Executive Director or Co-Executive Directors

Executive Director or Co-Executive Directors

Flexible Location / Semi-Remote / New Market, TN

Email applications are due June 20, 2025 by 5pm ET

Highlander Research and Education Center (HREC) seeks an Executive Director or two Co-Directors^[1] with a strong commitment to popular education as the basis for social change, practical experience as a community organizer, and a deep understanding of the U.S. Southeast.

To apply for this position, please visit our website and follow the instructions to apply via email. Applications submitted directly on LinkedIn may not be reviewed or considered.

HISTORY & THE MOMENT WE ARE IN

For almost a century, Highlander has been a prominent training ground for emerging and established movement leaders across the South, Appalachia, and beyond, together shaping a more just and sustainable future. From the labor movements of the 1930s and 40s, to the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s, and into today’s struggles, our workshops and programs bring people together across issues, identities, and geographies to share and build the skills, knowledge, and strategies needed for transformative social change.

Highlander is the owner and steward of a 186-acre farm in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The scenic property accommodates 50 guests (plus space for camping). Over the course of the year, we welcome hundreds of social justice organizations to the Hill and online to meet, learn, and strategize for a more just and equitable world.

In addition to this Radical Hospitality, Highlander conducts the following programs: SEEDS OF FIRE, ECONOMICS & GOVERNANCE, CULTURAL ORGANIZING 101, SEPTIMA CLARK LEARNING CENTER, CHILDREN’S JUSTICE CAMP, ELECTORAL JUSTICE PROGRAMMING, & PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (PAR) INSTITUTE.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NEXT DIRECTOR(S)

Highlander’s next executive director(s) will work with the Board and staff to collaboratively renew our vision and strategic direction while managing and stewarding the overall organization in this new era. The executive director(s) report to a 17-member Board of Directors, composed of activists, researchers and educators. The major areas of responsibility of Highlander’s next director(s) will include:

• Leadership & Vision | Collaboratively develop the vision for advancing Highlander’s mission, and build aligned strategies, effective communication and coordination, and a sense of community across departments and constituencies. This includes leading organization-wide strategic planning and collaboratively initiating new programs and continued organizational development.
• Team Management & Organizational Culture | Develop the Organizational Leadership Team (OLT) and set the tone for collaborative, inclusive, and leaderful management throughout the organization. Currently, the Co-EDs supervise ten staff, including the nine department directors who comprise the OLT. The executive director(s) will mentor, model and support a climate of learning, wellness and skills development throughout the organization.   
• Fundraising & Relationships | Work alongside key staff to raise sufficient resources to carry out Highlander’s mission. Maintain and build new relationships with funders and donors and represent Highlander with partners, the union, fiscally sponsored projects, and the media. The executive leadership ensures that there are sufficient financial resources for the organization’s activities and manages the process for making necessary re-allocation decisions.
• Board of Directors | Work collaboratively with the Board Co-Chairs and the Board of Directors as a whole to help them fulfill their governance responsibilities, including attending all meetings of the Board and relevant Board committee meetings.
• Finance & Operations | Work with key staff members to ensure that financial, personnel, operations, and union matters are conducted with accuracy, integrity, and in compliance with Highlander’s values, as well as best practices and the law. This includes developing the organization’s annual budget, authorizing MOUs/contracts, and land management of all acreage and buildings.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

We do not call for specific educational degrees or years of work experience. Rather, we are looking for visionary, confident, proven and practical leadership, regardless of formal credentials. We seek someone who can work effectively alongside our dedicated staff and board and who can engage and inspire our donors, partners, and other allies. We welcome applicants who have most, but not necessarily every, qualification.

• Leadership & Strategy | A track record as a senior leader with experience managing people in an organization with values and approaches that are similar to Highlander and its partners. Direct experience with community organizing and campaigning is highly desirable, as is experience working within an organization that embraces the principles and power of popular education to transform the world. While experience leading at the executive or deputy level is a plus, we welcome interest from first-time EDs and those who have come to their work in nontraditional ways. Highlander’s next director(s) will be visionary, strategic, and collaborative in their work. They will be able to make key decisions in complex or fast-paced situations, while listening to and fully engaging stakeholders. Experience working alongside a governing board and with unions is also a plus.
• Political Alignment & Southern Context | A deep connection to the U.S. South and Appalachia demonstrated through personal and/or professional experience. Experience specific to East Tennessee is a plus, as is experience participating in Highlander’s programs. Highlander’s director(s) will possess a sophisticated political analysis regarding the interplay of capitalism, authoritarianism, and structural racism in the South, across the nation, and around the world. They will be able to provide a strong framework for advancing democracy and justice that reflects a deep and layered understanding of multiple contexts. They will hold experience operating in Southern social/political contexts, and possess deep awareness of areas of solidarity and how to navigate outright opposition with effectiveness and sophistication. A background in community organizing, campaigning, base and coalition building, and/or grassroots leadership development in low-income communities is essential.
• Relationship Building & Collaboration | Skilled at stewarding longstanding relationships and cultivating new ones with mission aligned partners. Dedicated to creating a workplace that values active listening and learning, and that respects the voices and expertise of colleagues and community members. Our leadership will bring substantial experience working in coalition with multiple and diverse organizations. They will be an effective facilitator who is comfortable with ambiguity and conflict, and who seeks common ground without compromising Highlander’s mission. Experience in building alliances with international partners is a plus.
• Fundraising & Communication | A clear, compelling, and authentic communicator. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to lead and implement fund development, and to work with fundraising staff with an emphasis on relationship-building, and foundation and grassroots fundraising. Experience with individual donor strategies is a plus. The ability to communicate in Spanish, ASL or another second language would be helpful.
• Finance, Operations & Union | Candidates should demonstrate a solid grasp of organizational finance, budgets, and operations, and the sound judgment to consult relevant experts when needed. Experience working with bargaining units is a plus; holding a pro-labor stance is essential. Experience with land-based management, land use issues, and/or managing a campus/retreat center is welcomed.
• Team Building & Organizational Culture | Highlander strives to foster a productive, healthy, joyful, and learning-centered work environment and so we are seeking leadership that cultivates a positive organizational culture. This includes familiarity with team building, conflict management, group process, and trauma-informed methodologies. Candidates should be clear communicators who can mentor staff from all backgrounds, and who thrive in intergenerational work. We expect our organizational leaders to approach work (and life) with radical honesty, humility, accountability, and integrity.

We recognize that no single candidate will possess every qualification. If you are interested in the position and hold many of the experiences and attributes above, we encourage you to apply.

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

Salary: The annual salary for the full-time Executive Director or each full-time Co-Director will be $116,000. 

Benefits: Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Fully paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees, partners, and dependents, as well as a Highlander-sponsored basic life insurance plan, and a long-term disability insurance plan.
• An annual percentage-based contribution to a 403(b) retirement fund.
• Generous time off policies, including 24 paid vacation days per year, ten holidays, plus accrued sick time. In addition, Highlander closes its offices for a week following Homecoming, and for a week at winter break.
• A one-month fully paid sabbatical every three years.
• Access to generous staff and professional development opportunities.

Location & Travel: Highlander is a semi-remote workplace. While regular, physical presence on the Hill is important, the frequency is determined by the needs of the organization. A relocation budget is available.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS & REFERRALS

For the full job listing and instructions on how to apply, visit our website at https://highlandercenter.org/job-board/.

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^[1] Co-Directors are required to apply in pairs. We will not match separate applicants. Please see application instructions.