Executive Director

~ Born out of the successful effort to save the farm from industrial development in 2000, the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 2004. ~

The Horn Farm leases the farm from York County. In 2016, two milestones were reached. First, a conservation easement was placed on the 186-acre property thus preserving the farm in perpetuity. Second, the term of the lease between the county and the Horn Farm Center was extended to 99 years. In the face of climate change and pandemic, the work of the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education as land stewards, farmers, and gardeners is more important than ever. The fragility of the systems we depend on to meet our basic needs has been exposed. We are continuing to prioritize growing food for ourselves and our community and teaching others to do the same.

Position Overview

The Executive Director of the Horn Farm acts as a facilitator, visionary, and implementer. This person must have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to foster autonomy while working collaboratively and building alignment within the team. This person must understand complex systems and have the ability to hold a large vision while also understanding and synthesizing the detailed work required to move toward that vision.

The Executive Director must have experience working in the permaculture/regenerative agriculture setting and have a deep knowledge of ecological health and restoration. In addition, this person must have a comfort level with fund development, creating relationships with other community organizations, mobilizing volunteers and acting as a spokesperson for the work of the farm.

Responsibilities

• Conveys the mission of the farm skillfully to those who would invest their time, energy or financial resources in advancing our work, building relationships that are mutually beneficial.
• Hires, trains and supervises all staff of the farm while facilitating relationships and a strong collaborative team approach.
• Actively engages and upholds the team values of creating a welcoming environment, mutual respect and accountability, sharing resources, proactive communication, honesty and prioritizing relationships over products.
• Supervises the coordination of volunteer activities and recognition.
• Coordinates the repair and maintenance of buildings and grounds in partnership with the board of directors.
• Reviews all contracts, leases, and partnerships engaged in by the organization
• Prepares and adheres to an annual budget for the entire organization.
• Coordinates diverse program activities.
• Works closely with the board of directors to create an open and collaborative relationship with the board and between the board and staff.
• Understands the ecological health of the land and how to intervene skillfully to restore ecosystem health as it pertains to soil, air, water and human and non-human life.
• Creates and implements an annual development plan that maximizes financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Monitors progress toward goals with monthly and annual reporting.
• Researches and writes grant proposals to foundations and corporations and tracks grant reporting requirements.
• Oversees effective donor database management in CiviCRM.
• Communicates openly, proactively and effectively with volunteers, farmers with leases on the property, grant funding entities, county commissioners, program participants, etc.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• A passion for regenerative agriculture, and a deep understanding of ecological health.
• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to simultaneously manage short term and long term plans and goals.
• Experience working directly with community leaders, board members, and government officials.
• Working knowledge of the philanthropic community and their funding priorities.
• Solid understanding of development principles, protocols and best practices; including those related to annual appeals, online giving, and gift acknowledgement.
• Able to work efficiently and effectively with fundraising software.
• Proven track record of developing and sustaining successful relationships with major donors and corporate executives.
• Proven success in personally soliciting gifts of $1,000 or more from individuals and corporations.
• Bachelor’s degree or 4 - 6 years of directly related experience and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Marketing experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ecological design knowledge.
• Supervisory experience.
• Proficiency in using CiviCRM, QuickBooks Online, WordPress.

Work Environment:

• This small office is informal, collegial and fast-paced.
• The ability to work independently, self-motivate, adapt to shifting deadlines, perform under pressure, be flexible, and pitch-in as needed is a must.
• Flexible work schedule and a focus on work life balance is fostered at the farm.
• There is opportunity to work remotely when necessary and to flex hours in ways that best suit your life and complement the needs of the team.

Compensation

• Working at the Horn Farm allows you to be at the cutting edge of the movement to restore ecological health while also helping people learn to feed themselves.
• As the Executive Director, you have the autonomy to shape the trajectory of our work, building on the skills and interests of the staff and board of directors.
• Your passions and interests and skills will help the farm and our community move into the future as a leader in regenerative agriculture.
• Salary for this position will be negotiated on hiring. 

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload a letter of interest and résumé.
• Position open until filled.

~ The Horn Farm Center is an equal opportunity employer. ~