Executive Director (RichmondLAND)

About Richmond LAND

Richmond LAND’s mission is to build grassroots power for resident-driven and community-controlled land-use through community organizing, land acquisition, development, and stewardship of the land and affordable housing for long-term community benefit. 

Summary 

Incorporated in the Fall of 2019, Richmond LAND has grown from an idea into a powerful and innovative model that centers power-building and place-keeping in its land acquisition and development efforts. As an emerging Community Land Trust, we seed development projects and stewardship activities through resident leadership programming and cultural organizing. 

The Executive Director will join a dynamic team of leaders, advocates, and organizers passionate about transforming the conventional models of planning, affordable housing, and community and economic development to align with restorative economics and the Just Transition framework .

We are looking for an experienced people manager with a background in real estate and community development to join us in shifting local land-use away from profit-motivation towards community-driven and led initiatives. Together we will grow our effort to stabilize residents, create and secure neighborhood assets, sustain cultural legacies, and assert Black, Indigenous, People of Color and historical residents' right to return, remain, persist, and thrive in our community. 

The Executive Director will be responsible for establishing new partnerships across industries, executing programs, securing organizational resources, and growing Richmond LAND’s real estate acquisition, rehabilitation and development strategy to ensure effective growth and sustainability of the organization. 

Aspects of the Role & Results to be Achieved 

Cohesive Organizational Build-out and Sustainable Growth 

• Refine and execute organizational goals and strategies based on planning documents, active projects, and team input. 
• Assemble a team, resources, and networks to increase the real estate development, preservation, and stewardship capacity of the organization, including an effective rental, cooperative, and homeownership program 
• Provide leadership for determining the series of policy, advocacy, and programmatic initiatives necessary to create an environment where Richmond LAND’s approach can thrive. 
• Secure a local developer apprentice-mentor, legal counsel, and advisors with expertise in various practice areas, including land use, contracts, residential & commercial real estate, and corporate matters. 
• Engage in financial planning, oversee the development of budgets, assess and secure operating and development budget resources, and propose revisions as necessary. 
• Provide for the appropriate controls, management, and accountability of all funds, physical assets, land, and other property. 

Cooperative Organizational Leadership 

• Ability to set organizational culture and praxis, promote community care, and ensure that our internal processes are centered around holistic and decolonial wellness. 
• Develop and administer procedures and policies to strengthen internal systems for personal and organizational sustainability. 
• Establish decision-making processes for consensus building and a healthy team dynamic. 
• Design and maintain work plans, support staff in executing individual roles and responsibilities, and balancing collective projects. 
• Monitor and evaluate all organizational activity, report progress to the Board and committees; create a timeline for additional action and make recommendations for change as needed. 
• Support Board, staff, and membership development, provide advice and counsel to the Board to assist in setting policies, action plans, and monitoring Richmond LAND’s performance. 

Effective Partnerships, Relationships, and External Communication 

• Build greater awareness of the organization's efforts and maintain a positive image of Richmond LAND’s work by distributing a newsletter, participating in convenings, regional or state working groups, events, and marketing activities. 
• Represent the organization in its business relationships with government agencies, professional services, the media, community organizations, and other stakeholder groups. 
• Develop and maintain partnerships with co-developers, funders, financial institutions, regional advocacy groups, and local agencies.
• Participate and represent both the organization and broader community land trust movement’s interests in collaborative efforts put forward by regional advocacy groups.
• Ensure that the organization’s advocacy, real estate projects, and programs are well coordinated and executed among staff while being accountable to and representative of BIPOC low-to-moderate income communities in Richmond/ West Contra Costa County.

Requirements and Desired Qualifications 

• Commitment to the organization’s mission, vision, and values 
• Personal connection and lived experience in Richmond or the surrounding neighborhoods in West Contra Costa, preferred
• Deep commitment to empowering the self-determination of Richmond/West County residents in land-use, housing, and development 
• Ingenuity in garnering resources (people, funding, support) to get things done through formal channels and informal networks 
• Visionary and imaginative, willing to create new processes, models, and alternative solutions, that activate and inspire local communities and shift industries 
• Effective communicator and decision-maker with a demonstrated a mixture of strategic analysis, wisdom, and experience 
• Willingness to lead the organization with (not for) staff, members, and community, and experience building consensus among multi-stakeholder groups 
• Proven fundraising track record and experience securing various financial resources, including public and private funds, grants, and donations. Experience with integrated capital is strongly desired 
• Five or more years of experience in the field of urban planning, real estate, affordable housing or community development is preferred. Familiarity and experience with community land trusts is even more preferred. 
• Three or more years of experience managing, leading, hiring and developing staff
• Experience as a movement-oriented leader in a racial and social justice organization, preferred. 

What We Offer & How to Apply 

An opportunity to lead and develop an innovative organization with strong financial standing and a team of dedicated movement builders and change agents 

Benefits include: 

• Professional development and coaching opportunities 
• Flexible work schedule & flex time 
• Generous vacation time 
• Influence on future organizational decisions 

Richmond LAND strives to maintain an equitable and just compensation philosophy modeled after a competency-based pay model. The salary range is $125,000 to $145,000 with medical and dental benefits included.  

RichmondLAND has retained Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR as our executive recruiting partner for this search. To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to the Nonprofit HR website at (http://https://nonprofithr.applytojob.com/apply/4jDZsEE0Oi).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to applications received before March 18^th, 2024. For more information or inquiries, contact Hakimu Davidson, at [email protected]

Richmond LAND is an equal opportunity employer and encourages Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, queer and gender-fluid applicants to apply. W​e also consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nonprofit HR is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do for the benefit of our employees and the clients that we serve. To fully realize our goal, we prioritize our understanding of the complexities of DEI within our workforce to inform our approach to talent management. We believe that this guides how we do our work, advise our clients to operationalize DEI and position our content and educational opportunities help strengthen the talent management capacity of the social impact sector.

Continue reading our about our commitment at nonprofithr.com/deinow.