Director of Strategy and Development 

Position Summary
We’re looking for a leader experienced in participatory visioning, guiding an organization to achieve that vision, and making the connections with supporters to fund that vision. You will join two other people in transitioning the Field Academy to a new staff team and scaling our program to provide more opportunities for high school students to create a more just and healthy world.
Starting: As soon as the right candidate is hired and able to start.
Application Timing: Rolling, accepted until position is filled.
Salary: $40,000 annual for full time work averaging 35hours/week.
Benefits: Contribution to health insurance, 30 paid vacation/personal days.
Location: Work from anywhere, some travel required.
​Tenure: Position will be evaluated this December for continued employment.
To apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to Heather Foran at heather@fieldacademy.org explaining your interest in the position, relevant experience, three references, and anything else you’d like us to know to get a sense of who you are and what you are passionate about.

Organizational Background
In 2011, we started a school to make life and learning indistinguishable as we connect, engage, empower, and educate young people to create a more just and healthy world. Our format has been a summer program that brings together diverse groups of students from across the United States to learn about critical regional issues through relationships with communities, story-telling, and experiences. It’s worked really well and our alumni have resoundingly asked us make this opportunity available to more students. The five programs have explored Northern New England, Central Appalachia, and the Southwest. The sixth program will be based in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa this summer, studying food and justice. We have been a scrappy, small organization capable of resourcefulness on a tiny budget, funded mostly by grassroots appeal donations from hundreds of small donors and the support of one (amazing) family foundation.

Our experiment in education has grown into a web of relationships, anchored on the experience of transformative education, between over fifty alumni, numerous community partners, educators, donors, and families across the United States. Now, our three founders are transitioning to support the next generation of the Field Academy as leadership is handed to a new team of three staff, including a Program Director, a Program Coordinator, and this position.

Position Details
We’re looking for a leader who feels excited by the challenge of guiding organizational transformation through an empowering participatory visioning process with our alumni, community partners, staff, and board. This person will build a strategic plan and lead the fundraising that helps the organization to scale up from its current small-scale, grassroots fundraising in order to accomplish this vision. We are anticipating that this means fundraising upwards of $200,000.
Time in 2019 will likely be allocated in this way:
  • 50% fundraising
  • 30% organizational leadership towards a sustainable five year vision
  • 20% administrative coordination, including media and communications
RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Leadership and Strategy
  • Guide the visioning of the strategic plan of the Field Academy through a participatory process with alumni, community partners, staff, and Board of Trustees. 
  • Work closely with Leadership Team to implement board resolutions and strategic plan.
  • Grow the Field Academy’s network of partners and supporters.
  • Explore the viability of educational partnerships or shifts in organizational structure for  sustainability.
  • Work in collaboration with the Program Director to determine strategic educational programming options rooted in the values of the Field Academy.
  • Participate in meetings of the Board of Trustees.
Fundraising and Development
  • Develop and implement a fundraising plan for the 2020 operating budget, capable of raising $200,000, much of which will come from new sources.
  • Direct the Board of Trustees and staff in fundraising initiatives.
  • Pursue grant funding options and establish a grant calendar.
  • Initiate and cultivate relationships with major donors and foundations.
  • Coordinate grassroots annual appeal.
Administrative Coordination
  • Receive and respond to mail addressed to the Field Academy.
  • Coordinate upkeep of Field Academy mailing list and contacts.
  • Manage communications to the Field Academy’s email mailing list.
  • Manage website updates.
  • Complete basic bookkeeping and financial management including bill payments and payroll.Manage hiring and employer responsibilities.
The ideal candidate will:
  • Have minimum 3 years of experience in organizational leadership.
  • Have experience with organizational transformation and participatory leadership.
  • Have experience in fundraising and donor relations, raising $200,000 from new sources.
  • Have experience with managing an organizational budget.
  • Be highly organized, and have strong attention to detail.
  • Be passionate about the role of education and young people in working towards social and environmental justice.
  • Have a strong analysis of power and privilege in the United States and be able to translate that into building relationships rooted in reciprocity and mutuality.
  • Love young people.
  • Have strong self-awareness and communication skills.
  • Be self-directed and take initiative and at the same time enjoy working in intensive collaboration.
  • Feel healthy and happy working in your own location, connecting with co-workers through video chat and phone.
  • Some nights and weekends may be required.
  • Be able to work with Google Docs and Microsoft Suite of programs.
  • Have familiarity with basic website management.
  • Have familiarity with Quickbooks and spreadsheets.
  • Have strong verbal and written skills.