Executive Director

Vision and Strategy, Governance and Accountability, Resources and Stewardship, Coalition BuildingOrganizational Overview:About S2:Sustainable Seattle (S2) advances collaborative, just, and sustainable solutions for our region. Sustainable Seattle currently has three main programs: 1) Interweave, an interdisciplinary community-led sustainability accelerator comprised of frontline-led peers, practitioners, and projects that share our vision of justice-centered sustainability. As an equitable intermediary, S2 provides these projects peer-led fiscal sponsorship, financial management, technical assistance, and transformative capacity building services. 2) The Soil Health and Justice Initiative (SHJI), which builds community understanding of sustainability issues while base-building to strengthen human, social, political, and organizational capital to fuel strategic, effective grassroots advocacy. 3) The Just Circular Communities Initiative, a collaboration between community-led, co-developed, owned, and managed circular economy framework that reduces waste and pollution, regenerates ecosystems, prevents systemic displacement and economic stagnation, and builds resilience in Frontline neighborhoods. S2 also in select cases provides stand-alone fiscal sponsorship.We define sustainability as the ancient and enduring practice of creating richness in natural resources, attuning to nature’s environmental indicators, and providing equitable access to health, food, shelter, and economic wealth for all people. This has been modeled largely by Indigenous communities world-wide, and which we work to align with, and restore. To learn more about how we study and understand sustainability, please read this paper by our colleague Demarus Tevuk.Role Responsibilities:Scope of Work:S2 is seeking the next leader and/or co-leader to bring impactful direction in community building, fundraising, and management to oversee the following key impact areas matched with illustrated experience and skills. S2 is home to three mission-aligned programs: Interweave, Soil Health and Justice Initiative, and the Just Circular Communities Initiative. S2 also offers Fiscal sponsorship. S2 is also a member of the national Equitable Intermediary cohort that is shaping the future of how we work and advocating for increased funding from private funders for nonprofits and grassroots organizations.Interweave: Founded in 2020, the Interweave Accelerator Program is designed to increase the capacity and viability of up to 25 community initiatives through consulting, peer-to-peer organizing, network building, and partnered fundraising. The program returned $3.1M to Frontline initiatives since its inception. By centering communities at the frontlines of the climate crisis we aim to drive community-embedded and informed Policy, Systems and Environmental (PSE) change for a more Just and sustainable Seattle.Soil Health & Justice Initiative: The goals of SHJI are the following: 1) to build community understanding of soil health and justice issues via educational seminars and 2) to engage in base-building to strengthen human, social, political, and organizational capital to fuel strategic, effective grassroots advocacy. Our desired result is both policy change and the greater capacity throughout the community in multiple areas including understanding of environmental justice issues, value of lived experience as expertise, and ability to advocate within and across systems.Just Circular Communities: A collaboration between community-led, co-developed, owned, and managed circular economy framework that reduces waste and pollution, regenerates ecosystems, prevents systemic displacement and economic stagnation, and builds resilience in Frontline neighborhoods.Fiscal Sponsorships: S2 also offers stand-alone fiscal sponsorship services to projects and organizations that either do not need the services of Interweave or for whom we do not currently have the capacity to engage in the Interweave community but who still desire the benefits of a fiscal sponsorship. Since 2020 S2 has supported 10 non-Interweave organizations or initiatives, which has yielded over $1.6M investment in mission aligned community initiatives.Recent Growth and Achievements:Raised over $400k in income in 2023, representative of major YoY growthFilled all available slots within the new Interweave program within four monthsFacilitate monthly programs which directly engage approximately a thousand people a year, with about 30,000 followers. 2Key DutiesS2’s executive director(s) sustains and builds on recent growth of the organization, including the growing membership, budget, and programs. Working collaboratively with the staff, board, program participants, members, and key allies, the leaders’ responsibilities include:● VISION AND STRATEGY. Collaborate with staff, board, and program participants to steward the mission, vision, programs and operations, including strategic planning, program design and the development of annual goals. Engage creativity and best practices to embed tenets of sustainability throughout the DNA of the organization, its long-term vision, and its day-to-day activities.● GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors, working with the Board of Directors to fulfill their roles related to strategic decision making, organizational development, fundraising, and fiscal/legal accountability.● RESOURCES AND STEWARDSHIP. Ensure a supportive and abundant financial foundation through securing revenue, managing a budget that is presently $400k (fiscally sponsored and supported organizations including Interweave generate ~$1m annually), and working with key staff and board members on strategies to strengthen and sustain the organization. Participate in and contribute to operations, including finance and human resources. Assess and enhance policies to ensure alignment with S2’s mission, vision and values.● COALITION BUILDING AND REPRESENTATION. Build and maintain strong, generative relationships with and among the Board of Directors, staff, Interweave members, supporters, sponsors and investors, peers, and partners in sustainability. Comfort with communications, organizational messaging (visual and written), and community building and engagement practices.● LEAD AND SUSTAIN. Lead and sustain a diverse and talented core staff cohort to set and achieve goals that are both aligned with S2’s mission and objectives, and support the personal and professional growth of the cohort. Model equity, ongoing learning and self-growth, and compassionate inter-cultural collaboration.Candidate Qualifications:Desired Skills and Characteristics:RELATED TO MISSION

Coalition and power building with deep engagement with communitiesParticipatory research, data justice, and advocacyCommunity engagement, outreach, and facilitationCommitment to Indigenous values and leadership in sustainabilityClearly-developed perspective on sustainability as a sector, practice, and movementClearly-developed perspective on how the sustainability sector engages with equityUnderstanding and relationship in the Seattle area, especially Seattle’s Frontline communitiesCommitment to social justice, in which environmental justice - including racial justice, disability justice, gender justice, and economic justice - are the responsibility of allValue multiple ways of learning, sharing, and processing information, including verbal and nonverbal communication traditions

RELATED TO ORGANIZATION

Comfort, proficiency with, and enthusiasm for community-centric fundraisingCommitment to vibrant and supportive work environments that support a diverse, multi-cultural communityCommitment to systemic transition, including growth strategies and plans, reparations with communities of color, and engagement with historically disadvantaged communitiesStrong project management and facilitation skillsAbility to balance self-direction with collaborationComfort with establishing thorough execution on key and timely deliverablesComfort with making clear and inclusive decisionsComfort with adapting and pivoting as new demands, opportunities, and strategies evolveComfort with the ins-and-outs of a small nonprofit, from big-picture thinking to the logistics of maintaining registrations and good business standingComfort and proficiency working with finance and budgets, using QuickbooksComfort and proficiency working in an entirely remote environment, using Google Workspace, Wordpress, digital media, and other online platforms and apps

RESPONSIBILITIES SHARED BY ALL S2 EMPLOYEES:Contribute to an organizational culture of openness, inspiration, and safe workingActively utilize shared organizational resources including Google Calendar, S2 Gmail, Google Drive, Monday.com, Slack, and Flipcause for project planning and collaboration, and attend to tasks in a timely fashionConsider long-term organizational sustainability and growth in terms of building a robust working environment, relationships with community, and dynamic, meaningful programsContribute to the overall mission of Sustainable Seattle and long-term sustainability, equity and resilience in the Seattle area.Submit as a single PDF:1. A cover letter that briefly describes:-Why are you interested in working with S2?-What does sustainability look like to you?-What does community participation and leadership look like to you?-How do you approach collaborative leadership?2. A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) with relevant experienceEmail applications to to hiring@sustainableseattle.org.Application review will begin September 1, 2024 and continue on a rolling basis.Cover letters and resume/CV will be reviewed with names and identifying details removed to de-identify candidates for interviews.S2 is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This posting was adapted in part from Resource Generation open call, led by Strategies for Social Change.#J-18808-Ljbffr