Executive Director 

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (Maryland LCV) and Maryland LCV Education Fund (Maryland LCVEF) are state-wide nonpartisan organizations that educate and activate people to take equitable and just political actions for clean water, healthy air and climate-resilient communities. Maryland LCV and Maryland LCV Education Fund (Maryland LCV/EF) are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to serve as Executive Director. The successful candidate will drive the success of the organizations by leading the strategic plan, a current team of 14, and serving as the primary fundraiser and representative of the organization.

Over the past several years, Maryland LCV/EF has seen significant financial and organizational growth as well as increased political influence. The next Executive Director will build on this momentum and lead the organization into its next phase of environmental progress in Maryland, setting the strategic and day-to-day direction and working closely with the Board of Directors. This position reports to the Maryland LCV and Maryland LCV Education Fund Boards. The Executive Director will be a visible statewide leader—cultivating relationships with policymakers, environmentalists, donors, business leaders, and community partners. The Executive Director will build and leverage political influence to deliver environmental victories rooted in Maryland LCV’s values.

The ideal candidate is a proven leader and communicator with experience designing and implementing bold visions, leading multi-year policy and political campaigns, raising significant funds, managing and mentoring staff, building coalitions, and overseeing complex organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

Building Political Influence and Public Trust

• Employ political acumen to oversee and develop strategies and tactics to build and wield political power to advance Maryland LCV/EF’s vision and goals, including the ability to navigate anti-environment rhetoric, polarized legislative environments, and opposition campaigns.
• Represent Maryland LCV/EF in working with elected officials, candidates, the environmental community, media, and other stakeholders, while building trusted relationships across a wide array of communities.
• Work with staff and the Maryland LCV Political Committee to oversee the organization’s annual scorecard and candidate endorsements and secure the election of Maryland LCV-endorsed candidates.
• Develop a variety of education campaigns focused on LCV’s priorities and goals.

Fundraising

• Oversee and lead the execution of all fundraising efforts to ensure that the organization meets its annual revenue goals.
• Cultivate and steward strong, impactful relationships with donors and prospects, including individuals, corporations, and institutions.
• Deliver compelling fundraising proposals to current and prospective donors that strengthen their connection to the organization’s work and their role as essential partners in Maryland LCV/EF’s success and mission.
• Facilitate the Board of Directors’ active participation in the organization’s fundraising and development activities.

Advancing and Communicating a Strategic Environmental Policy Vision

• Achieve Maryland LCV/EF’s long-term vision and mission by identifying and leading policy initiatives and goals.
• Ensure strategies are data-driven, outcome-based, and advance the organization’s vision and mission.
• Build alignment and collaboration with partner organizations and communities across Maryland.
• Identify emerging threats and opportunities in environmental policy, including, energy affordability, climate resilience, transportation, water quality, and political accountability.
• Serve as Maryland LCV/EF’s primary spokesperson in the media, with political and administrative leaders, statewide commissions and workgroups and across the broader environmental community.
• Ensure creative, effective and strategic communications strategies are developed and deployed and metrics are tracked. Ensure the organization responds effectively to address misinformation, negative media narratives, crisis events, and politically sensitive issues.

Leading the Organization

• Assess and continually revise organizational design, strategies, practices, and personnel to optimize organizational success.
• Support and develop the Maryland LCV/EF team while providing leadership that fosters a people-focused and productive workplace environment.
• Identify and implement activities and structures that improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness while ensuring compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, and best practices.
• Oversee the development of an annual budget that reflects Maryland LCV/EF’s values and priorities while advancing the organization’s vision and goals. This includes working with the board Finance Committee, monitoring both long- and short-term investments and operating accounts, and ensuring the organization is in compliance and passes annual audits.
• Serve as the organization’s ultimate compliance officer; develop and maintain a robust understanding of operational rules, strategies, best practices, and compliance requirements for 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC organizations, and ensure appropriate risk management, reputational protection, cybersecurity awareness, and legal compliance across advocacy, electoral, fundraising, and communications activities.

Strategically Align and Engage with the Board of Directors

• Serve as the primary liaison with the Board of Directors and develop and deploy an engagement strategy to maximize each Board member’s involvement in one or more of the organization’s core functions—political, fundraising, financial oversight, and partnerships–and help the Board govern effectively including during periods of uncertainty, risk, leadership transition, and political pressure.
• Assist Board Chairs with Board recruitment and play an active role in developing and stewarding a diverse pipeline of leaders from across Maryland who are eager to be active and engaged members of the Board.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of leadership experience in an organization where policy and political advocacy are a core focus, with robust expertise in fundraising, policy initiatives, government relations, political campaigns, coalition management, and staff and organizational management.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental conservation and protection.
• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset, a deep understanding of organizational culture, and a firm commitment to sustaining a values-based, people-focused workplace.
• Proven ability to positively and professionally engage with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Expert communications with demonstrated ability to distill complex information into clear and concise narratives that lead to buy-in and agreement among a broad collection of stakeholders and partners.
• Proven ability to motivate, manage, and lead a team of high-performing individuals, both one-on-one and in group settings.
• Proven strategic thinking skills, with the ability to anticipate future consequences and trends and incorporate them into organizational planning.
• Alignment with Maryland LCV/EF’s values and commitment to centering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the organization’s culture and work.
• Commitment to valuing individuals and respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic circumstance, and demonstrated ability to build authentic trust with people and communities most affected by pollution, climate impacts, infrastructure burdens, and political exclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to lead an advocacy organization through political opposition, funding uncertainty, misinformation, anti-ESG/anti-climate or -environmental backlash, and rapidly changing federal and state policy conditions.
• Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn Maryland’s electoral, legislative, regulatory, budgetary, utility, land-use, and administrative decision-making processes.