Vice President of Growth & Innovation at Avesta – Portland, Maine

Are you energized by building strategy, strengthening systems, and expanding mission impact? Do you thrive at the intersection of innovation, fundraising, communications, evaluation, and organizational leadership? Avesta Housing is seeking an experienced and mission-driven Vice President of Growth & Innovation to serve as a key member of our executive leadership team, helping guide the organization's strategy, external positioning, and long-term growth.

In this executive role, you'll provide leadership across Fundraising & Communications, Information Systems, and Evaluation & Learning, while partnering closely with the CEO and executive team to help define, implement, and continuously strengthen Avesta's organizational strategy. You'll help connect ideas to action, support cross-functional alignment, and build the systems, structures, and relationships that enable innovation, accountability, and impact across the organization.

This role is a great fit if you:

• Enjoy serving as a strategic thought partner to executive leadership and helping translate vision into coordinated action
• Bring strong systems thinking and change leadership, with the ability to guide complex, cross-functional work
• Excel at building alignment, strengthening teams, and improving organizational effectiveness
• Are motivated by mission-driven work and excited by opportunities to grow impact through innovation, storytelling, advocacy, and learning

About Avesta Housing

Avesta Housing is a local leader in housing development, property management, and assisted living solutions. Founded in 1972, our nonprofit organization serves individuals and families in need of quality affordable housing in Maine and New Hampshire.

What it's Like to Work Here

Our team members have positive attitudes, are creative problem-solvers, and share a dedication to housing equity and inclusion for all. Our shared commitment to improving the lives of others and strengthening our communities through affordable housing gives us purpose and inspires our best work. Our workplace culture and continuous opportunities for growth have resulted in Avesta Housing being a popular place to work.

Our employees selected Avesta Housing as a 2025 Best Places to Work in Maine because of our opportunities for career advancement, friendly workplace culture, impressive benefits and compensation, responsive managers, and company values!

What We're Looking For

The person who is ready for this opportunity will generally offer these attributes:

• Strong strategic thinking, systems thinking, and organizational leadership capability
• Strong change-management and implementation skills, with the ability to translate strategy into action
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong relationship-building and partnership skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to lead through influence, build trust, and create shared purpose across diverse teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use data and organizational insight to guide decisions
• Ability to balance innovation and creativity with practical execution and accountability
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple complex priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Comfort working across functions and connecting operational, strategic, and external-facing work

In the first year, success in this role will likely include:

• Actively participating in Avesta's strategy development effort with external consultants, the CEO, and other members of the executive team
• Helping lead implementation once the new organizational strategic plan is adopted, including a refresh of Avesta's brand, website, digital presence, and related collateral materials
• Supporting the build-out of Avesta's Evaluation & Learning function, including onboarding and aligning this new division's work with broader organizational priorities
• Partnering with the CEO and executive team to shape Avesta's advocacy strategy and clarify how the organization should engage in local, state, and federal efforts independently and through coalitions
• Championing Avesta's emerging use of generative AI and other thoughtful innovations to improve efficiency and organizational effectiveness, especially in Property Management
• Strengthening Avesta's fundraising strategy, aligning priorities across philanthropy, grants, and donor engagement, and building the systems and partnerships needed to ensure a robust fundraising goal of at least $1 million is achieved annually from a expanding number of donors

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business, communications, organizational leadership, public policy, or a related field required
• Advanced degree in a related field preferred
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant senior leadership experience may be considered
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic, social enterprise, public, or similarly mission-driven sectors
• Significant experience in organizational strategy development, implementation, and change leadership
• Experience leading or overseeing one or more of the following functions: fundraising, communications, information systems, evaluation, learning, policy, advocacy, or innovation
• Experience guiding diverse stakeholders through strategic change and building alignment across teams or departments
• Experience establishing or growing teams, functions, systems, and processes in evolving organizational environments
• Experience using data, evaluation, and organizational learning to inform strategy and improve performance preferred
• Experience representing an organization externally with donors, partners, coalitions, or public audiences preferred
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and comfort learning and leveraging organizational systems and technology tools
• Able to fluently communicate in English
• Willingness to undergo a criminal background check

Click HERE to view the full Vice President of Growth & Innovation job description.

This is a full-time (37.5 hours/week) position, and the starting annual salary range is $170,000 - $190,000.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; for best consideration, apply by April 24, 2026.

Work Location

While the Vice President of Growth and Innovation’s work may be largely performed from home, the person in this role is also expected to maintain a presence at our main office, located at 307 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, Maine.

Benefits

We have excellent employee benefits, including:

• Employer-paid health and dental plans for employees;
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts;
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with immediate vested match of up to 6%;
• Employer-paid basic life, long-term and short-term disability;
• Free wellness services for benefits-eligible employees and their dependents;
• 13 paid holidays;
• Generous earned time, starting with 22 days in first year of employment;
• Professional development assistance;
• Employee referral bonus program
• Tuition reimbursement

Ready to Apply?

If this job sounds like a fit for you, please click through to our Employment Application. A resume that tells us how your experience is relevant to this role is required.