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The Role
The Executive Director will lead CFN’s strategy, operations, staff, programs, fundraising, budgeting, partnerships, communications, and network growth. The role includes implementing a multi-year strategic vision, raising revenue through multi-year grants and partnerships, overseeing training and convening activities, managing finances, supervising staff, and serving as a thought leader in conservation finance. Travel to events and meetings may comprise up to 25% of the role.
Summary Generated by Built In
About the Organization:
The Conservation Finance Network (CFN) advances land and resource conservation by cultivating a network that expands the use and replication of innovative and effective funding and financing strategies. We support a vibrant community of practice across the nonprofit, public, philanthropic, and private sectors that share and incorporate best practices in conservation finance. We achieve our mission through four strategies: convening practitioners through various training and networking events; connecting practitioners with information, tools, and best practices and with each other; coaching practitioners in best practices, including through partnerships such as those with the U.S. Forest Service’s Cooperative Forestry Program and the Department of Defense’s Sentinel Landscapes Partnership; and catalyzing development of the conservation finance field and replication of innovations within it. Since its founding in 2007, CFN has evolved into a vibrant network and go-to resource hub for thousands of practitioners across the country seeking to deploy effective and innovative funding and financing strategies. The Executive Director will help refine and implement a new strategic vision that emphasizes the continued growth and evolution of the CFN, strengthening participation and belonging in the network, enhancing the visibility and accessibility of opportunities across the movement and amplifying the stories and impact of the network and its members.
Position Summary:
The Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for CFN’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. With the support of experienced staff and a robust steering committee, they will be responsible for developing deep knowledge of the field, core programs, operations, partnerships, network stakeholders, fundraising plans, and strategic growth opportunities. By building a growing network of public, private, and nonprofit professionals through practitioner convenings, intensive training, and the dissemination of relevant knowledge, the Executive Director will oversee the program to increase people’s capacity to find practical solutions to address challenges of resource conservation.
Primary Responsibilities
- Leadership: Provide executive leadership that ensures the organization is aligned on strategic priorities and that staff are focused on effectively delivering programs and resources to achieve our strategic goals. With input from CFN’s Steering Committee, refine and implement CFN’s new multi-year strategic vision. With staff team, develop implementation plan for priority goals and actions including projected timelines and budget needed for growth.
- Fundraising: Develop and implement a fundraising plan for an annual budget of $600,000-$850,000. Address the need to strategically increase revenue generating and fundraising activities to sustain existing program operations and achieve future strategic growth. Recruit non-monetary in-kind contributions that support program implementation.
- Coalition Building: Actively engage and energize CFN Steering Committee members, network stakeholders, Boot Camp alumni, partner organizations, and funders to motivate their participation in and support of the CFN community of practice.
- Supervision: Lead, coach, develop, and motivate a team of staff members to effectively achieve the CFN strategic vision.
- Oversight of Program Activities: Responsible for guiding the staff team on implementation of the program, including all training and network activities. Where possible, identify partnerships for collaboration and new projects that advance the strategic vision.
- Oversight of Finances & Budgeting: In close coordination with Multiplier, manage all aspects of the budget and actual income and expenditures to produce financial reports for funders and the Steering Committee in a timely fashion.
- Thought Leadership: Proactively stay apprised of new and innovative land conservation finance techniques. Build a credible and authoritative voice on trends and developments across the field and engage in public forums and speaking opportunities to advance thought leadership and CFN mission objectives.
- Communication: Share regular updates with appropriate Multiplier staff, CFN Steering Committee, and other network partners. Provide oversight of external communications with broader field through bi-monthly e-newsletter, blog posts and dissemination of CFN and partners information resources.
The Ideal Candidate
You have superb interpersonal and communication skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiasm for sharing a vision, are comfortable with uncertainty, and have the ability to think strategically and creatively to build a case for financial support. You are adept at managing budgets and programs to advance organizational goals and have a passion for helping land and resource conservation practitioners envision and pursue new pathways for funding and financing their efforts. You are willing to travel to events and meetings throughout the year to achieve program and fundraising goals (up to 25% travel). The ideal candidate will be a person of high energy and integrity with the ability to bring humor, curiosity, joy, and humility to further a positive team dynamic and community culture.
Specific Experience Requested:
- We recognize that each applicant for this role will bring unique skills, knowledge, experiences, and background to this position, lending their flair to the trajectory of the Executive Director role. We welcome diverse experiences and perspectives in our applicant pool, and will be looking for candidates who possess many, but not necessarily all, of the following qualifications and experience:
- Bachelor's degree in environmental studies, business, finance, or related discipline.
- Master's degree related to financial solutions to environmental problems and at least five years of experience in non-profit program leadership.
- Successful track record with recruiting multi-year six-figure grants.
- Successful track record in executing strategic planning processes.
- Demonstrated experience with high profile workshop and conference facilitation.
- Demonstrated experience building and maintaining strategic partnerships, and relationship-based business development.
- Demonstrated experience managing a robust industry association or collaborative across public, private, nonprofit, philanthropic, and academic entities.
- Expert understanding of current issues and knowledge of leading organizations and practitioners.
- Excellent and tactful interpersonal and written/verbal communication including facilitation.
- Superb organization skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to exercise sound and independent judgement while maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, major webinar platforms such as Zoom, Teams and/or Adobe Connect, and social media platforms.
- Ability to sit and stand for long periods of time.
- Ability to problem solve, make decisions, and supervise staff.
Compensation & Application
Compensation: CFN provides a comprehensive compensation package, including competitive salary ($150k annual salary), excellent medical and dental benefits, retirement savings, and generous vacation and sick leave policy.
How to Apply: To apply, please visit our Applicant Portal. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received on or before Sunday, August 9, 2026. Please include a cover letter in your application materials describing your relevant experience and qualifications. We respectfully request no follow-up calls or emails.
CFN is an independent operating project of the nonprofit umbrella organization, Multiplier, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world (www.multiplier.org)
Multiplier and CFN are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and accessible application process for all candidates. We recognize that the traditional hiring process can create barriers. If we can support your participation in the job application or interview process by providing specific assistance or accommodation, please reach out to [email protected]. Requests for accommodations are confidential and will not impact your candidacy.
CFN is an independent operating project of the nonprofit umbrella organization, Multiplier, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world (www.multiplier.org)
Multiplier and CFN are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and accessible application process for all candidates. We recognize that the traditional hiring process can create barriers. If we can support your participation in the job application or interview process by providing specific assistance or accommodation, please reach out to [email protected]. Requests for accommodations are confidential and will not impact your candidacy.
About
Multiplier accelerates impact for innovative projects focused on protecting and fostering a healthy, sustainable, resilient and equitable world. At Multiplier, program teams can turn game-changing ideas into planet-saving impact, and they can do it faster and better than they otherwise could.Multiplier celebrates diversity and is committed to building teams and partnerships that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Multiplier is also committed to providing an environment of mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment. Multiplier prohibits discrimination in its governance, programs, and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, marital status, amnesty, status as a covered veteran, because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from public assistance, or for any other factor that is not based on merit.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, business, finance, or a related discipline
- Master’s degree related to financial solutions to environmental problems
- At least five years of experience in nonprofit program leadership
- Successful track record recruiting multi-year six-figure grants
- Successful track record executing strategic planning processes
- Experience facilitating high-profile workshops and conferences
- Experience building and maintaining strategic partnerships and conducting relationship-based business development
- Experience managing a robust industry association or collaborative across public, private, nonprofit, philanthropic, and academic entities
- Expert understanding of current issues and leading organizations and practitioners in the field
- Excellent, tactful interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills, including facilitation
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to exercise sound, independent judgment and maintain confidentiality
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Proficiency with webinar platforms such as Zoom, Teams, or Adobe Connect
- Proficiency with social media platforms
- Ability to sit and stand for long periods
- Ability to problem-solve, make decisions, and supervise staff
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The Company
What We Do
FieldKit is an open-source software and hardware platform (environmental sensors, app, and FieldKit.org website) that allows individuals and organizations to collect and share field-based research data and tell stories through interactive visualizations. Designed to be easy to deploy customizable, FieldKit can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse research teams, from biology and ecology to marine and environmental sciences, from post-doc researchers to elementary school students. FieldKit offers a simple platform for enabling live data expeditions, and for the creation and deployment of environmental sensor networks or in situ monitoring. The aim is to bring open source scientific monitoring capabilities to anyone who wants it. FieldKit has been funded by the National Geographic Society and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. It is currently being deployed with UCLA in the Congo Basin, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Florida International University in the Amazon rainforest, throughout the American Prairie Reserve in Montana, and a number of other locations.
