Executive Director

RETI Center is seeking an experienced, strategic, and values-driven Executive Director to lead and manage the organization, shepherd its mission, and provide ongoing vision in line with the organization’s core values.

The Executive Director reports to RETI’s Board of Directors; runs the organization with the support of the Director of Operations & Finance; and oversees a budget of $2M and a team of 6 full-time and 4 part-time staff, as well as 7 interns and fellows. This is a full-time position, which is partially remote, but with some on-site work in Brooklyn, NY.

The ideal candidate for this position would be someone with a deep understanding of nonprofit management, capacity building, and fundraising; experience with collaborative leadership of varied stakeholders including staff, board, and organizational partners; some knowledge of a field related to RETI’s work, such as environmental policy, planning or science; an ability to articulate RETI Center’s story and impact verbally and in writing to increase its reach and its financial sustainability; and a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and equity.

This is an exciting moment for the RETI Center. The next leader will build on the organization’s first decade of experience and learnings, and shape the organization’s impact into the coming years.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director’s responsibilities include:

STRATEGIC VISION & LEADERSHIP

• Provide strategic vision for RETI Center’s work and next phase of impact by drawing on the strategic plan and translating it into executable goals and ensure that daily decision-making is led by shared strategy and values
• Periodically develop new, values-aligned strategic plan through collaborative process with staff, board, and other stakeholders
• Provide support needed for staff to understand and translate strategic vision and priorities into their daily work and successfully execute on the plan
• Ensure that all programs, projects, and other activities align with RETI’s values and exhibit a high-level of integrity
• Support the conception, design, execution, and evaluation of new programs, and the revision or sunsetting of programs that no longer meet the organization’s goals
• Actively engage board in mission and critical decision-making for the organization, drawing on their knowledge and experience strategically as thought partners who actively contribute to RETI’s development

FUNDRAISING & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Strengthen existing and cultivate new relationships with foundations, government, and corporate funders and individual donors, in line with our strategic priorities and values
• Create and manage the organizational budget in a way that is consistent with organizational values and priorities, and program commitments

STRENGTHENING INFRASTRUCTURE & OPERATIONS

• Lead the assessment and development of organizational infrastructure and systems in a way that manages risk, and supports the organization’s needs as it grows, including physical plant, internal controls, financial management, board development, legal compliance, technology, HR policies, and other areas as needed
• Ensure that organizational structures, policies, and procedures align with our values, and help build the infrastructure to ensure RETI’s programs and policies embody a commitment to racial justice and equity
• Support program evaluation and continual learning and improvement to ensure that RETI’s programs are impactful, continue to evolve, and align with our values

PARTNERSHIPS & EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Steward and expand on RETI’s relationships with our key stakeholder communities, including community organizations (particularly in Red Hook, East New York and Bronx neighborhoods where we hold workforce trainings); green energy industry partners and employers; funders; policy makers; environmental advocates and stewards; educational institutions; and program participants
• Engage and inspire RETI’s staff, board, and supporters around our mission to increase the organization’s impact by ensuring it is sustainably resourced and staffed
• Strategically guide RETI’s branding, messaging, and communications efforts to increase awareness of our work, engage partners, and increase financial support; Ensure that RETI’s’s communications are consistent with our organizational values;
• Contribute to thought leadership in the fields RETI participates in, such as climate justice, clean energy, and innovative coastal and ecosystem restoration; share lessons learned from RETI’s work to support continued advancement and critical dialogue in those fields.

PEOPLE & CULTURE

• Lead our committed team by providing direction, vision, and follow-through; clearly articulating the relationship between our values and vision and our day-to-day decision-making; and ensuring all staff have clear roles and responsibilities
• Lead with active communication, collaborative and transparent decision-making, and genuine relationship-building
• Continue to build a team of individuals with relevant skills, training, and lived experience and provide training and support so they can excel in their roles and build a rewarding career at RETI and beyond
• Provide direct supervision to the Director of Operations & Finance
• Partner with the board to recruit and train new board members in line with RETI’s values and strategic needs; support board with ongoing development and training in alignment with organizational priorities and values

Who should apply?

Requirements for this position are listed below. We recognize that a successful candidate will meet many of the requirements listed on this job description, but may not meet all of the qualifications. If much of this job description describes you, we encourage you to apply.

CORE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

1. Content area expertise: RETI Center’s work takes place at the intersection of environment, equity, and economy. The Executive Director does not need to be an expert in these areas, but should be able to learn, synthesize information, and become conversant on these topics to build credibility with partners and staff and advance the mission of the organization. The ideal candidate would have some experience in a related or overlapping field, such as environmental justice, environmental policy, waterfront planning, or green energy, for example.
2. Organizational leadership experience
   • A minimum of 7 years of increasingly complex work experience in a relevant field, ideally leading an organization for part of that time
   • Demonstrated ability to raise revenue from diverse sources including foundations, government entities, fee for service work, and individual donors; Experience successfully creating, raising, and overseeing annual budget of at least $1M
   • Track record with program design, oversight, and evaluation with a focus on supporting continual improvement and learning
   • Previous experience collaboratively developing and executing strategic plans, including engaging board, staff, and external partners around priorities and supporting their implementation
3. People, culture & collaboration
   • A track record of building, training, and empowering strong, highly collaborative teams & culture where vision and values drive decision-making
   • Ability to build transparent and trusting relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including staff, as well as external partners including grassroots community organizations, industry and technical partners, policymakers, educational partners, funders, and government entities
4. Communications
   • Strong communication skills, including the ability to speak and write in a clear and accessible way for multiple audiences
   • Track record as a compelling public speaker who is able to engage a wide range of audiences
5. Alignment with RETI Center’s values
   • Strong belief in the need for those impacted by climate change to have a say in addressing it and to benefit from economic changes that result
   • Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and ability to integrate this lens into organizational operations and practices
   • Ability to be flexible and open to learning and growing as the organization does
   • Demonstrated commitment to innovation, creativity, and ability to imagine what does not yet exist, and work to make it concrete

RETI Center is a 17-person organization with an annual budget of $2 million, and poised to continue growing. We have a hybrid work environment, with access to desks and meeting space in Industry City in Sunset Park; various off-site activities such as trainings throughout the city, and our programs at the Harbor Middle School in Red Hook; and frequent activity at our Field Station, located on the Red Hook waterfront. The Executive Director will work partially remotely, at the Field Station, or at Industry City, but will be expected to attend meetings with staff, public events, and volunteer events as needed. They should be comfortable working in a non-office setting at least some of the time.

This position may also entail occasional travel outside of New York City in the future. Work hours are flexible, but generally around 9 am to 5 pm. Our work requires occasional evening and weekend events, such as corporate volunteer events, workshops, presentations, and fundraisers. Staff predominantly work remotely but come together in person for events and meetings.

This is a full-time, salaried position. The salary range is $110,000 to $135,000, commensurate with skills and experience. Our benefits program currently includes paid personal and sick leave and a QSEHRA, and we are applying for full health insurance coverage. We are actively working to expand our benefits coverage, and the new Executive Director would play a key role in doing so.