Executive Director

Groundworks Collaborative

Are you committed to addressing society’s poverty-related issues?

Are you passionate about providing supportive services to people experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and other vulnerable situations?

Do you embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion and excel at working collaboratively across differences?

Groundworks Collaborative is actively seeking an Executive Director who will shape and sustain a workplace culture of collaboration, compassion, and leadership that effectively addresses varied impacts of poverty. Managing a team of 45 staff members and an annual operating budget exceeding $3 million, you will ensure that Groundworks maintains diverse funding, strong financial performance, and funder compliance. Reporting to the Board of Directors, you will strategically implement and operationally execute Groundworks Collaborative’s mission of ending hunger and homelessness in Southeastern Vermont.

Groundworks is a strong and healthy organization. The prior Executive Director served for over 11 years, built an effective team, and left on good terms to become the next Executive Director of Southeastern Vermont Community Action, a larger social service organization in this region. The new Executive Director at Groundworks Collaborative will build upon this strong foundation, be appreciated for bringing a fresh perspective, and lead a strategic planning process to chart our course for maintaining and expanding our positive impact upon the people and culture of the community we serve.

Qualifications for the Position:

(The ideal candidate will closely match many of the listed qualifications.)

● A record of successful leadership in strategic planning, program development, fiscal management, policy implementation, and staff supervision in organizations providing human services and advocating for social equity.

● Strong strategic leadership, project planning, and performance management skills.

● Proven ability to build solid relationships with donors, colleagues, grantors, volunteers, and community partners.

● Experience in hiring, onboarding, training, evaluating, and mentoring employees, and in working with individual employees and groups of employees to build and maintain a safe, supportive, and collaborative work environment.

● Experience effectively collaborating with a Board of Directors.

● Outstanding presentation and communication skills, with experience serving as a spokesperson and external relationship builder.

● Ability to convey Groundworks Collaborative’s vision, strategic priorities, goals, and finances clearly and effectively to all stakeholders.

● Ability to maintain stable financial operations and experience successfully addressing financial challenges as they arise.

● Experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, demonstrating self-awareness of biases and the ability to work across differences.

● Proficient in computing (Google Suite, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Excel).

● Preferred (but not required): Master's or Bachelor’s degree in Non-Profit Management, Business, Social Services, or other field of study that is relevant to Groundworks Collaborative’s mission and the Executive Director’s role.

● Required: Successful completion of a full background check.

Compensation & Benefits:

Groundworks Collaborative offers a generous comprehensive benefits package (including health insurance with no employee co-pay). The new Executive Director’s starting annual salary is negotiable and will be at least $95,000.

About Groundworks Collaborative:

Established in 2015, following the merger of the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center and Morningside Shelter, Groundworks Collaborative is a dynamic organization committed to providing food, shelter, and supportive services with dignity throughout the greater Brattleboro area. Groundworks Collaborative’s mission is to work with individuals and systems to create solutions that will end hunger and homelessness for all people in our region.

We envision a community in which all members have their basic needs met, including sufficient healthy food and a safe and dignified place to call home. We view poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity to be byproducts of societal conditions, generational discrimination, and public policy, rather than as a result of individual choices. Therefore, Groundworks fosters a culture of nonjudgement and compassion for the people we serve.

The services provided by Groundworks Collaborative include:

● A 34-bed emergency shelter.

● A Drop-In Center where program participants can access food, clothing, laundry, bathrooms and showers, and connection to services.

● Transitional shelter (This program is currently dormant, but plans are being made to resume this service.)

● Coordinated Entry (to housing) lead agency for Southeastern Vermont.

● Foodworks, a food pantry serving more than 4,000 people annually.

● Case Management, primarily for housing, but also for support in connecting to related services.

● Community Outreach

● Landlord Liaison

● Representative Payee, to help people manage their money and to help them learn to do so independently.

And, in collaboration with community partners:

● Individual and community supports at two permanent supportive housing communities (in partnership with the Windham+Windsor Housing Trust).

● Healthworks (in partnership with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and HCRS) to provide inpatient quality care in an outpatient setting.

● Connectionworks (in partnership with HCRS and Youth Services’ Restorative Justice program) for peer-supported substance use recovery.

Apply today to come join and lead our team!