Executive Director

Position: Executive Director

Reports To: Board of Directors

Status: Full Time/Exempt

Location: Southeast (Remote within SSDN's 10-state region)

The Opportunity

The Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) seeks a strategic, emotionally intelligent, and inspiring leader to serve as Executive Director (ED) as it embarks on its second decade having newly transitioned from fiscal sponsorship to an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The ED will lead a talented team of 15 in partnership with a dedicated Board of 13 while supporting a growing network of local government sustainability leaders across the Southeastern United States - a region, like many others around the world, experiencing extreme heat, rising seas, strengthening storms, flooding, drought, crop loss, and more driven by climate change. The ideal ED will bring deep commitment to climate equity; experience in nonprofit leadership, local government, and/or membership-driven organizations; and a belief in the power of connecting local government sustainability professionals to build a just and resilient future. This is a fully remote position open to candidates based in or with deep ties and willingness to relocate to any of SSDN’s 10 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.

The Organization

SSDN was founded in 2014 driven by the belief that an organization dedicated to supporting sustainability and resilience staff in government in the southeast U.S. was critically needed. SSDN connects local government sustainability professionals throughout the region to accelerate, scale, and implement sustainable best practices so that communities are equipped to adapt to and mitigate climate change. SSDN is a member-driven organization committed to fostering a culture of belonging and shared learning. With a budget of over $4.5 million and a values-aligned remote team of 15, SSDN continues to make a critical impact across key offerings including Peer Learning, the State Policy Program, Federal Programs, Equity Resources, Green Mind’s Podcast, and the Annual Meeting bringing members from across the Southeast face-to-face.

SSDN’s strategic pillars are to maintain a strong a trusted network, grow the field, build member capacity, address systemic barriers, and grow and sustain organizational capacity with current organizational priorities including:

• Assisting members in adapting to shifting and uncertain socio-economic and political landscapes
• Enhancing and tailoring member services to growing and evolving member needs
• Ensuring a focus on staff and board development during a phase of rapid growth and formalization as a nonprofit
• Continuing to build a culture of togetherness, both among staff and members
• Maximizing fundraising and expanding funding sources, particularly among the philanthropic community

Learn more about SSDN at: https://southeastsdn.org

The Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will lead vision and strategy; champion equity and belonging; foster board partnership; grow organizational capacity; enhance program impact; and build resources.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Vision and Strategy

• In partnership with the board and staff, align the organization around a compelling vision for the future, one that can rally stakeholders, partner organizations, and donors to secure resources and support the mission
• Evolve SSDN’s mission and core values, as needed, to ensure the organization’s compass is refreshed and guiding toward the vision
• Develop goals, strategies, and tactics in the form of annual work plans as a key roadmap deepening accountability to the strategy developed in partnership with the board
• Develop, share, and implement the organization’s strategic plan in partnership with the board, staff, members, funders, and other key stakeholders

Leadership

• Use the power of storytelling and passion for the mission to compel stakeholders - staff, board, members, volunteers, and donors - to deepen their support and/or engagement and invite others to participate
• Build a sense of belonging for organizational stakeholders, ensuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem
• Model a style of leadership that tends to self-care and supports healthy balance for the team
• Cultivate and maintain a member-centric community where there is safety to connect deeply and communicate authentically with each other, rooted in the network model
• Serve as an innovative, bold thought leader staying on top of trends and sparking or challenging new thoughts and ideas to better serve members

Board Partnership

• Build, cultivate, and nurture a true partnership with the Board of Directors built on mutual respect and trust
• Provide the Board of Directors with the resources, information, and training necessary to be able to fulfill their duties and to be organizational ambassadors
• Actively help identify prospective board members who bring the skills, attributes, and lived experience necessary for the board to be the best partner it can be

Management

• Build, lead, and retain an effective, relationship-oriented, and diverse team dedicated to the mission and with the requisite skills to be successful
• Delegate effectively in a way that values the skills of the team and empowers them to execute with accountability and support
• Establish effective decision making at all levels to ensure that voices are heard and that short- and long-term goals are met
• Ensure the organization is resting on a fiscally sound foundation, that relevant parties are informed about fiscal status, and that financial information is communicated in a manner accessible to all
• Assist in developing the annual budget and ensure the board is knowledgeable about its details so the board can confidently adopt the final version on an annual basis
• Manage consultant relationships and contracts in alignment with key organizational strategies
• Set a cadence of effective communication, both internally and externally, regarding organizational developments, program offerings, general news, and other updates as necessary
• Work with the Board Executive Subcommittee to ensure overall successful management of board meetings, annual planning, annual meeting, and other strategic oversight items
• Ensure overall operational functions and policies are established, maintained, tested, and run effectively, including HR policies, payroll, benefits, and other related items

Impact

• Evaluate organization impact on an annual basis, at minimum, and support the development of an Annual Report in coordination with the board
• Oversee a programmatic portfolio that is designed with a deep understanding of the communities served and that aligns with the mission, long-range plans, and unique needs among membership
• Ensure effective systems for regular evaluation of specific programs and the entire programmatic portfolio so that adaptation to changing needs of core communities is centered
• Oversee Key Performance Indicator development and annually measure progress towards goals, including sharing progress with stakeholders
• Bring a spirit of innovation to the program work and to pilot new ideas that could be incorporated into or will maximize existing work

Growing Resources

• Set the intention of strategic organizational fundraising and work with the staff, board, and other stakeholders to identify prospects and close gifts
• With an understanding that fundraising is relational, develop strategies that ensure that donors are nurtured from their first gift
• Assist in the development of grant applications and ensure appropriate grant management tools are in place, including proper reporting
• Actively participate in partner events including speaking opportunities and networking events
• Establish expectations for membership growth and management in coordination with the Board Member Services Subcommittee

The Ideal ED

The ideal candidate will embody the values of SSDN and bring collaborative, courageous, and compassionate leadership and strategic insights to the work through the following skills and characteristics as well as any other transferable lived and professional experiences:

• Mission Alignment: Deep belief in and passion for SSDN’s purpose with commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Relevant Leadership Experience: 10+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a non-profit and/or experience working in or alongside local government with understanding of climate equity and resilience in the Southeastern U.S. as well as of network theory; Experience leading a membership-driven organization and/or as a current or former member of SSDN is a plus
• Values-Based Approach: Recognizes that leadership is a joyful responsibility and handles it with intention; authenticity; collaboration; cultural and emotional intelligence; compassion; and empathy, especially in times of crisis, with openness to learning and adapting; acknowledgment and valuing of diversity; a commitment to coaching and empowering others; and effective integration of this leadership approach into the organization
• Stakeholder Engagement: Track record of listening, building trust, meeting people where they are, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and catalyzing collaboration within a diverse set of stakeholders
• Finance & Fundraising Acumen: Experience overseeing organizational, departmental, and/or initiative budgets and contributing to fundraising at or near a comparable scale of $4 million annually
• Storytelling Prowess: Magnetic communicator and storyteller capable of inspiring and drawing people in to the work of SSDN
• Technical Competence: Digitally savvy with enthusiasm about the possibilities of technological advances (e.g., data visualization, AI, emerging technologies, smart cities, etc.)
• Education & Expertise: Holds a relevant advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience with professional certifications that relate to sustainability, resilience, organizational management, finance, and/or development a plus

The Application

SSDN is pleased to be partnering with Walker & Associates Consulting - a Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and executive search firm promoting equitable community impact - for this search. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and three references (references will not be contacted without your permission) to ssdn@walkeraac.com by August 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Please use the subject line: SSDN Executive Director Application. Submit your materials as one PDF or Word document, if possible. Questions or nominations? Email Jeannine Walker at jwalker@walkeraac.com

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT

SSDN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, service in the military or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

EQUITY STATEMENT

SSDN members know inequities in our systems and policies limit positive outcomes and quality of life for all of us. Members are committed to establishing and advancing equitable communities for all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, economic status or any other status. Members also know that race and ethnicity are the primary predictors of a person’s outcomes across all social indicators and societal systems. Therefore, the network prioritizes racial and ethnic equity to dismantle the policies and systems that have created and sustained these inequities. When we achieve racial and ethnic equity, we believe all people in the region will benefit.

Additionally, SSDN members recognize that those who contribute the least to climate change are those who are most vulnerable to the threats caused by a changing climate. Therefore, SSDN members have a unique responsibility in their roles to address climate equity, which involves addressing:

• Responsibilities for greenhouse gas emissions contributions and generators;
• Disproportionate distribution of climate change burdens and vulnerabilities; and
• Just distribution of the benefits of climate protection efforts

This requires climate strategies that deal with the systems that contribute to climate change, the conditions that perpetuate existing inequities, and the effects of climate change and their distribution. SSDN members believe that the actions local governments take to adapt to or mitigate climate change must provide benefits across the community, and at the very least not cause more harm to those in their communities who have been or will be most affected by climate change.

No matter where members are in their efforts, they are committed to challenging the ways in which racism, inequality, and privilege intersect with their work to address climate change.