Vice President, Indigenous Leadership...

Location: Portland, Oregon Reports to: President, Ecotrust Date: April 26, 2010 Summary The Vice President, Indigenous Leadership Program is the senior staff person developing Ecotrust’s relationships with Native American and First Nation leaders and their communities in the coastal Pacific bioregion from Alaska to California. She/he develops long range and annual plans, raises funds, manages Ecotrust’s Award for Indigenous Leadership, and facilitates Ecotrust support to the growing network of awardees. She/he is also a member of Ecotrust’s senior management team and helps develop innovative long range programs designed to improve social, economic and environmental conditions throughout the bioregion. Over the past eight years, the Ecotrust Award for Indigenous Leadership has recognized 39 tribal leaders for their achievements in their communities. The Award is endowed with $500,000, part of Ecotrust’s working endowment, our Natural Capital Fund, and so we expect it to continue indefinitely. By 2020 there will be 100 extraordinary leaders in the network. The network is a powerful potential catalyst for change and deserves much more substantial support than we are currently able to provide. Our hope is to grow the endowment to $10 million, the income from which would be made available to the leadership network to support bioregional initiatives that they believe are important. In addition, Ecotrust, Ecotrust Canada, ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia, Shorebank Pacific and a wide array of other partner organizations have a broad range of staff, programs and resources that could be available to support native initiatives designed by the Leadership Network. We have a wide range of experience in community banking, enterprise and business development, food and farms, land repatriation, fisheries and forest restoration, research, land use and occupancy mapping, fundraising, communications and digital publishing. Nourishing productive relationships towards tangible outcomes is the challenge of Ecotrust native programs. Key Objectives Organize and administer the Ecotrust Award for Indigenous Leadership. Four finalists ($5,000 each) and one awardee ($25,000) are recognized each year through a nomination, reading panel and final jury panel process culminating in an award dinner at the Ecotrust Natural Capital Center in Portland in early December. Work with the President, the Vice President for the Natural Capital Fund, the Director of Development and the board to help raise an additional $9.5 million to increase the award endowment. Raise grants to fund the annual native program initiatives. Participate in weekly senior management team meetings and translate indigenous wisdom, issues and experience to innovate, invest and inspire a new, post industrial model of development. Strengthen the interactions between the growing network of indigenous leadership and related Ecotrust programs and resources. Actively communicate internally and externally with leaders, public media and communities on program initiatives, funding opportunities, and important issues facing indigenous communities here and abroad. Requirements A good listener who is able to network and build relationships with native and First Nations leaders in this region and around the world; Clear communications ability with strong interpersonal, team player instincts and skills; Highly motivated by social justice, environmental restoration and conservation, economic opportunity and tribal self-sufficiency and governance; Ten or more years experience working in native communities; A self-starter, strong initiative and ability to work independently as well as the larger network of leaders in the bioregion; Results-oriented, hard working, long-term professional with a willingness to travel some 30% of the time; and Management experience with hiring/firing and supervising a small staff, budgeting, fundraising, writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills. The position is full-time, based in Portland, Oregon (possibly Vancouver, BC). Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience and qualifications, excellent benefits package including retirement plan match, medical and dental insurance, flexible spending account; life insurance and disability coverage provided. Complete application on Ecotrust website and forward with a cover letter, resume, and short relevant writing samples to: email with Indigenous Leadership Program in the subject line. See Ecotrust website for more information. No phone calls please. #J-18808-Ljbffr