Overview

Swan Valley Connections (SVC), a conservation and education non-profit organization, is hiring a full-time, year-round Executive Director.  Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Swan Valley Connections’ staff, programs, and execution of its mission.

As a community-based conservation organization, SVC seeks to foster connections between the people and landscapes of the rural and wild Swan Valley, Montana. We strive to help people work together to sustain our valley’s natural resources and rural characteristics.  We endeavor to engage the local community on conservation issues and feel this is best accomplished through collaboration and relationship building.  SVC conducts conservation work focused on sustainable resource management and conservation of ecological systems and offers collegiate field programs for academic credit.  To learn more about our organization visit SwanValleyConnections.org

The successful candidate will be a strong administrator as well as intrinsically entrepreneurial by nature with an ability to recognize and position SVC to take advantage of emerging opportunities as well as develop strategies to cultivate new opportunities. The executive director is the most visible spokesperson for the organization both locally in the community as well as regionally and nationally.  The ED is the primary promoter of the organization to various audiences, including conservation partners, governmental agencies, potential students, private donors, and funders. As the leader of SVC, the executive director must be able to effectively motivate enthusiasm for and investment in the Swan Watershed.

SVC currently employs twelve permanent staff and up to five temporary staff each year.

The Executive Director must live in the Swan Valley (Condon, MT) or in the Upper Clearwater Valley (Seeley Lake, MT).  Duty station is the USFS Condon Work Center.

SVC will be accepting applications immediately and will continue to advertise the position until a suitable candidate is found.  SVC intends to fill this position no later than August 1, 2017.

To apply, submit a letter of intent, a resume, and references to info@svconnections.org. Resume must display the ability to execute the responsibilities in the attached job description, as well as display that the candidate meets the basic requirements.

All applications must be in digital format, either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).  Please combine all documents into one file, if possible.

Swan Valley Connections
Executive Director
 

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Swan Valley Connections’ staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. The successful candidate will be a strong administrator as well as intrinsically entrepreneurial by nature with an ability to recognize and position SVC to take advantage of emerging opportunities as well as develop strategies to cultivate new opportunities. The executive director is the most visible spokesperson for the organization both locally in the community as well as regionally and nationally.  The ED is the primary promoter of the organization to various audiences, including conservation partners, governmental agencies, potential students, private donors, and funders. As the leader of SVC, the executive director must be able to effectively motivate enthusiasm for and investment in the Swan Watershed, a landscape which we need to sustain and promote, yet is unknown to many we would seek to engage.

Responsibilities 

Leadership & Management: 

  • Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration.
  • Recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals.
  • Actively engage and energize Swan Valley Connections’ volunteers, board members, event committees, alumni, partnering organizations, and funders.
  • Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; serve as ex-officio of each committee; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction.
  • Lead, coach, develop, and retain Swan Valley Connections’ staff.
  • Ensure effective systems to track progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.

Fundraising & Communications: 

Expand local revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations.

Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand.

Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities.

Vision – Mission – Implementation: 

  • Complete and maintain the strategic planning process for carrying out the vision and mission of Swan Valley Connections.
  • Build and maintain relationships with funders, partnering groups and agencies, and community leaders who have a stake and interest in the Swan Valley and the Crown of the Continent region.
  • Represent Swan Valley Connections in conservation collaboratives that affect the mission of the organization, either directly or via staff.
  • Represent Swan Valley Connections in the local community through participation in local events, local planning groups, and activities.

Program – Project Management 

When necessary, assist staff by leading on specific conservation, stewardship, or education program projects.

Qualifications 

The ED will be thoroughly committed to Swan Valley Connections mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience.

Specific requirements include:

  • Advanced degree with at least 5 years of senior management experience; track record of effectively leading a performance and outcomes based organization and staff
  • Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
  • Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
  • Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.

Desired Skills and Abilities

  • Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
  • Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
  • Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships
  • Ability to develop and operationalize strategies to take an organization to the next stage of growth
  • Unwavering commitment to quality programs and employee safety and wellbeing