WHO WE ARE
Amir was founded in 2009 with the goal of providing youth a conduit to social justice education through the medium of gardening. What began with one small garden at a Canadian summer camp has become an international network of student farmers utilizing environmental education to empower youth and strengthen communities. Amir trains farmers, utilizing a joint curriculum, and places farmers at ideal sites, based on the needs of the communities it serves. While most Amir programming is currently run at partnering summer camps, the ultimate vision is to expand to communities of all shapes and sizes.
Currently, Amir is going through the critical milestone of transitioning from its founding CEO. The founding CEO worked tirelessly to achieve Amir’s current success. He has chosen to step down from daily operations and maintain his position on the Board of Directors. The primary tasks outlined below require prospective candidates to be strong communicators and passionate advocates for the cause of social justice. It requires an organized leader to oversee the development of Amir’s programs and curriculum, and a consummate administrator capable of implementing the vision of Amir’s Board of Directors. The ideal candidate will be eager to take a hands-on approach for running the organization, while leveraging the strengths of existing staff and network connections.
WHO YOU ARE
As Amir is still in the early stage of organizational growth, the nature of this role will require you to wear a number of different hats. To do it well, you’ll possess the following characteristics:
Entrepreneurial spirit – You thrive in exploring new opportunities and enjoy envisioning what could be and working hard to make it a reality. You can think big picture and small details. Ambiguity and uncertainty doesn’t scare you; it motivates you. Your biggest frustration is that there just isn’t enough time to execute all your great ideas.
Leadership instincts – You enjoy setting big goals and have a knack for motivating others to help realize those goals.
Relationship building – To do well at this job, as funny as it sounds, people have to like you. Everything we do is rooted in relationships, and building, sustaining, and growing those relationships is key to our success. Camp directors and program partners have to trust you and want to take a chance on you and this program. Funders have to be amazed by you and think you can do no wrong. Staff has to know you’ve got their backs and able and willing to jump into the trenches with them. You enjoy working with people and people enjoy working with you.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
The job duties can best be understood in two primary buckets:
Fundraising & Development – CEO is primarily responsible for ensuring that Amir is financially solvent. Over the course of the organization’s history, charitable support has been a key component of Amir’s growth, accounting for over 60% of its annual revenue. The new Amir CEO is expected to:
Lead the Annual Campaign through letter campaigns and small group gatherings;
Develop, maintain, and manage personal relationships with existing and prospective donors;
Identify potential funding institutions, develop relationships, and apply for support;
Expand annual giving from foundations and corporations; and
Think creatively to identify new and effective avenues for revenue generation.
Program Oversight – Amir’s service to summer camps accounts for 40% of Amir’s annual revenue, and drives capacity to garner philanthropic support. Primarily, the CEO will oversee the work of staff and curriculum writers and maintain relationships with partner communities to ensure programming quality.
The new Amir CEO will also work closely with the Board of Directors to identify opportunities for expanding the program’s reach and to implement strategies to pursue those opportunities:
Oversee development of programming, construction of curriculum materials, and program delivery;
Build and retain relationships with existing clients through active communications with program directors;
Develop and oversee growth strategy for sales to camps; and
Develop and execute expansion plans into schools and local communities for year-round programming.
SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION
The new ED will oversee two other full time employees. Developing these young professionals into the strong leaders of Amir is crucial for the organization’s continued growth. The new CEO is expected to:
Lead, coach, develop, and retain high performance personnel;
Perform salary administration;
Manage working environment at headquarters;
Oversee accounts payable and cash flow management; and
Develop financial projections and review them with Board of Directors.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
The new Amir CEO will be expected to possess the following:
Good leadership and supervisory skills
Excellent fundraising skills and experience
Strong written and verbal communications capabilities
Demonstrated problem solving abilities
Entrepreneurial spirit and approach
Youth development experience
Passion for environmental and social justice
3+ years of experience
How to apply
TO APPLY
Qualified candidates should submit their cover letters (1-page, max), resumes, and short answers to the following questions:
What individual, foundation, or company do you think would make for a good Amir donor and why?
If you were hired for this job, who would be the first person you’d call and why?
The answers to these two questions should take up no more than a half page, total.
To apply, email your application to jobs@amirproject.org and use the subject line “CEO APPLICATION – [Your full name]. Please submit all three items (cover letter, resume, and short answers) together as a single PDF or Word document; do NOT attach more than one document.