Reports to: Board of Directors
Location: Salida, Colorado (hybrid eligible; local presence required)
Status: Full-time, Exempt

About Central Colorado Conservancy

The Central Colorado Conservancy is an accredited land trust and community-based conservation organization dedicated to protecting the lands, waters and quality of life of Central Colorado. Through conservation easements, restoration initiatives, agricultural partnerships and collaborative community leadership, the Conservancy works to ensure that the region’s landscapes and communities continue to thrive for generations to come.

About the Opportunity

The Central Colorado Conservancy is seeking a visionary, relational and strategic leader to serve as its next Executive Director.

The Executive Director is the chief executive and strategic leader of the organization, responsible for setting its direction, strengthening its culture, advancing its mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. Working closely with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will create the conditions for staff and programs to thrive while positioning the Conservancy for long-term impact.

This is an opportunity to lead a respected conservation organization into its next chapter at a time of meaningful opportunity and growth. The Executive Director will help shape the Conservancy's future by building a strong organizational culture, inspiring and developing its people, cultivating lasting relationships with donors and communities, and creating the strategic and financial foundation for long-term conservation impact.

The Executive Director will lead through influence, trust and collaboration—empowering the Program Director and other program staff to lead day-to-day operations, program implementation and technical work while focusing leadership on the organization's people, strategy, resources and external relationships.

Key Leadership PrioritiesOrganizational Culture & People

• Build and sustain a healthy, mission-driven culture rooted in trust, transparency, collaboration and accountability.
• Provide clear organizational direction and foster alignment around shared priorities.
• Lead, coach and develop staff while building leadership capacity throughout the organization.
• Create an environment where staff feel valued, supported, empowered and accountable.

Vision, Strategy & Organizational Impact

• Partner with the Board to establish and advance a compelling long-term vision and strategic priorities.
• Align people, programs and resources around the Conservancy's highest-impact opportunities.
• Ensure that the Conservancy is compliant with Land Trust Standards and Practices across all activities to maintain accreditation.
• Ensure the organization remains adaptable, forward-looking and responsive to the evolving needs of Central Colorado.
• Communicate the Conservancy's impact, opportunities and challenges clearly to the Board and key stakeholders.

Philanthropy & Fundraising

• Serve as the Conservancy's chief fundraising and donor engagement leader.
• Develop and advance a diversified, sustainable fundraising strategy.
• Personally cultivate and steward major donors and key philanthropic relationships.
• Build a strong culture of philanthropy in partnership with the Board and staff.
• Strengthen unrestricted and flexible funding to support organizational resilience and strategic capacity.

Community Leadership & External Relationships

• Serve as a visible and trusted ambassador for the Conservancy throughout Central Colorado.
• Build authentic relationships with donors, landowners, agricultural producers, community leaders, agency partners, elected officials and other stakeholders.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships that advance the Conservancy's mission and impact.
• Increase awareness and understanding of the Conservancy's role in protecting the region's lands, waters and quality of life.

Financial Sustainability & Board Partnership

• Partner with the Board and senior staff to ensure long-term financial health and organizational resilience.
• Provide strategic oversight of budgeting, financial planning, risk management and resource allocation.
• Serve as the primary staff partner to the Board, supporting effective governance, strategic decision-making and Board engagement.
• Maintain clear and productive alignment between Board governance and staff.

Leadership & Organizational Alignment

• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and decision-making authority across the organization.
• Empower all staff to effectively lead operations, conservation programs and technical work.
• Foster strong communication and collaboration across the organization.
• Ensure that organizational strategy is translated into effective programmatic execution.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is a thoughtful, inspiring and collaborative leader who combines strategic vision with strong relational and organizational leadership. They will bring:

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit, conservation, philanthropy, community development or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and building a healthy, accountable organizational culture.
• A track record of successful fundraising, major donor engagement and resource development.
• Experience developing and advancing organizational strategy.
• Experience overseeing organizational budgets and supporting long-term financial sustainability.
• The ability to build trust and lasting relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written, verbal and public communication skills.
• Experience working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
• Knowledge of or experience with land conservation, conservation easements, working lands or rural communities preferred.
• A deep commitment to conservation and thriving rural communities.

The Central Colorado Conservancy values diverse experiences and recognizes that excellent leaders come from many backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and meet most of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply.

Why Join Us

This is an opportunity to lead one of Central Colorado's most respected conservation organizations into its next chapter. The successful candidate will join a dedicated team and work alongside an engaged Board and committed community of supporters to protect the landscapes, waters and communities that make Central Colorado extraordinary.

Compensation

Salary range is $90,000 - $105,000 per year for this full-time, exempt position (40+ hours/week). Benefits include health insurance, paid vacation and holidays, cell phone stipend, and flexible work arrangements.