Senior Advisor to the President

Reporting to the President and CEO

About Heron

Founded in 1992, Heron is dedicated to helping people and communities to help themselves. Heron works directly with local organizations that are embedded in, deeply trusted by, and inherently driven by the voice and vision of their neighbors. Heron partners with communities to source relevant and actionable research, nurture a learning collaborative of peers, help communities reclaim their narrative of place and self, foster stronger collective agency and social bonds, and provide long-term financial support. Heron works mainly in rural communities experiencing persistent poverty, systemic challenges, historic disinvestment, and a legacy of disenfranchisement. 

Over the coming 8-10 years, Heron will pursue an exciting, innovative set or strategies to (1) empower dozens of distressed rural communities across the country, (2) help rewrite the playbook for national funders working in rural community advancement, and (3) position Heron, not as a traditional grantmaking private foundation, but as a resourceful, experienced, and well-regarded rural community advancement agency, poised to perform this important work effectively well into the future. Heron will:

• Provide our community partners with extensive data and research, technical assistance, communications support, and networking opportunities.
• Share its growing knowledge broadly to help increase capital flow to the direct control of rural communities.
• Invest significant financial capital into local organizations leading community-driven projects and initiatives to advance the vitality and well-being of their community.

About the Job

Heron is seeking a Senior Advisor to the President. Joining the team at an exciting time of strategic development and team growth, the Senior Advisor will work closely with and report to the President.

This position is integral to Heron's plan to empower persistently poor rural communities across the U.S. while rewriting the playbook for national funders working in community advancement. 

The Senior Advisor to the President will directly support the President in meeting her strategic priorities, including breaking down goals into actionable milestones, helping her prepare for and accompany her to meetings, providing impeccable follow-through, and managing her correspondence. This person will also assist with relationship management, foster external relationships, including tracking engagement efforts with important stakeholders, and design and implement strategies to support those relationships.

The ideal candidate brings exceptional organizational skills, deep understanding of how best to use an executive’s time, and a wide range of strengths including superb written skills and verbal communications. They will be able to work quickly, have high emotional intelligence, and organize and juggle a large volume of details. 

They will understand the worlds of community, placed-based philanthropy. They will excel at keeping up with a fast moving and thinking President. The Senior Advisor will be adaptable and a fast learner across a wide range of material, have excellent judgement about people and delicate situations, and be an exceptional diplomat. They will bring at least seven years of experience working in progressive movements and foundations and a deep commitment to social justice and power building.

There is a moderate travel requirement for this position; they will accompany the President to events that may occur in the evenings or on the weekends or may require overnight stays out of town.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Partner: Serve as the primary support, advisor, and thought partner to the President, helping develop and implement strategies and systems that advance Heron’s new strategic plan.
• Knowledge and Expertise: Stay up to date on trends and opportunities related to Heron’s efforts and work internally and externally.
• Balance Multiple Tasks: Ensure that the President’s time and attention are put to the best possible use. Handle competing priorities and be able to create systems that track and enable the President to juggle various responsibilities.
• Communications Management: Manage the President’s communications and correspondence, including all emails that the President receives. They will draft communications including presentations and social media posts on behalf of the President. They will lift up urgent matters and seamlessly route messages to other Heron team members. 
• Project Management: Evaluate, strategize, and translate the President’s goals into specific tasks and provide a daily and weekly breakdown of time allocation to get the tasks done. They will collaborate with the Managing Director of Program and Operations and the Managing Director of Finance & Administration on calendaring. 
• Relationship Management: Track engagement efforts with important external partners and cultivate, design, and implement strategies to support those relationships, including intentional planning around regular personalized outreach. Support the President’s presence and engagement in key internal forums and facilitate internal relationship building.
• Meeting Preparation: Provide substantive preparation for meetings. In order to make strategic judgments about time and needed prep, they will investigate who should attend, identify the ‘real’ purpose and agenda, and determine what will optimize the value of attending. They will outline what tasks need to be completed before the meeting and ensure a clear purpose and outcome. They will conduct any needed background research and then set regular reminders to make sure the President has been fully briefed before the meeting. In some instances, they will attend meetings in lieu of the President.
• Writing and Research: Conduct research and formulate background documents as needed, including but not limited to biographies, recent media hits, brief summaries, pulling quotes, overview of programmatic/mission work, and assets research. 
• External Events: Attend most meetings and external events with the President (including evenings and weekends), take detailed notes, and handle all follow-up.
• Other duties as assigned. Manage own key projects as identified and needed over time.

Desired Skills and Experience

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will have many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience working in management, with work in the philanthropic sector being a plus.
• Significant experience in supporting a high-level principal or having held a senior-level role.
• Passion for and commitment to Heron’s mission and values.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to draft communications on behalf of the President and take meticulous notes.
• High level of emotional intelligence, integrity, and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusting relationships and manage complex issues. 
• Strategic problem solver and excellent project manager who gets results done. Skilled at completing projects and tasks. 
• Expert at impeccable follow-up and is detail-oriented in all aspects of the work.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Team orientation; absolute integrity; energetic and energized by working as part of a diverse, mission-driven team of professionals.
• Respect for diverse perspectives and the ability to navigate and balance conflicting ideas.
• Flexibility and comfort in navigating ambiguity and changing situations.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and integrity.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and able to learn other programs to support the work.

Position Salary and Benefits

Salary range of $125,000 to $160,000 based on skills and experience. Heron offers an attractive benefits package. The position is based in Birmingham, Alabama, working in Heron’s planned office in Birmingham, with some flexibility for occasional remote work. Out-of-state travel is expected for up to 20% of time, estimated to be a minimum of one trip/month, including some overnight stays. 

To Apply

Interested candidate should apply through the "Apply For This Job" button in the top right corner of this page. Please submit your resume and cover letter by January 16, 2026.  

Attachments

1. Strategic Matrix – Streamlined
2. Heron’s Team Qualities

Salary : $125,000 - $160,000