Job Posting, Executive Director

Posted: 11/20/17,  position open until filled

The Mattole Restoration Council, a watershed restoration non-profit on the Lost Coast of Northern California, seeks an Executive Director to lead our long-established organization of 12+ regular staff. The MRC is one of California’s oldest watershed councils, and works to restore and increase resiliency of the North Coast’s rural and remote Mattole River watershed. The MRC undertakes landscape-scale watershed restoration to improve  salmon habitat, forest, woodland, and grassland ecosystems, and to promote a stewardship land ethic. For more information about our programs, please visit www.mattole.org.

Ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in: programmatic fundraising; non-profit and personnel management; and establishing dynamic relationships with a broad base of stakeholders. Candidate should also have a commitment to community-based restoration and conservation, a background in ecology/biology/geography, a familiarity with watershed restoration strategies and methods, and a strong sense of self-direction and self-organization.

Full to half-time employee (negotiable), reports to the Board of Directors through the Chair, and is responsible for overseeing the staff implementation of the policies and strategic direction set forth by the Board.  The position is based in the Petrolia office, but also requires periodic travel to various field and meeting sites around the watershed, and occasional travel around California and beyond, including Sacramento and San Francisco. Valid driver’s license and functioning personal vehicle is required. Compensation commensurate with experience.

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Cassie Pinnell, at cassie@mattole.org.  Position is open until filled.

The Executive Director’s responsibilities include:

Organizational Management & Human Resources:

1. Maintain a climate which attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top-quality people. Create positive work environment through strong leadership, proactive problem solving and morale boosting activities. See that an effective management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place and retain or release staff as necessary
2. Work with the Board to assure that the organization has a realistic Strategic Plan which achieves its mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress. Create, shape, and maintain programs and projects in accordance with the Strategic Plan.
3. Oversee six staff members: One Program Director / Coordinator for each of MRC’s four programs, and the two administrative staff positions. Approve timecards and conduct annual performance reviews for the six direct reports, work out timecard and performance issues as necessary.
4. Serve as the top-level Safety Officer for MRC, supervising the Program Directors/Coordinators in their capacities as either direct field supervisors or supervisors of field supervisors.
5. Participate in all Board of Directors’ meetings, provide written monthly report to Board on the Council’s programmatic activities, financial status (reports will be provided to ED by bookkeeper), and all other substantial organizational news, participate in Board committees as needed.
6. Implement MRC policies as adopted by the Board. Regularly review the policies and make recommendations to the Board for needed modifications as the organization evolves.
7. Arbitrate internal disputes via the Grievance section of the Personnel Policy.
8. Develop and Oversee MRC’s volunteer program. Work with project managers to recruit, engage, and track volunteers. Work with administrative staff to ensure that proper policies and procedures are in place and implemented that represent best practices for incorporating volunteers into MRC’s work.
9. Ensure that the MRC complies with all legal employer requirements.

Fundraising/Development:

1. Work with staff and board members to maintain financial support for the Council through diverse funding sources, while ensuring that each program has adequate resources to complete its work.
2. Maintain positive relations with agencies, foundations, and private funders.
3. Oversee the Council’s membership program, and work to grow the membership and overall donations.
4. Work with program staff, Board, and community members to identify new project opportunities.
5. Prepare grant proposals and outreach materials, as necessary to maintain program funding.

Community Relations & Outreach:

1. Serve as the primary community liaison for MRC. Regularly visit field work operations. Meet with field crews, contractors, and participating/prospective landowners to positively represent the Council and our work, listen to concerns, and identify ways to address them. Maintain positive relations with Mattole landowners and residents.
2. Serve as the primary public representative of the MRC. Handle media appearances and community presentations as needed. Ensure positive representation of Council activities, staff/Board/volunteers, and MRC’s positions in the Mattole community, media and MRC publications.
3. Serve as the primary liaison between MRC and the other two organizations of the Mattole River and Range Partnership: Mattole Salmon Group and Sanctuary Forest. Seek to maintain a positive, productive, and clear partnership while representing MRC’s particular interests.
4. Periodically attend meetings of other Mattole watershed groups to foster mutual understanding between MRC and its community such as Mattole Grange, the volunteer fire departments, schools, the Buckeye, other local nonprofits, etc.
5. Attend and conduct appropriate outreach at community events.
6. Contribute regular letters to the readership of the Mattole Watershed News that serve to foster positive community relations and understanding.
7. Cultivate relationships with local journalists, submit periodic press releases.
8. Strategically use the Mattole Google Groups, public radio Community Announcements and the various public bulletin boards in the watershed to communicate with Mattole residents.
9. Reach out to new or seldom seen landowners. Provide informational mailings to new landowners. Meet with or otherwise correspond with these individuals at their convenience for outreach and listening.
10. Conduct periodic community “salons” to discuss Mattole restoration topics and allow a regular forum for community members to learn more about MRC’s current work and to provide MRC with feedback.
11. In these and other public communication forums articulate a compelling vision for the restoration and stewardship of the Mattole.

Wider External Relations/Policy:

1. Maintain positive relations with government agencies with jurisdiction in the Mattole.
2. Ensure excellent “customer service” in all MRC fee-for-service programs.
3. Participate in regional networks of restoration practitioners to understand and apply emerging concepts in watershed restoration, for example SRF, NCRLT, RCAA, ACCW, etc..
4. Provide effective representation of the Council’s interests in local, state and federal policymaking arenas.
5. Attend Mattole Technical Advisory Committee meetings.

Project Work:

1. As possible and as funding is available, engage in direct contract / grant project work.

Financial Management:

1. Maintain lines of credit and other loan sources as needed to manage cashflow. Monitor cash needs and access lines of credit as needed.
2. Manage all bank relationships.
3. Oversee bookkeeper production of annual 990 tax return; sign and submit on behalf of MRC, along with all other legally required government submittals.
4. Maintain sound system of internal controls, procurement, and accounting procedures. Maintain and refine/update as needed MRC Financial Procedures and Contract Management Procedures documents. Manage staff, accounting and IT systems accordingly.
5. Support administrative staff as needed to review/renew/shop out all needed organizational insurance policies including worker’s comp, general liability, and D&O insurance.
6. Review monthly financial reports, as prepared by bookkeeper.
7. Work with staff to create sound organization-wide annual budget (based on amalgamation of all anticipated project budgets with their associated GL-level detail of revenue and expense) for adoption by the board prior for each fiscal year.
8. Oversee management of MRC’s revenues and expenditures to adhere as possible to the annual budget. Apply business logic and management strategies to help MRC meet its financial goals.
9. Ensure MRC meets all contractual obligations. Oversee all contract managers to promote sound management of all funding contracts and subcontracts.
10. Serve as a primary signatory on all bank accounts.
11. Serve as Code Manager for funds including annual budgeting, revenue seeking, and expenditure approvals.
12. Review and approve pre-payroll reports and sign all employee paychecks each payday (with support from other signatories as needed).
13. Review and approve all annual Blanket Purchase Orders with spending caps in line with the annual budget.
14. Review all current Payment Requisitions each week, prioritize, decide, and approve for payment PRs as cashflow allows.
15. Ensure employee benefits are properly accrued, tracked, and communicated through MRC’s payroll system, and remain in compliance with the Personnel Policy.
16. Chair the staff-level Financial Committee, maintain a highly functional team of financial management staff.

Human Resources:

1. Retain HR consultant to advise on any legal changes or questions regarding human resources.
2. Serve as staff main point of contact for any HR needs.

Other Business Management:

1. Ensure MRC maintains all legal statuses needed for operations, such as its Contractor’s License.