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We are hiring: Executive Director

Friends of Casco Bay, a science-based, community-oriented, environmental nonprofit organization that has worked for over 30 years to improve and protect the environmental health of Casco Bay, is hiring an Executive Director.

About Friends of Casco Bay

Friends of Casco Bay works to improve and protect the environmental health of Casco Bay, an Estuary of National Significance, located in the Gulf of Maine. We monitor the health of the Bay, documenting changes and issues of concern. We use those data to engage our community in our work and advocate for solutions that improve the health of our coastal waters.

Casco Bay, like the Gulf of Maine, the fastest-warming body of water in the world, is changing quickly. We play a leading role in our region to reduce pollution, encourage stewardship, and address the causes and consequences of climate change to Casco Bay. Our work is guided by science, the regulatory environment, common decency, and passion for protecting our coastal waters. We are home to the Casco BAYKEEPER®, our lead advocate who acts as the eyes, ears, and voice of Casco Bay. We use the Research Vessel Joseph E. Payne to collect data, to investigate concerns, and as an educational platform. We are one of the seven founding members of WATERKEEPER® Alliance, a network that has grown to include more than 300 independent organizations working to protect waters around the world. Thanks to our efforts, industrial pollution has decreased, municipalities are working to reduce sewage and stormwater pollution, and the Bay has been designated a No Discharge Area, making it one of the most protected water bodies in the country.

A Board of 13 Directors oversees the work of Friends of Casco Bay. More than 2,500 households and donors support our organization. More than 500 volunteers assist us in our efforts. We are known as an exceptional place to work, with dedicated, cohesive, long-time staff. We currently have seven full-time employees. We balance our ability to leverage collaborative efforts, funds, and volunteers, with the capacity and capabilities of staff — a talented team, each passionate about our mission.

We work to improve and protect the health of this special place for everyone. We are committed to creating a culture and practices that integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work.

The Job of the Executive Director (ED)

The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for general oversight of our programs, fiscal operations, human resources, administrative functions, benefits administration, fundraising, and organizational planning. The ED facilitates turning the organization’s vision, strategies, and values into specific actions to support our mission while helping us continue to build a strong, resilient organization. The ED works with the Board and staff to establish strategic goals, and works with the staff to develop annual operating plans that will move the organization toward those goals. The ED oversees our development efforts to ensure the financial stability of our organization. It is anticipated that our ED will become a recognized figure in Maine and especially in the Casco Bay region. The ED works in service to our mission and reports to the Board through the Board President. All staff report to the ED.

The ED’s core Program and Administrative responsibilities are to:

  • Facilitate our organization’s vision for our work and provide leadership to move us toward that vision.
  • Provide oversight of Friends’ staff and activities through coordinating and implementing an annual operating plan and budget for review by the Board of Directors. Work with staff to continue development and evaluation of program, fundraising, community engagement, communications, operating, and administrative strategies.
  • Work closely with the Casco Baykeeper, our lead advocate and voice of the Bay, on policy directions and issue positioning. Work with the Casco Baykeeper to ensure compliance with Waterkeeper Alliance Quality Standards.
  • Identify new opportunities for partnerships and collaborations and work with the Board and staff to foster those relationships.

The ED’s core Fiscal responsibilities are to:

  • Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, filing deadlines (e.g. IRS Form 990) to protect the assets and integrity of the organization. Monitor all matters pertaining to the organization’s IRS 501(c)3 status and state charitable organization designation.
  • Maintain good internal financial controls and separation of duties. Oversee financials, cash flow, and bookkeeping/accounting processes. Authorize expenditures and sign off on bills to be paid. Prepare financial reports for the Board.
  • Understand and maintain adequate insurance coverages (business, watercrafts, Directors & Officers, employee benefits, etc).
  • Negotiate and fulfill requirements of occupancy lease, if a lease is in effect. Ensure that the building is well maintained and that all staff have adequate space, resources, and equipment to do their jobs.
  • Work with the Office Manager and staff to maintain technology, equipment, and software renewal upgrades and schedules, from computers, server, and printers, to boats and water quality monitoring equipment.

The ED’s core Fundraising and Marketing responsibilities are to:

  • Ensure funding adequate to maintain Friends as a vital part of improving and protecting the environmental health of Casco Bay by working with the Board, Communications and Development Director, and other staff, to raise revenue to equal or exceed revenue budget. Assist in fundraising efforts, especially identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major donors, foundations, corporations, governmental entities, and other nonprofits.
  • Facilitate and implement a marketing strategy with development and communications staff, the Casco Baykeeper, and Board to achieve successful fundraising, increase the visibility of the organization, and increase public awareness of the issues on which we are focused.
  • Further develop mutually beneficial networking relationships with other environmental, business, municipal, and community organizations.

The ED’s Personnel responsibilities are to:

  • Train, mentor, develop, and manage staff. Recruit new staff as needs arise. Conduct staff reviews and evaluations. Assess staffing needs. Create and revise job descriptions as needed.
  • Maintain, update, and administer our Staff Policy Handbook.
  • Assure compliance with all employment laws.
  • Oversee benefits program – administration, adequacy, and cost effectiveness.
  • Ensure a safe, trusting, and harassment-free work environment, wherein staff members grow professionally, are valued, and work together as an ensemble while maintaining their core areas of responsibility.

The ED’s core Board Relations responsibilities are to:

  • Be the lead liaison between the Board and staff; the ED communicates regularly with the Board President and other Directors regarding Friends’ activities.
  • Attend Board meetings, Executive Committee meetings, Community Engagement Committee meetings, and other Board committee meetings as appropriate.
  • Work with the Board President to craft Board meeting agendas that both engage the Board and help provide staff with the guidance and attention they deserve.
  • When in doubt or when anything unexpected and of a material nature arises, bring it to the attention of the Board President and Executive Committee as soon as possible.

The ED’s core Communications responsibilities are to:

  • Keep up with what is going on in the Casco Bay region and integrate that knowledge into staff meetings and plans.
  • Ensure our advocacy positions, communications, and program work are in line with our mission.
  • Help facilitate the generation of a wider variety of communications efforts to share our work with the community.
  • Represent Friends to our diverse community at a wide variety of public and private meetings and engagements in ways that build our visibility and credibility.

The Executive Director must possess: strong communications skills; proven ability to effectively manage people and projects; demonstrated ability in managing finances; proven success at fundraising; the ability to create and maintain relationships with collaborative partners and policy makers; experience in community networking; and strong computer skills.

The ideal candidate holds an advanced degree in a field relative to this work or has deep professional experience in such a field. The ED should have experience working with nonprofits and familiarity with marine science or ecology or community engagement or organizing or environmental policy.

This is a full time professional position and often requires long hours. All staff members, including the ED, help with event setup and clean up, as well as greeting visitors, answering the phone, responding to public inquiries in a timely manner, and providing other organizational support as needed.

Salary and benefits

The salary range is $98,000 to $112,000 a year, commensurate with experience, with an excellent benefits package, including health and dental insurance (75%), life insurance, and retirement plan.

Location and public health expectations

The ED must live in the Casco Bay watershed, or move to the Casco Bay watershed, within 6 months of being hired. Friends of Casco Bay’s office is currently located in South Portland, Maine, in the greater Portland region. Portland is a diverse oceanfront city in southern Maine offering a vibrant cultural scene and easy access to the state’s many recreational opportunities. 100% of our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and we expect our ED to be, too.

Start date

As soon as possible upon job offer.

Application Instructions

Cover letter, resume, and writing sample in response to the following prompt, not to exceed 500 words (writing sample is for use in the application process only): What role does a regional nonprofit environmental group have in confronting the global threat of climate change?

Email your application as a single PDF document to searchcommittee@cascobay.org by January 2, 2022. Screenings and interviews will be conducted initially by phone and online; finalists will be interviewed in person as CDC guidelines allow. No phone calls please.

About Casco Bay

Casco Bay encompasses 14 coastal communities, including two of Maine’s largest cities, Portland and South Portland, and two of Maine’s newest towns, Long Island and Chebeague Island. Casco Bay is both a working waterfront—a port of call for cruise ships, oil tankers, and container ships—and a scenic postcard of historic forts, stalwart lighthouses, secluded anchorages, and many islands.

We are home to the Casco Baykeeper

Baykeeping is our mission put into practice: acting to improve and protect the environmental health of Casco Bay. Our Baykeeping Program exists to advocate for solutions to environmental challenges facing the Bay.

30 Years of Friends of Casco Bay

This timeline highlights our biggest victories as well as some of the most significant moments of Friends of Casco Bay’s history over the past three decades.