Executive Director

Overview

Position Summary
Full-time, exempt, including occasional evenings and weekends

Reports to: Board of Directors

Salary range: $95,000 to $125,000

Other benefits include: health, dental, life insurance, 401(k) after one year of service, and paid time off.

Location: Land Stewardship Project has three offices in Minnesota: Minneapolis, Lewiston, and Montevideo. The Executive Director can be based in any of the three offices. The Executive Director is expected to spend time at all locations and in the field connecting with members and partner organizations.

Organization Overview
The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is a member-led, people’s organization grounded in its mission. We seek to do work that ensures that the health of the land is enhanced, small and mid-sized farms thrive, communities are prosperous, and true democracy flourishes. The mission of the Land Stewardship Project is to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture, and to develop healthy communities.

Executive Director Role
The LSP Board of Directors is seeking a dynamic, collaborative leader who is deeply committed to building power in rural areas and has a proven interest in environmental stewardship of the land. The Executive Director will lead LSP and our affiliated organization Land Stewardship Action Fund (LSAF).

Duties and Responsibilities
Mission and Strategy
Ensure that the mission is fulfilled through strategic planning, programs, and community organizing.
●      Be an active and visible presence in rural communities and directly build relationships with farmers, LSP members, elected officials, and allied organizations that can strategically advance the organization’s mission.

●      Ensure that LSP puts its rural members at the center of its organizing, policy, programmatic, and communications work, and lifts up rural voices.

●      Evaluate the implementation of the Long Range Plan and report candidly on a regular basis to the Board of Directors, staff, and members on the progress and challenges of the organization’s work.

●      Engage and implement the decisions of the Board of Directors related to organizational strategy, direction, and policy.

●      Model LSP’s shared values for members and staff. Bridge the racial and political divisions in our region and in rural communities in a way that expects the best, invites people in, and seeks unity in service of stronger and more resilient rural communities.

●      Work with the communications team to develop and expand LSP’s communications infrastructure and ensure a consistent organizational voice that reflects our values, mission, and the Long Range Plan.

●      Serve as LSP’s primary spokesperson for the organization.

Budget, Finance, and Fundraising
Ensure overall financial health of the organization and raise resources to effectively advance the organization’s mission.
●      Ensure the timely and accurate submission of an annual organizational budget to the Board of Directors, which reflects LSP’s priorities and growth goals.

●      Work closely with finance staff to ensure organizational expenses are in line with budgets. Present quarterly financial reports to the Board of Directors which accurately reflect the organization’s financial position.

●      With the support of Finance and Operations staff, ensure oversight of all contracts and vendor services. Sign off on all contracts unless otherwise delegated.

●      Act as one of the primary fundraisers for the organization and be responsible for building and stewarding funding relationships, developing concepts and proposals, and directly asking for funds from foundations, major donors, government, and others.

●      Work closely with LSP’s Development Director on cultivating relationships with funders and on overall grants management and strategy.

●      Collaborate with the Advancement Team to directly solicit major donors and members.

Staff Management, Facilitation, and Alignment
Recruit, develop and build the LSP staff team.
●      Recruit, hire, and directly supervise the Management Team, and develop a staff leadership structure in coordination with the Board of Directors.

●      Build and support a positive, respectful, and equitable staff culture and model wellness and work-life balance.

●      Ensure the LSP staff team continues to add talented rural staff with backgrounds in both conventional and regenerative farming who are skilled at building relationships.

●      Model collaborative and facilitative leadership with inclusive staff-wide planning and decision making.

●      Serve as management representative with LSP’s new staff union and work to uphold its first contract.

Qualifications
●      A highly effective manager with a minimum of eight years of management and team building experience and a proven ability to develop, motivate, delegate, and lead dynamic teams.

●      A solid track record of fundraising and fiscal management, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting.

●      An experienced organizer with a demonstrated understanding of stewardship of the land, farmers, and rural communities.

●      A planner with demonstrated experience creating, reaching, and evaluating goals, and who is able to show an ability to adjust without losing sight of the ultimate objective.

●      A skilled facilitator, good listener, and strategic thinker with a track record of successfully bridging economic, political, racial, and geographic differences in service of larger organization goals.

●      A clear and articulate written and verbal communicator.

Leadership Qualities

●      Relational and people-oriented

●      Open-minded, good listener

●      Collaborative team-builder

●      Pragmatic, measured, and emotionally intelligent

●      Decisive, able to delegate

●      Proactive and transparent communicator

Travel
The Executive Director is expected to travel for events, one-to-ones and work meetings. Must have a valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, active registration and insurance, and be willing to travel on the job. Mileage reimbursement is compensated at the federal standard.

Work Environment
This position requires work in an LSP office, in the field and from home. We will provide you with or support the technology necessary to complete your job duties. We have staff in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our physical offices are in Lewiston, Minneapolis, and Montevideo, Minnesota.

Physical Demands
This is a computer/office work-based role which requires extended periods of stationary positions such as sitting or standing. This job also requires public speaking and the ability to communicate with the public, LSP members, and other staff frequently through text and spoken words.

How to Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, and three references to Amy Brugh, Interim Executive Director, at abrugh@landstewardshipproject.org. Include “Executive Director Search” in the subject line of the email. Preferred application deadline is Friday, March 31, 2023.

Land Stewardship Project (LSP)/Land Stewardship Action Fund (LSAF) is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to having an applicant pool for this position that reflects the diversity and equity commitment of LSP. We highly encourage applications from people with farming and lived experience in rural communities; Black, Indigenous and People of Color; LGBTQ+ people; and people with disabilities. If this position speaks to you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every one of the qualifications described.