Executive Director

Urban Ecology is seeking a passionate, creative and entrepreneurial candidate for its Executive Director position.

Founded in 1975, Urban Ecology believes vibrant neighborhoods are the building blocks of healthy cities and sustainable regions. We specialize in community outreach and participatory land use planning that helps low-income urban neighborhoods envision and advocate for change. We are hands-on in neighborhoods, offering technical assistance such as streetscape designs to improve pedestrian safety and architectural services to encourage neighborhood-serving development. We are also active at the city and regional policymaking levels, working to channel essential resources to create safe, healthy urban communities. Finally, we offer key educational tools, such as community plans, tours and publications.

Urban Ecology has a staff of five and an annual budget of $400,000. For more information on our projects and programs, see www.urbanecology.org.

Responsibilities:

The ideal candidate will continue implementation of current projects and work with the Board of Directors and staff to create new partnerships and revenue sources. The Executive Director's responsibilities include:

Fundraising

Grants - Serve as primary contact with Urban Ecology's supporting foundations, including managing all relationships with existing funders and seeking grants from new sources.

Donors - Build and oversee Urban Ecology's donor and membership program. Develop and implement annual donor fundraising and appreciation events, implement membership benefits program and consider strategic linkage between membership and program work.

Local and state government grants and contracts - Build Urban Ecology's capacity to access local and state government grant and contracting programs.

Strategic planning

Organizational positioning - Conduct ongoing strategic planning with the Board of Directors, staff, and colleagues to maintain Urban Ecology's niche and position at the leading edge of planning for urban change in the Bay Area and California. Guide the Board of Directors through decision-making about targeted and strategic expansions of activities, and pursue new opportunities for growth and revenue. Structure organizational activities to flow from strategic decisions.

New partnerships - Explore and build relationships with public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders to realize new partnerships, with the goal of bringing Urban Ecology's planning and design expertise into new arenas of urban change, and enabling the organization to work with new constituencies and communities.

Board of Directors

Board liaison - Serve as the direct, primary liaison with the Board of Directors, and facilitate the Board's involvement in fundraising, policy setting, strategic planning, and financial management of the organization.

Financial Management

Fiscal health - Manage all aspects of organizational finances to ensure short- and long-term fiscal health, including preparation of annual budget, oversight of bookkeeping activities, and monitoring of cash flow.

Staff and Program Management

Staff - Manage all staff with the goal of generating a creative, energized, purposeful and team-oriented work environment.

Programs - Work with staff to implement programmatic activities that match Urban Ecology's vision, principles, and strategic decisions. 

Public Relations and Communication

Public relations - Serve as Urban Ecology's primary public representative, including making public presentations, working with the press, and related activities.

Communication - Build and manage Urban Ecology's communications activities.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum five years work experience in either City Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Public Policy, Community Development or related fields; alternately, a Masters degree plus three years work experience in the fields listed above will be considered.
  
• Minimum two years experience in administrative, financial and/or human resources management, preferably in a nonprofit setting; management experience in for-profit or government settings also considered.
  
• Minimum two years work experience in fundraising, including grant writing and/or major donor solicitation. Demonstrated creativity in seeking nontraditional sources of revenue to support projects.
  
• Excellent written, public speaking and facilitation skills.
  
• Demonstrated ability to find creative, entrepreneurial solutions to complex problems.
  
• Knowledge and/or an understanding of community processes, and issues pertinent to low-income, ethnically diverse neighborhoods, are highly preferred.
  
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience.
  
• Commitment to Urban Ecology's organizational philosophy and practices.

Compensation:

Competitive salary, plus health, vacation, transportation, and retirement plan benefits.

To Apply:

Materials should be sent by e-mail to jobs@urbanecology.org. To apply, please send, cover letter, rsum and three references. For questions, call 510-251-6330.

Urban Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply.