Title: Executive Director

Reports to: Board of Directors

Hours: 25 hours per week

Start Date: February 10, 2025

Salary: $40,000 commensurate with experience and with some flexibility

Location:  Remote

About the Organization 

Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth is a 501(c)3 liberal religious non-profit organization dedicated to be seedbed for spiritual grounding and education that inspires deep practices of Earth care, justice and flourishing for all. We seek to contribute to a healthy and connected climate justice movement, within our Unitarian Universalist tradition and beyond. To fulfill our mission, we offer educational events and curriculum, periodic gatherings and spiritual support for grounded action.  UUMFE’s work and inter-organizational collaborations are grounded in intersectional climate justice organizing principles. See: www.uumfe.org.    And you can see our history, past newsletters and annual reports here. 

Role Description

The Executive Director will be responsible for: program direction, fundraising, staff management, and general operations; they will also participate in strategic planning. 

The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors and provide direct supervision to the Communications Associate, contract bookkeeper and any future staff or contractors. The Executive Director will be responsible for raising, managing, and growing the organization’s budget, which will be approximately $100,000 for 2025.

The incoming Executive Director will be joining at a critical moment, as we seek to refine our strategic direction and offerings, expand our donor base and funding, and maintain our partnerships with UU organizations and beyond. The ED will play a leadership role in engaging and mobilizing a volunteer Board of Directors in setting annual goals and identifying major individual donors and other sources to help meet the financial needs of the organization and to successfully implement our programs nationwide.

We are seeking an Executive Director who is passionate about the mission of Unitarian Universalism and climate justice, has the skill set to further develop and grow the organization, while also bringing the vision and leadership required to lead our organization forward.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Staff Management (20%)
  • Advance UUMFE’s goals by providing effective and passionate leadership in strategic planning, fundraising, and supporting the needs of the staff.
  • While maintaining a collaborative management model, manage the staff, and create structures for supervision and evaluation. 
  • Be an active participant, along with the UUMFE Board, in developing and articulating an annual plan that integrates fundraising, financial management, programs, communications, operations, and administration.
  • Lead the execution of that plan.
  • Hire and supervise contractors and/or staff to fulfill the plan as appropriate.
  • Help assess and develop internal operational policies and procedures.
  • Develop, with input from staff and Board, an Annual Report. 
  • Serve as the lead advocate and spokesperson for UUMFE, effectively communicating its value and impact to diverse audiences through spoken, written and visual materials.
  • Take the lead in representing UUMFE to donors, partners, program participants, the press, and the community.
• Program Direction (45%)
  • Collaborate with staff or contractors to develop and present three core annual UUMFE offerings:
    • Earth Day worship service 
    • UUA General Assembly workshops and “booth”  
    • Winter Solstice live online worship service
  • Coordinate programs with the UUA’s Side with Love “Create Climate Justice” team
  • Create additional programming to further UUMFE’s climate justice mission, as financial and time resources allow 
  • Track and document program participation, feedback, evaluation and utilization to adapt future programs
• Fundraising (20%)
  • Develop and implement a multi-faceted fundraising strategy to support and expand UUMFE’s operations, programs, and educational initiatives in collaboration with the Board’s Fundraising and Finance Committees.
  • Identify, write, manage, and submit grant proposals and grant reports to maintain and grow the organization.
  • Expand, maintain, and cultivate our network of individual donors, in particular high-level donors.
  • Deepen our congregational share-the-plate initiative.
• Financial Management (5%)
  • Develop, review, and maintain the annual operating budget.
  • Direct the management of UUMFE’s finances including a monthly review (with UUMFE bookkeeper) of payments and receipts.  Liaise with the Treasurer. 
• Board Relations: (10%)
  • Update Board monthly on programs, financial status, , fundraising, and UUMFE activities that fulfill the mission.
  • Work closely with the Board of Directors to develop and implement UUMFE’s strategic direction and fundraising efforts.

Required Skills and Experience

Unitarian Universalism and Climate Justice:

• Deep commitment to Unitarian Universalist values.
• Passionate and knowledgeable about intersectional perspectives on climate justice.
• Minimum of five years in environmental, religious, or otherwise related non-profit or UU congregations/organizations.
• Knowledge of existing partnerships in the UU and climate justice is preferred.
• An appreciation for the challenges faced by historically marginalized groups.

Executive Director:

• Self-motivation, ability to work independently, especially to problem solve creatively and exercise excellent professional judgment.
• Strong time and project management skills: ability to prioritize, organize, deliver and follow-up across multiple competing demands and timelines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills. 
• Experience working and collaborating with a non-profit Board of Directors.
• Experience in developing and managing program evaluations to demonstrate impact in coordination with staff, volunteers and funders.
• Experience in managing existing and fostering new collaborative partnerships.
• Ability to effectively communicate and work with internal and external individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Proficient in MS Office, Google Workspace, Zoom, Customer or Church Relationship Management software, and project/task management systems (e.g., Trello, Asana, or similar).
• Natural collaborator
• Creative visionary
• Team player
• Passionate, nurturing leader
• Sense of humor and seeker of joy
• Skilled in navigating and guiding an organization through a time of transition
• Trauma-informed and sensitive to tending the grief that accompanies the climate justice landscape of our time

Salary and Benefits

This role is a part-time 25-hour a week position with an annual salary indicated above.

UUMFE offers a virtual work environment, flexible work schedule, and competitive paid time off.

The ED will also be eligible for a $4,000 stipend to be used for either health insurance or retirement funds and $2,000 for professional expenses. 

How To Apply

Use this address: searchteam@uumfe.org. 

Email a resume and cover letter in a document. Indicate “ED” in the subject line. Please include how you heard about the job. Also include the names and contact information for three references.

People with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, Hispanic/Latino, and LGBTQ+ candidates are encouraged to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure whether you meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage you to inquire and/or apply. 

Projected Hiring timeline: 

• Our search team will begin evaluating resumes immediately upon receipt, ie. on a rolling basis beginning December 14. Pre-holiday submissions are strongly encouraged !  Final date for applications is Wednesday January 6, 2025.
• Interviews of top three candidates by the Board will occur the week of January 13, 2025
• Second interviews if necessary and reference checks will occur the week of January 20, 2025
• Offer made January 27, 2025 
• Start date February 10, 2025
• Transition with current Executive Director February 10 – February 28, 2025.