP and its community members at rallies, hearings, in the media, and in other public forums.

The ideal candidate is a values-driven leader with a passion for storytelling, advocacy, and relationship-building. They are comfortable navigating complex political and funding landscapes, and they understand the power of communications and community engagement to drive systemic change and fundraising to sustain an organization. An ideal candidate is a strong public speaker, adept at connecting with both advocacy and fundraising audiences, and has existing relationships in New York City and State government and agencies.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Organizational Leadership

• Support and collaborate with Executive Director and Board of Directors in guiding strategic vision of AVP, with special focus and creativity on the role of LGBTQ anti-violence work in the current political climate.
• Vision and lead AVP's evaluation of data collection practices and priorities. Develop staff skills and analysis on data collection to produce clear internal and external reports on impactful trends in the community.
• Contribute to anti-oppression and equity work within the organization, modeling and cultivating inclusive leadership.
• Manage grant application and reporting calendar, offer feedback and strategic insight on grant drafts other management team members are responsible for, prospect and apply for foundation grants.

Public Policy and Government Affairs

• Build, maintain, and steward relationships with city, state and national elected officials and government agency partners.
• Monitor policy developments and guide AVP's strategic responses to legislation and regulations impacting LGBTQ+ survivors of violence.
• Engage elected officials and policymakers to elevate AVP's priorities—both formally and informally—to build trust and influence.
• Represent AVP at city and state agency meetings, with potential of engaging with the federal level as needed.
• Translate data and trends from AVP's hotline, client, and legal services into actionable public policy insights that further the organization's mission.
• Advance AVP's goals by developing advocacy tools, reports, and campaigns that bridge direct services and systemic change.
• Manage training and outreach staff of 1-2 staff members who run this work.

Rapid Incident Response

• Monitor incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV) and hate violence (HV) in New York City and State, as well as anti-LGBTQ fatalities across the country.
• Lead organization-wide responses to anti-LGBTQ incidents and trends, shaping AVP's messaging and providing timely analysis to inform public understanding and advocacy.
• Collaborate with key partners during rapid incident responses and develop communication strategies that keep all stakeholders informed, engaged, and aligned.
• Leverage data and emerging trends to drive innovation in AVP's data collection, analysis, and reporting—and to inform and strengthen community safety strategies.

Communications

• Lead AVP's overall communications strategy, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging across platforms.
• Manage and mentor a team of 1–3 communications staff and consultants, fostering creativity and alignment with AVP's mission.
• Draft, edit, and refine a wide range of written materials, including press releases, op-eds, talking points, and internal communications.
• Proactively identify emerging issues and opportunities for AVP to respond, collaborating with senior leadership to shape timely messaging.
• Serve as a media spokesperson and represent AVP at press events, panels, and public forums.
• Support and prepare staff for media engagement, including training and coaching for interviews and public speaking opportunities.

Development

• Oversee and enhance AVP's development strategy in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Development, Development Consultant, and Executive Director.
• Partner with the leadership team to represent AVP in funder meetings and cultivate new funding opportunities with foundations and government entities.
• Manage and mentor Senior Manager of Development and guide them in their fundraising work, including through collaborations with communications staff and consultants.
• Lead City Council discretionary funding and New York State funding processes, including applications, compliance, and relationship-building with government stakeholders.

The successful candidate will have held professional, volunteer, and/or community organizing roles in at least two of the above areas, with demonstrated interest in and aptitude for the other areas. AVP encourages candidates with non-traditional work and activist experiences to represent how they gained their expertise in their application materials if it was not through a traditional job.

SALARY & BENEFIT

Salary: This is a full-time position (32 hours) with a salary of $125,000. Multilingual applicants who use more than one language at work are eligible for an additional $1,500 salary enhancement.

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 403(b) retirement investment plan (employee contribution only), flexible spending accounts for medical and transit costs. Paid time off includes 20 days of vacation, sick time, holidays with holiday substitution options, and family leave.

Top reasons why people love working at AVP:

• Amazing coworkers & a supportive work environment
• Anti-Oppression Framework that guides our work, and a commitment to transparency
• Generous paid time off
• Unionized workplace – though this role is not a union role, the position supervises union members

Hours and location: 32-hour work week, hours are generally 10am – 6pm, Monday through Thursday and 10-2pm on Friday. This position may require some work during the evening and/or weekend to support AVP programming.This position is remote forward but the successful candidate will have relationships in the New York City area and be able to regularly represent AVP at in person meetings and events.

TO APPLY

Interested applicants submit their cover letter and resume at the Apply button above right. No phone calls please. Candidates will be notified if we are seeking an interview; because of the high volumes of responses, it may not be possible to respond to all inquiries.

AVP is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals and endeavors to hire individuals of diverse races, colors, creeds, ethnicities, religions, genders, gender identities or expressions, age, sexes, sexual orientations, national origins, disabilities, and citizen, marital, veteran and HIV statuses.