Executive Director

Description

About Future Harvest

A voice in the Mid-Atlantic agricultural setting for more than twenty years, Future Harvest has deep roots in the work of advancing agriculture that sustains farmers, serves communities, and protects the environment. Through education, networking, advocacy, and research, Future Harvest is committed to helping build a sustainable and equitable Chesapeake foodshed. Future Harvest’s foodshed, encompassing everything from the Blue Ridge to the Chesapeake Bay, is diverse, and includes stakeholders as varied as urban micro-farms and large-scale rural operators, DC chefs and off-the-grid homesteaders. The challenges they all face as they try to feed their communities and support their families, to access land or steward what they already manage, are manifold and defy easy solutions. Future Harvest works to bridge those gaps, finding the common threads that unite this diverse group while also providing the tailored support that such disparate operations and communities need.

The Coronavirus pandemic made plain the importance of a resilient and crisis-ready food system and the many ways that our status quo falls short, especially for marginalized members of our society. Future Harvest is stepping creatively into that breach, working to address historical discrimination in agriculture, land access, and food systems through both programming and internal operations. Pandemic aside, farming has never been easy and as climate change accelerates the natural unpredictability of weather, Future Harvest is also working to provide farmers of all stripes with risk management strategies, market opportunities, and a wider voice in the national conversation about the climate emergency. The work is ongoing, but Future Harvest stands ready to serve.

At this moment of possibility and exigence, Future Harvest seeks an experienced, accomplished director to lead in effecting our current strategic plan and in visioning its next iteration. This dynamic and humble leader will be a community builder — both within the organization and in the region — diversifying Future Harvest’s funding streams, reimagining organizational and board workflow, and centering economic and racial justice in our work and practices, while cultivating and maintaining our role as allies of sustainable farmers in the Chesapeake region.

Job Duties

The executive director is responsible for managing all aspects of the organization and will report to the board of directors.

Strategic Planning and Execution
● Work with the board and staff to set and align all stakeholders (board, staff, key funders, and partners) on the organization’s strategic goals and translate that into specific operational plans, objectives, and a budget
● Oversee planning, organizing, and directing membership recruitment and retention programs
● Integrate equity and inclusion into the strategic plan with clear, meaningful metrics

Culture and Human Relations
● Hire, organize, direct, and coordinate Future Harvest staff, programs, and activities to ensure strategic plan objectives are obtained
● Manage a geographically dispersed staff, appropriately shifting between staff autonomy and managerial oversight
● Create and promote a positive, productive work culture with clear communication, up-front expectations, and effective staff on-boarding
● Ensure and grow efforts to attract, listen to, and incorporate diverse voices across organizational efforts

Fundraising
● Attend to and grow existing relationships with major donors and foundations, while cultivating new connections and diversifying revenue streams
● Oversee fundraising activities such as farm to table dinners and conference sponsorships
● Comfortably navigate and strategize grant applications, particularly at the federal level

Financial Operations, Governance, Legal
● Work with the finance committee of the board to develop an annual budget for the organization
● Utilize Customer Relationship Management tools to grow membership and track donors
● Manage the budget and ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organization
● Provide timely, accurate, and complete reports on the state of the organization, oversee annual audit and federal/state submissions, and ensure legal and tax compliance

Skills Required

Professional Qualifications

● Demonstrated success in executive non-profit management
● Familiarity with digital philanthropic tools
● Successful background in program development, board development, and staff leadership and management
● Intellectual leadership, as evidenced by a track record of forward-looking anticipatory thinking and the development of long term strategies and vision for the future, especially with an emphasis on inclusion and innovation
● The ability to forge pragmatic, collaborative solutions in spaces of ambiguity and complexity
● Experience serving as an ambassador and connector for an organization
● Strong written and oral communication skills

Additional Info

To Apply

Please use the form at https://www.futureharvestcasa.org/about/were-hiring to submit a resume, writing sample, references, and a letter of interest. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, though earlier applications submitted by Jan. 30 may receive priority consideration. Only applications submitted through the portal will be considered.