Executive Director Saco Main Street

Executive Director

Saco Main Street

Location: Saco, Maine

Reports To: Board of Directors

Status: 32 hours/week

About Saco Main Street

Downtown Saco is on the rise — a walkable riverside community with a growing arts scene, a packed calendar of beloved local events, and a whole lot of momentum. Saco Main Street (SMS) is looking for a leader who's excited to build on that energy, champion local businesses, and help shape what downtown becomes next. If you love the intersection of community, creativity, and place, this is the job.

Saco Main Street is seeking its next Executive Director as the current ED transitions to a new opportunity. This is an opportunity to build on SMS's momentum and lead the organization through its next phase of downtown revitalization work.

Saco Main Street is a nationally-accredited Main Street program and 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening downtown Saco through community and economic development, placemaking, community engagement, and business support. As one of Maine's ten Main Street communities, SMS works in partnership with Main Street America and the Maine Downtown Center. SMS’s mission is to engage residents, the business community, and the municipality to create a positive downtown environment by recruiting and retaining businesses, by drawing people downtown through hosting and promoting events, and making downtown a walkable, livable, thriving destination.

SMS’s work is guided by three Transformational Strategies: promoting the Saco River and Riverwalk as a family-friendly destination on the Amtrak corridor, strengthening Saco as an attractive place for residents and businesses, and cultivating an arts and culture scene that celebrates Saco's creativity and diversity.

Position Summary

The Executive Director (ED) serves as the chief executive officer of Saco Main Street. The ED is responsible for advancing the organization's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term health by leading organizational operations, fundraising, economic development initiatives, marketing, placemaking efforts, events, and community engagement activities. While reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the ED works with volunteers, businesses, community partners, funders, Saco residents, and the City of Saco. ED is required to follow the MDC Annual Letter of Agreement and that includes collecting annual reinvestment data.

This is an at-will position and an on-site position based in Saco, Maine. Remote work is not available given the community-facing and event-based nature of the role.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership

• Provides strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the organization.
• Supports and collaborates with the Board of Directors in governance, planning, and policy implementation.
• Maintains Main Street America accreditation and compliance with Maine Downtown Center requirements.
• Develops annual work plans, budgets, reports, and organizational priorities.
• Works closely with the municipality to focus on the community and economic needs and development of Saco’s downtown.
• Evaluates effectiveness of programs by collecting quantitative and qualitative data.

Financial Management and Fundraising

• Collaborates with the Treasurer to develop and manage the annual operating budget.
• Partners with the Board on fundraising efforts to strengthen the organization’s financial foundation and help grow the organization and sustain its funding stability into the future.
• Develops and implements a fundraising plan that includes grants, sponsorships, partnerships, events, campaigns, and donor cultivation.
• Builds relationships with businesses, foundations, government agencies, and community partners to secure financial support.

Economic Development and Community Revitalization

• Advances projects that strengthen downtown vitality, tourism, entrepreneurship, and investment.
• Develops and leads business support initiatives, community tourism programs, placemaking efforts, entrepreneurship initiatives, business community networking events, and the City of Saco’s Economic Development efforts.

Marketing and Communications

• Serves as the primary spokesperson for the organization.
• Oversees the implementation of marketing, public relations, branding, social media, newsletters, website content, and community outreach.
• Promotes downtown businesses, events, and initiatives while strengthening the Saco Main Street brand.

Events and Placemaking

• Provides leadership and oversight of staff and committee leadership for the successful delivery of SMS's signature events, including the Sidewalk Arts Festival, Pumpkin Harvest Festival, Main Street Market, Paws Downtown, and the Saco Holiday Parade of Lights.
• Develops placemaking initiatives, other smaller events, and related community activation efforts.

Committee and Volunteer Engagement

• Supports the organization's primary standing committees: Design, Economic Vitality, Promotions, and Organization Committees.
• Recruits, engages, and develops Board members, committee members, volunteers and community leaders, through relationship building, and by supporting a nominations effort throughout the year.
• Fosters collaboration among businesses, residents, municipal leaders, and community organizations.

Staff Supervision

• Cultivates organizational hiring capacity. Hires and supervises staff, contractors, etc. Expands staff capacity through interns and contract workers as the need, funding, and availability arise, as approved by the Board.
• Ensures effective planning and execution of events, communications, volunteer programs, placemaking activities, and committee initiatives.
• Promotes a collaborative and high-performing organizational culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business, marketing, community development, urban planning, public administration, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Three or more years of leadership experience in nonprofit management, downtown revitalization, economic development, fundraising, community engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, project management, partnership development, and volunteer leadership.
• Strong communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
• Familiarity with Main Street America principles, placemaking, economic development, and historic preservation is preferred.
• Experience with social media marketing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with rolling deadlines.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for meetings, events, and community activities.

Physical and Schedule Demands

• This role requires regular attendance at outdoor and indoor events, which may involve extended hours, exposure to weather conditions, and light physical activity such as event setup and teardown. Periodic evening and weekend availability is required for SMS's signature events or meetings.

Benefits include paid time off, health care stipend, professional development opportunities, flexible scheduling, and other benefits as approved by the Board.