Managing Director of External Affairs – Midwest

Position: Managing Director of External Affairs, Midwest

Position Type: Internal-External

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Reports to: Eric Lugo – Regional Executive Director, Midwest

Start Date: January 2026

Location: Chicago, IL |

Please Note:

this role is part of the One Goal Midwest team, headquartered in Chicago, and is a hybrid team — working both in-person and via home office. The person in this position will be required to work in-person 3 – 8 times per month on average from our Chicago office and have the ability to travel regularly to stakeholder engagements across the Midwest region, including Milwaukee and Michigan as those markets grow.

Candidates based in the Chicago metro area by their start date are strongly preferred.

Final date to receive applications: Priority will be given to applications received before October 30, 2026.

Salary Range: $119,051 – $131,656 is the hiring salary range for this position (i.e. the range a candidate would be offered to start).

One Goal transforms postsecondary advising and support so that every student can define their own future. Together with our partners, we’re building a movement to close the opportunity gap. We work side-by-side with partner schools and districts to build their knowledge and capacity. The result is more effective support for all students. Our unique approach, honed over 15 years, prioritizes strong human relationships.

And it’s proven to deliver real student impact:
An independent study by the University of Chicago found that One Goal students are about 40% more likely to earn their postsecondary degrees than students from similar backgrounds. At One Goal you’ll be immersed in a culture of collaboration, shared purpose, and collective impact.

You believe – and your work has demonstrated your belief – that all students can earn a credential of value and the life that comes with it. Reporting to the Regional Executive Director, Midwest, as Managing Director of External Affairs, you will be responsible for bringing the vision to life by setting direction and strategy for the One Goal Midwest Development team, including developing a growth strategy for the broader Midwest region, with Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin (Milwaukee) as priority markets.

As the Chicago region is also home to One Goal’s national headquarters, you will also play a role in aligning on donor and fundraising opportunities with the National External Affairs team. You’re chiefly responsible for engaging the internal-facing development team and external-facing constituents (board, donor base, potential prospects) to meet and exceed our annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) while contributing to a strong internal culture that fosters a high level of understanding and investment in development and outreach work.

You serve as a key member of the Midwest Leadership Team and trusted partner to the Regional Executive Director, Midwest. You bring demonstrated fundraising experience within the Chicago market and, ideally, call the city home.

• Partnering with Regional Executive Director, Midwest to design innovative strategies to influence and motivate new and existing external constituents to invest in our work, at $3,000,000 (philanthropic) in this fiscal year and growing steadily over the next few years, while effectively tracking progress-to-goal.
• Supporting the Regional Executive Director, Midwest to influence and motivate new and existing external constituents to invest in our work.
• Developing and organizing a growth strategy for the Midwest region, focused on sustainability in Illinois, and expansion in Michigan and Wisconsin…