Summer Camp Executive Director

Company: Farm & Wilderness
Location: Plymouth
Posted on: September 12, 2020

Job Description:

About the Position

F&W is seeking a collaborative, visionary leader to serve as its Executive Director in its next phase of growth. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the ED will focus on building and nurturing a strong team, creating a strong and sustainable organization, charting a course for future growth and impact, integrating the conservation and outdoor education missions of F&W and the Ninevah Foundation, and ensuring the organization continues to deliver on its promise of providing experiential outdoor education and conservation practices that transform lives and community.

The ED will manage a team of 5-7 direct reports and a total team of 25 throughout the year and play a key role in leading an extended team and summer camp and year-round programming, managing an average of 280 staff members, during the months of June through August. This is an ideal opportunity for a kind and proven leader who is passionate about the power of experiential learning to transform and change lives.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational Leadership

Lead, with the support of the senior team, all day-to-day operations and staff, with the ultimate goal of creating a collaborative, joyful, thriving team

Continue to integrate the outdoor education and conservation missions of F&W and NF, achieving a shared vision across both entities

In collaboration with the Board of Trustees and leadership team, continue to develop a strategic plan to achieve the mission of providing experiential outdoor education through high-quality programming that transforms lives, with a focus on continued growth, increased enrollment, and land and lake stewardship

Lead and mentor a high-performing and diverse team, developing and inspiring key talent across functional areas, with the goal of creating a unified vision and team

Act as primary liaison to the Board of Trustees and participate on the Executive Committee

Develop and manage F&W’s annual budget and year-round programming to establish a clear sustainable financial model

Continue to build and enhance organizational culture, grounded in Quaker values: simplicity, peacemaking, integrity, community, equity and service

Continue to evolve the organizational structure and design of F&W, with the goal of creating a high-performing, equitable, and collaborative organization

Champion Quaker values and lead an organization built on a Quaker foundation, including an understanding of when decision-making can be collaborative and when decisive leadership is necessary

External Leadership

Serve as the external face of the organization, enhancing F&W’s visibility, brand recognition, and credibility

Develop and execute a marketing plan to increase camp enrollment and broader brand awareness

In partnership with the Board and the Director of Development, create and cultivate relationships with major donors, building a broad base of support and a network of champions for F&W’s work

Develop and manage strategic relationships with key partners (program partners, peer organizations, funding partners, etc.) in order to deepen F&W’s reputation and impact

Collaborate with board leadership to recruit and nurture the Board to advance F&W’s mission and vision

Working closely with the Program Director and Director of Sustainable Resources, provide vision, oversight, and direction for F&W’s programming including summer camps, day camps, year-round programming, and conservation and social justice activities

Set the tone for a creative, inclusive, and entrepreneurial approach to program development and improvement

Partner with the Program Director to support all summer camp staff, ensuring that team members uphold the highest standards for accountability and excellence while adhering to all relevant regulations

Collaborate with Operations Director, Program Director, and Director of Sustainable Resources to oversee risk management across the organization

Maintain an ongoing understanding of trends and innovations in camps, conservation, experiential learning with a focus on social justice and education; apply this understanding to organizational priorities, programmatic offerings, and funding strategies

Candidate Requirements:

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

At least 10 years of work experience, including 5 years in a senior leadership role; experience in summer camps, outdoor programming, conservation, social justice, and/or experiential learning highly valued

Strong organizational leadership skills, with an ability to articulate a clear and inspiring vision and strategy for F&W while encouraging collaboration and building consensus

Strong people management skills with a track record of building and supporting strong and collaborative organizational cultures

Demonstrated success leading and managing a high-performing organization, business unit, or team, amidst change and/or growth

Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop strong relationships across a diverse spectrum of stakeholders

Experience creating and managing budgets of $2+ million

Strong appetite to lead fundraising for F&W, with a preference for someone with a successful track record in non-profit or for-profit fundraising

A commitment to Quaker values and to upholding those values in decision-making and day-to-day operations at F&W

A keen intellect, with the ability to be an independent thinker and creative problem solver

Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, warmth, flexibility, self-direction, compassion, and cultural competency

Ability and desire to engage actively and positively with children, young adults, staff, and community members

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred

Compensation and benefits:

Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with experience.

Farm & Wilderness is an equal opportunity employer. No employee or applicant for employment shall be unlawfully denied an employment opportunity for which the employee or applicant is qualified because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or other protected category. F&W is committed to non-discrimination in its employment.

401 Farm and Wilderness Road

Plymouth, VT 05056 USA

Keywords: Farm & Wilderness, Plymouth , Summer Camp Executive Director, Other , Plymouth, Massachusetts