The deadline to apply has been extended. We will accept applications until the position has been filled and will begin reviewing applications on November 1st. We encourage interested candidates to apply before then.

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), convenes farm and food systems leaders, practitioners, and advocates across 12 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. With over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals, our purpose is to harness the power that exists in our multi-sector regional network to catalyze meaningful change toward a sustainable and just food system. We foster peer-learning, information-sharing, collaboration, communication and public policy advocacy. Throughout all aspects of our programs and organizational operations, we strive to center equity and racial justice, an ongoing and evolving process. We are also dedicated to transitioning NESAWG to a less hierarchical organization that practices collective leadership and utilizes consent-based decision-making. We are a fiscally-sponsored project of the Tides Center. Learn more at nesawg.org.

NESAWG is seeking an Executive Director to lead our organization and steward our mission, vision, and goals into the next phase of our organizational development. This dynamic and humble leader will ensure the intentional prioritization and centering of economic and racial justice in our work and practices, while cultivating and maintaining our role as convenor of Northeast farm and food systems practitioners. The ideal candidate will have significant leadership, fundraising, and organizational management experience, and possess a deep commitment to the work necessary to fully understand and address food system inequity. They will be a passionate advocate for NESAWG and the staff and demonstrate enthusiasm for shared/collective models of leadership. Specific job duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and application instructions are below.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

1. Racial and Structural Analysis: Uphold NESAWG’s role as a network convener and movement builder towards a sustainable, equitable and just food system rooted in economic and racial justice practices.

• Further build out NESAWG’s theory of change and vision with Board and Staff
• Interrogate and lift up inequities in internal structures and systems and work to rectify and  align with more equitable practices
• Coordinate with Staff to assess and further develop external programming and communications with greatest impact to influence the sector; ensure work is intentionally approached and evaluated through an intersectional lens that examines power and privilege 

2. Financial Performance and Viability: Develop and manage NESAWG’s financial strategy and ensure the development of resources sufficient to ensure the financial health of the organization.

• Fundraise and develop other streams of revenue necessary to support NESAWG’s mission and programming.  Work closely with the Board’s Fundraising Committee to ensure the organization is appropriately funded to carry out its work.
• Ensure the fiscal integrity of NESAWG, which includes working with the organization’s accountant, bookkeeper, Board Treasurer, Finance Committee, and fiscal sponsor to submit to the Board a proposed annual budget, and monthly financial statements, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization. 
• With the support of the Board Finance Committee, manage the organization fiscally in a manner that generally anticipates operating within the approved budget, ensures maximum resource utilization, and maintains the organization in a positive financial position.

3. Internal Staff Management: uphold and further enhance policies, procedures and protocols that guide day to day operations and provide staff with the guidance, training and support to effectively carry out their roles.

• Work with the Board and Staff to identify the key positions, staffing, and leadership roles needed to impactfully carry out NESAWG’s mission and theory of change. This includes identifying how to strategically move the organization towards a shared leadership model. 
• Build up organizational supervision, assessment and feedback loops to strengthen all areas of work and practice.
• In partnership with Staff, oversee the recruitment, hiring and retention of a diverse team including staff, individual contractors and other personnel assistance.
• Cultivate an organizational culture of learning, open dialogue, responsibility, and mutual accountability that is rooted in equity and ensures psychological safety for all team members. 
• Ensure staff feel supported and valued and have the tools, knowledge, capacities, and resources to carry out their roles.

4. Organization Mission, Vision and Strategy: Collaboratively work with Board and Staff to cultivate a forward vision of NESAWG and ensure that the mission is fulfilled through coordinated programming, strategic planning and outreach to the network.

• In partnership with Staff, implement NESAWG’s programs that carry out the organization’s mission, theory of change and vision.
• Oversee strategic planning to ensure that NESAWG can successfully articulate and implement its vision, theory of change, and fulfill its mission into the future.
• Grow NESAWG’s impact by being active and visible in the regional food systems sector and by developing and working closely with strategic partners and the network.

Other Duties: 

Cultivating/Maintaining relationships with food systems partners: 

• Maintains a working knowledge of farm and food systems issues
• Ensures and provides the facilitation of multi-stakeholder collaborations and networks

Board liaison: 

• Report to and work closely with the Board of Directors to seek their involvement in policy decisions, fundraising and to increase the overall visibility of the organization. 
• Communicate effectively with the Board and provide, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions.

Organizational Operations/Liaising with our fiscal sponsor: 

• Maintain a good working relationship with Tides Center by ensuring regular communication and thought partnership with Tides Center Service Team and using the Service team, especially the Project Advisor, as a resource to NESAWG. 
• Works with Service Team to ensure compliance with all Tides policies and procedures, including any laws or regulations mandated by federal, state and/or local government. Works directly with Tides Center to manage organizational risk and resolve compliance concerns. 
• Works with Tides Center Human Resource Manager to ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws and the timely and accurate delivery of all requisite information for employee payroll, benefits and/or paid leaves; Ensures project staff are trained to follow all Tides Center processes and procedures as well as any NESAWG supplemental policies. 

Other duties as assigned by the Advisory Board of Directors.

Professional Qualifications Needed: 

• Demonstrated experience in providing transparent and high integrity leadership.
• 5+ years of senior nonprofit management experience.
• Experience and skill in working with strategic partnerships and maintaining key relationships.
• Demonstrated experience and work in racial equity; anti-racist/oppression analysis and practice.
• High level strategic thinking and planning; ability to envision and convey the organization’s strategic future to the staff, board, volunteers and donors.
• Ability to effectively communicate the organization’s mission to donors, volunteers and the overall community.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff.
• A history of successfully generating new revenue streams and improving financial results
• Active fundraising experience. Excellent donor relations skills and understanding of the funding community.
• Previous success in establishing relationships with individuals and organizations of influence including funders, partner agencies and volunteers.
• Solid organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills, including planning, prioritizing, time management, delegating, program development and task facilitation.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong public speaking ability.
• Must reside within NESAWG’s 12-state region (ME, NH, VT, RI, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, WV, DE, MD, or Washington, DC)

Compensation:

$60,000-$65,000 per year plus full medical, dental, and vision benefits, up to 5% matching contributions in a retirement plan, 12 paid holidays,15 vacation days the first year of employment increasing with length of employment, and 12 sick days. This is an exempt position at 32 hours per week.

To Apply:

Fill out the online application located below, or visit this page. Upload or share links to a current resume. Please make sure the resume is in PDF form or view-only Google docs and have your first and last name as the file name. Emailed or mailed applications will not be accepted. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Please put “questions about ED candidate search” in the subject line. Applications for this position will be accepted until the position is filled. We will begin reviewing applications on November 1st and encourage interested candidates to submit their application before then.

NESAWG, a fiscally sponsored project of Tides, is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. We encourage and will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. If you seek an accommodation, please advise in writing at the time you apply.