Executive Director

Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, Vermont, seeks Executive Director

Retreat Farm is a non-profit organization that connects people with the working landscape through local food, place-based education, and recreation. We seek an Executive Director with the experience, personality, and leadership skills necessary to help us build on success and expand our efforts to support a healthy and resilient community in southeastern Vermont and beyond.

Retreat Farm is a vast public resource with an eight-building historic farmstead, 170 acres of forests, 230 acres of farm fields, a 100-acre aquatic cove at the confluence of the Connecticut and West rivers, and 10 miles of trails. Over the past 6 years Retreat Farm has used these resources to grow and distribute food to hundreds of food-insecure families, serve scores of schools with field trips and educational programs, hold a popular weekly food truck gathering, lease farmland to local organic dairy and vegetable farms, make our property available for boating, biking, hiking, ice fishing and skating, and host events including concerts, fairs, outdoor ballets, and exhibitions by local nonprofits, agencies, and businesses.

Retreat Farm is accessible to a wide range of people. It’s just a 12-minute walk from downtown Brattleboro, a small-town oasis for arts, local food, and crafts nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains. It is also next to a scenic state highway, 2 miles from the Interstate, so we serve many thousands of visitors to the region.

The Executive Director will assume leadership at an exciting time. Since 2016, over $10M has been invested in restoring infrastructure, fields, and forests. Significant private funds have supported program development, and two major federally funded initiatives are underway: the acquisition and renovation of the adjacent Grafton Village Cheese Company into a regional food center, and the renovation of the magnificent North Barn into the region’s preeminent indoor gathering space.

Retreat Farm is widely recognized as a valuable community asset, yet our potential for positive impact has barely been tapped. We have remarkable potential for growth, following our post-COVID reorganization and development of a core operating strategy that is fully funded for eight years.

The Executive Director will:

· Lead the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of programs.

· Manage and support staff; oversee hiring, evaluation, and advancement of personnel.

· Oversee financial planning and accounting, working with finance staff; lead the development of annual and long-term budgets.

· Strengthen partnerships with agencies, businesses, and organizations: local, statewide, regional; private and public.

· Develop robust relationships with funders and potential funders and raise funds necessary to assure ongoing fiscal sustainability.

· Prepare materials that communicate fundraising case statements, goals, and results in order to secure grants and gift funds.

· Assure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

· Assure that organizational policies and procedures are in place and applied.

· Prepare quarterly and annual reports on activities, finances, personnel, and program results.

· Work with the Board of Directors to ensure their full understanding and productive participation in governance, fundraising, relationship-building, financial oversight, and strategic planning.

We seek an Executive Director who:

· Is creative yet pragmatic and able to think strategically.

· Is highly collaborative and derives satisfaction from achievements of others: the community, our partners, and the Retreat Farm team.

· Has the attitude and people skills necessary to maintain a positive and cohesive workplace culture.

· Has substantial professional experience and accomplishments related to advancing community well- being, environmental sustainability, and organizational effectiveness.

· Understands successful property stewardship i.e., leases, easements, building management, land management (grounds, forests and farmland), regulatory compliance, and environmental concerns.

· Is intellectually attuned to the role that policies and programs play in a community’s reservoir of human, natural, civic, and economic capital

. Will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of our work.

· Has the desire to be the highly visible face of Retreat Farm throughout the community and region.

Minimum qualifications:

· At least five years of experience in organizational leadership.

· Demonstrated success managing a multi-person staff and creating a positive organizational culture.

· Demonstrated experience with budgeting and financial management of a complex organization.

· Experience obtaining and managing grants and gifts.

· Ability to lead and motivate others, to facilitate effective teamwork, to build trust.

· Excellent written and oral communication skills.

For background, visit www.Retreatfarm.org and view the Farm’s 2021 Almanac at: https://www.flipsnack.com/retreatfarm/2021-retreat-farm-almanac-h32xqy23f2.html

The position has a salary of $80,000 to $100,000 commensurate with skills and experience. To apply, send a single pdf to the search committee chair, containing: 1) a letter describing your interest in the position and the strengths and challenges you would bring to the job, 2) your resume, and 3) contact information for three people that can speak to the extent to which you possess the qualifications and skills listed above. Review of applications will begin on July 5 and continue until the position is filled. Retreat Farm values diversity in our community and on our team, and we are an equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
Retreat Farm requires all employees to maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations to protect the health and safety of staff members, visitors, and the community from infection. No religious or medical exemptions are permitted in place of vaccination.

Education:

• Master's (Preferred)

Experience:

• organizational leadership: 5 years (Preferred)

Work Location: One location