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Essential Access Health

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Chief External Affairs Officer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$222K/yr

Chief External Affairs Officer The Chief of External Affairs is a senior executive leader responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and accountability structure for how Essential Access Health ...

LyondellBasell

External Affairs Advisor

Houston, TX

As an External Affairs Advisor at LYB, you'll help shape how the company shows up to key external stakeholders by building trust, navigating issues and strengthening the company's reputation in the ...

Aep

External Affairs Manager

Fort Wayne, IN

$116K - $151K/yr

Job Summary Responsible for oversight and implementation of local & county governmental affairs ... Must possess demonstrated ability to successfully build strategic internal and external ...

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As of Jun 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for external affairs in the United States is $85,669.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $66,000.00 and $112,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the External Affairs position, and why are they important?

To thrive in External Affairs, you need strong relationship-building, communication, and project management skills, often supported by a degree in communications, public relations, or a related field. Familiarity with CRM systems, media monitoring tools, and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite are commonly required, and certifications in public affairs or stakeholder engagement can be advantageous. Outstanding interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to think strategically under pressure will set candidates apart. These abilities ensure effective representation of the organization, smooth coordination with diverse stakeholders, and successful advancement of institutional goals.

What is an external affairs position?

An external affairs position involves managing an organization's relationships with external stakeholders such as government agencies, media, community groups, and partners. The role often includes communication, public relations, policy advocacy, and strategic outreach to support the organization's goals.

What are the main responsibilities of an External Affairs professional on a daily basis?

External Affairs professionals typically spend their days managing relationships with external stakeholders, such as government agencies, community partners, and media representatives. Responsibilities often include drafting and distributing press releases, coordinating public events, tracking policy developments, and responding to inquiries on behalf of the organization. Collaboration is frequent, with regular meetings alongside internal teams like legal, communications, or senior leadership to ensure alignment on messaging and regulatory compliance. This dynamic role involves both proactive outreach and responsive issue management, providing diverse challenges and opportunities to make a strategic impact.

What does an External Affairs job involve?

An External Affairs job focuses on managing an organization's relationships with external stakeholders, including government agencies, media, industry partners, and the community. Responsibilities typically include public relations, corporate communications, policy advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Professionals in this role work to enhance the organization's reputation, influence policy, and ensure alignment between external perceptions and internal objectives. Effective communication and strategic networking are essential skills for success in this field.

Is PR a high paying job?

Public relations (PR) roles, including external affairs positions, can offer competitive salaries that vary based on experience, industry, and location. Entry-level PR jobs typically pay less, while senior or managerial roles tend to have higher compensation, often supplemented with bonuses and benefits.

What is the work of external affairs?

External affairs professionals manage an organization's relationships with external stakeholders such as government agencies, media, community groups, and partners. Their work involves communication, public relations, policy advocacy, and strategic outreach to enhance the organization's reputation and influence. Strong communication skills and knowledge of public policy are essential in this role.

What jobs pay $10,000 a month without a degree?

In external affairs or related fields, high-paying roles without a degree typically include sales managers, business development directors, or certain consulting positions, which often rely on experience, networking, and skills rather than formal education. These jobs may require strong communication, negotiation skills, and industry knowledge, and can reach or exceed $10,000 monthly with experience and performance-based incentives.
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Chief External Affairs Officer

Chief External Affairs Officer

Essential Access Health

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$222K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago

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Job description

Chief External Affairs Officer

The Chief of External Affairs is a senior executive leader responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and accountability structure for how Essential Access Health engages the world beyond its walls. This role is the integrating force across the organization’s fund development, government affairs, community engagement, and communications functions—ensuring that every external-facing effort reflects a coherent direction, amplifies the organization’s influence, and advances its long-term mission and sustainability.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of External Affairs translates organizational priorities into external strategies that drive philanthropic revenue, shape policy outcomes, deepen community trust, and elevate Essential Access Health’s visibility as a leading voice in sexual and reproductive health care. This role is equally a strategic architect and a senior relationship holder—setting the frame and showing up in high-stakes spaces while equipping a strong team to execute with excellence.

The Chief of External Affairs leads an integrated team of five across two direct reports—the Vice President of Fund Development and the Vice President of Government & Community Affairs—and is accountable for the coherence, performance, and culture of the full external affairs function.

KEY DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Set and lead a unified external affairs vision that aligns all external-facing functions with organizational priorities and positions Essential Access Health for sustained influence and impact
  • Provide executive oversight of the organization’s diversified revenue strategy, ensuring Essential Access Health has the financial foundation needed to sustain and grow its mission.
  • Oversee the organization’s government relations and policy engagement strategy, ensuring Essential Access Health is a credible, influential, and proactive presence in the policy environments that shape its work.
  • Set the strategic direction for the organization’s community-facing engagement, ensuring Essential Access Health is a trusted, visible, and authentic presence in the communities it serves.
  • Ensure a clear, compelling, and consistent organizational voice across all external channels and audiences, elevating Essential Access Health’s visibility and reputation as a leader in sexual and reproductive health care.
  • Lead, develop, and align a high-performing external affairs team, ensuring strong coordination across functions and clear pathways for growth at every level.
  • Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and Board, providing the intelligence, framing, and coordination needed to strengthen external engagement at the highest levels of organizational leadership.
  • Monitor the external environment proactively, identifying risks and opportunities with implications for organizational strategy, funding, and reputation—and ensuring the organization is positioned to respond with agility.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job.

  • 15+ years of senior leadership experience in external affairs, fund development, government relations, public policy, communications, or a closely related field—ideally spanning multiple of these disciplines
  • Demonstrated success leading large-scale, diversified fundraising efforts, including major gifts, foundation funding, corporate partnerships, and government grants and contracts
  • Proven experience shaping and leading external strategy at an organizational or enterprise level, with accountability for setting direction across multiple functions
  • Strong understanding of state and federal policy environments, public funding systems, and government relations strategy—preferably in health care, public health, or reproductive rights contexts
  • Track record of leading and aligning high-performing, cross-functional teams—including experience managing senior managers and building cohesive, integrated functions
  • Experience working in close partnership with executive leadership and Boards of Directors on strategy, fundraising, and external engagement • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public policy, public health, nonprofit management, or a related field preferred
  • Other duties as assigned

Company Description

Mission: Essential Access Health champions and promotes quality sexual + reproductive health care for all
At Essential Access Health (Essential Access), our values are our compass. We believe bodily autonomy is a human right, and that everyone deserves to make decisions about their lives, families, and futures with dignity and respect. Today’s reproductive health landscape is marked by escalating attacks on access, deepening inequities, and state-sanctioned violence against people who can get pregnant. Yet this moment—while challenging—has also become a catalyst for change. It has demanded clarity, courage, and creativity. It has pushed us to reimagine and redesign our work, to ask who is better off because of it, and to expand our sense of what is possible and necessary. This strategic plan sets our direction for the next three years: to lead with our values, transform systems rather than defend the status quo, and shape a future in which sexual and reproductive health care is just, equitable, and centered on people.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Justice + Inclusion
Since our founding in 1968, Essential Access has been guided by a foundational belief: every person has the right to access the health services and information they need—with dignity and respect. That belief is as urgent today as it has ever been.
We know that access is not enough on its own. Systemic barriers—rooted in race, identity, ability, and circumstance—continue to determine who receives care and who is left behind. Addressing those barriers is not peripheral to our work; it is central to it. We are committed to embedding a health equity lens across our policies, programs, and services, and to taking meaningful action to ensure that sexual and reproductive health outcomes are just and equitable for everyone we serve, including LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.
This thread runs through five decades of work, and it shapes how we show up—for our communities, our partners, and one another.
Join Us
With our home office in Southern California and employees throughout the West Coast and Hawaiʻi, our team includes leading experts in sexual and reproductive health—researchers, trainers, clinicians, advocates, and operational leaders who bring both expertise and purpose to their work every day.
We are a mission-driven organization, and that extends to how we show up for our staff. We are committed to building a workplace where people feel seen, supported, and valued—where the same dignity and respect we champion for our patients and communities is reflected in the employee experience. We invest in professional growth, foster a culture of collaboration and psychological safety, and work continuously to ensure Essential Access is a place where talented, passionate people can do the best work of their careers.