Location: all cities,WA, USA
Position Highlights
About Seattle Foundation
Founded in 1946, Seattle Foundation has guided philanthropy in the Seattle region as trusted advisors to donors who care deeply about their community and partners to organizations driving work on the frontlines. The foundation believes that the people most proximate to the issues of our time have the solutions and develop targeted strategies to inspire collective action.
The inflection point Seattle Foundation finds themselves in at this moment is about how they lean more deeply into impact work that is transformational while simultaneously retooling their business model to support this shift. In 2023, the Foundation engaged in a strategic planning process to seize the moment and lean in. The three-year strategic plan (to be publicly released later this year) is the culmination of a nine-month process involving significant dialogue and iteration with core stakeholders and potential partners across the region. This process was rooted in a commitment to advance the Blueprint for Impact through near-term goals and milestones toward their vision of a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice.
The OpportunitySeattle Foundation has gone through significant growth and change over the past several years. The Foundation carried out a strategic refocus in 2020, shaping the Blueprint for Impact framework that explicitly centers racial equity and inclusion as critical to everything they do. Alesha Washington, President & CEO, joined the Foundation in May 2022 and is guiding the Foundation towards honing its strategic focus and community impact. In March 2024, Seattle Foundation's Board approved a three-year strategic plan focused on near-term opportunities to deepen impact and a roadmap to financial sustainability to evolve their business model.
Building on our core strategic grantmaking approach and guided by our recently adopted strategic plan, Seattle Foundation will work to use our voice and grantmaking activities to advance community priorities around the following three areas: 1) affordable housing financing, 2) transit-oriented development, and 3) equitable childcare access. These are cross-cutting issue areas, meaning that their work does not live in siloes and the work their grantees do in these areas is multi-dimensional. These are high-impact opportunities with near term milestones that both allow the organization to advance toward their vision and inspire stakeholders to join them.
By focusing on these high-priority issues, the Foundation can employ the unique skills and relationships that they hold in service of communities most impacted by racism and other inequities. As the Greater Seattle region changes and new policies are passed to maximize public resources, the specific near-term opportunities will evolve. The Foundation's priorities will always be guided by their community grant partners proximate to the needs of community.
Position Overview:Seattle Foundation is looking for an experienced, agile, and innovative Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to join us during an exciting moment in the Foundation's history. As Seattle Foundation's principal strategist and steward for organizational brand, marketing, communications, and creative content, the CMO will join and spearhead a transformation of the organization's approach to communications, storytelling, and marketing – a critical area for the organization to meet its goals outlined in the recently adopted 2024-2026 Strategic Plan. The CMO will report directly to the President & CEO and will play a critical role in driving awareness and support for our mission, programs, and engagement strategies.
As a member of the senior leadership team, the CMO's primary aim is to lead the organization in effectively communicating the Foundation's cause in support of greater impact in the community, while meeting the needs of a diverse group of stakeholders. This role will oversee the Marketing & Communications Team (MarCom Team) to support business development goals and increase awareness of Seattle Foundation's mission and work in the region. In addition, the CMO will drive the Foundation's narrative and storytelling work to advance racial equity, justice, and shared prosperity. This position will also play a critical role in supporting our learning journey – an intentional process of learning from the communities we serve, as well as the internal and external unlearning of harmful behaviors that are barriers to our organizational vision. This position will drive the elevation of Seattle Foundation's brand, storytelling, and thought leadership across diverse channels contributing to the organization's measurable growth and impact.
As a strategic and operational leader, the CMO will cultivate and oversee a dynamic team, plus a range of external consultants. The CMO will serve on and work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that Seattle Foundation's offerings support the organization's unique value proposition within the complex and dynamic philanthropic ecosystem. They will also lead significant change initiatives to ensure that the MarCom Team's capacity, resources, and processes are best aligned with Seattle Foundation's strategic priorities.
Key ResponsibilitiesLead Seattle Foundation's Communications, Marketing & Creative Strategy
Enable and Support Foundation-wide Execution
Oversee Performance, Talent, and Resources across the Marketing & Communications Team
The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Seasoned Marketing & Communications Executive:
The CMO will be a seasoned marketing and communications executive complete with extensive team management experience, stellar communications skills and strategic thinking matched with execution.
People & Community-Centric Leader:
The CMO will bring a leadership philosophy that centers community and staff in the work. They will be committed to developing staff, providing the tools, education, and support to allow them to flourish in their roles. The CMO will be skilled at connecting people, projects, and resources in alignment to the mission and strategies of Seattle Foundation. They bring a background in working with complex organizations, establishing processes and systems to improve work and deliver services.
Transformational Leader:
The CMO will be a strategic thinker and a hands-on leader with the experience to understand and balance a complex array of organizational, fundholder, and community needs, while still driving strategic execution of work in partnership with and through their team. A successful CMO will bring a natural ability to build consensus, challenge others to improve, and foster cohesion – internally and externally. As an inclusive leader, the CMO will be committed to embedding equity and justice into the organization's culture, programs, and strategies.
Passion for the Mission:
The CMO will have a passion for the mission of the Foundation and the organization's history, model, and potential for future impact. This leader will be driven by the opportunity to impact the communities the Foundation serves. The CMO will be an empathic leader, treating others with respect. The CMO is energized by stewarding Seattle Foundation's racial equity and justice values and practices within their day-to-day work.
Relationship Builder:
The CMO will be an emotionally intelligent leader who has deep comfort connecting with people of different philosophies, backgrounds, and cultures – internally and externally. They will also be able to build bridges and lead through influence. The CMO will work to develop relationships with the team to ensure positive outcomes for the organization, identifying organizational efficiencies and leveraging opportunities to advance the Foundation's mission, policies, and practices.
Change Leader:
The CMO will bring energy to inspire the team and community to achieve new heights around equity, inclusion, and justice. They will have an exceptional ability to listen intently, think clearly, and respond effectively, empathically, and judiciously to a variety of challenges. This individual will be a proactive, collaborative change agent with the skills to challenge the status quo while remaining sensitive to the Foundation's culture and place in the community.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
Seattle Foundation envisions a thriving region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice, where all individuals and communities have equitable access and outcomes, regardless of race, place, or identity. We are committed to advancing racial equity using an intersectional lens, and integrate our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts into all that we do. We hold ourselves accountable to uphold our organizational values and strive to do better every day.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
The work is performed remotely, in an office setting, or a hybrid combination. All positions require the capability of working at a PC for extended periods. Team efforts with event support may require periods of physical activity involving standing, walking, and moderate lifting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions of the role.
Safety and Health Requirements:
Seattle Foundation places the health and safety of its employees and the communities we serve as our highest priority. To support this priority, we require that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Waivers are available for accepted medical and religious exemptions.
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