Executive Director

The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) seeks an Executive Director to lead one of Maine’s most effective and trusted environmental organizations. This leader will guide a dedicated and experienced staff, partner closely with an engaged Board, and serve as NRCM’s primary public voice building strong relationships across communities, policymakers, and supporters. The ideal candidate brings strategic insight, inclusive leadership, and a deep commitment to protecting the nature of Maine.

About the Position

The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) Executive Director must be passionate about fulfilling NRCM’s mission and committed to implementing that mission by enthusiastically mobilizing its staff, Board, organizational partners, and members. The Executive Director is NRCM’s leading public spokesperson and builds, maintains, and leverages a substantial network of supporters and allies across the state and region. Reporting to and partnering with NRCM’s Board of Directors and leading a highly professional and experienced staff, the Executive Director is the leader of the organization, responsible for working with the Board to set the vision and strategic direction and ensuring successful implementation of the strategic plan.

The Executive Director should build on our 65-plus-year history of protecting the nature of Maine by maintaining NRCM’s leadership role among environmental advocacy organizations in Maine and its position as an exemplar for other environmental organizations across the nation. The Executive Director will do this by providing oversight of all aspects of the organization, including the largest environmental advocacy staff among peer organizations, and generating widespread support for its mission, programs, legislative priorities, financial objectives, and strategic plan.

This is a high-profile position, requiring a dynamic and persuasive individual with exceptional communication skills to inspire, motivate, and mobilize others. The successful Executive Director needs to excel at building authentic relationships. This individual will be forward-thinking with an unwavering commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice throughout NRCM’s platform. The new Executive Director will have the energy and enthusiasm to travel the state forging and strengthening relationships, partnerships and collaborations in communities and with a diversity of constituents offering many different perspectives.

This is a full-time position located in our Augusta, Maine office. The Executive Director is expected to be on-site frequently, with flexibility for responsibilities that require work in the field, with partners, or in the community.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Vision

• Anticipate emerging environmental, social, and political trends affecting Maine, and position NRCM to proactively address them through innovative policy and advocacy strategies.
• Work with the Board to finalize and implement the strategic plan and vision for the organization.
• Together with senior staff and the Board, develop and oversee the effective execution of strategies, and lead staff in revising and refining current strategies, as needed.

Leadership and Management

• Serve as chief spokesperson, advocate, and ambassador for NRCM on issues of high organizational importance and substantial public interest, including leading the organization in navigating controversial or politically charged issues.
• Build strong relationships with other environmental, business and community leaders to advance NRCM’s major policy goals and maintain and strengthen relationships with the Governor, congressional delegation, and legislative leaders.
• Ensure that all current policies of the organization are followed, assess potential deficiencies, and address compliance as needed.
• Ensure that a clear, accurate, and standard accounting system is maintained.
• Develop and implement thoughtful succession planning to ensure leadership continuity, strengthen internal capacity, and support staff growth and advancement throughout the organization.
• Foster collaboration, trust, and shared decision-making within the senior leadership team, ensuring strong alignment and communication across departments and programs.
• Promote a healthy, inclusive, and values-aligned workplace culture that emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and staff well-being to attract and retain diverse, high-quality staff.
• Facilitate collaboration and effective team-based approaches across the organization to foster creativity, promote common purpose, and increase prospects for success.
• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in NRCM’s internal and external relationships and activities.
• Foster a positive and collaborative working relationship with union representatives and stewards, ensuring consistent communication and mutual respect within a collective bargaining environment.

Collaboration with Board of Directors

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Board and staff, ensuring appropriate and adequate information flow and communications.
• Ensure that all Board resolutions and actions are adopted when necessary and carried out as intended.
• Together with the Board Chair, cultivate and maintain a Board culture that supports high-level engagement in the organization and understanding of its issues, mission, and functions.
• Ensure regular, timely and accurate reporting to the Board on all aspects of the organization, including progress toward strategic goals and key issues and developments

Key Qualifications

NRCM is seeking a leader committed to NRCM’s mission with:

• Minimum eight years of nonprofit leadership, management, and strategic planning experience in an environmental or public interest advocacy organization or comparable entity.
• Demonstrated experience in working with and effectively communicating with a nonprofit board.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and supervise senior level staff.
• Demonstrated success in nonprofit fundraising through multiple channels, including major gifts, foundations, membership, corporate support, and events.
• Experience in dealing with unions, collective bargaining, and ideally a basic understanding of the roles of the Maine Service Employees Association (MSEA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and how these entities relate to NRCM’s union.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and/or passion for a broad range of environmental issues relevant to Maine.
• Familiarity with Maine’s public, private, and state natural resources organizations and agencies and a broad understanding of Maine’s political landscape.
• Ability to foster coalitions and collaboration across diverse stakeholders with common interests.

Additional Information

The compensation range for this position is $150,000-$180,000, commensurate with experience. To express interest, please submit a cover letter and resume through the ‘apply for this position’ button.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by January 15, 2026.

NRCM provides a robust health care package which includes 100% of employee’s premium, and 60% of additional family members, with $4,500 toward an employee Health Reimbursement Account, or $9,000 toward a family account. Benefits will also include a 403(b) retirement plan to which NRCM contributes 5% of annual salary, plus an additional 2% (contingent on a 2% employee match), after the first six months of employment. Generous paid time off includes vacation time of four weeks beginning in year one, as well as regular paid holidays, wilderness days, and sick time. Additionally, after seven years of consecutive service with NRCM, staff are eligible for a six-week sabbatical leave at full pay. Long-term disability coverage is provided, as is a modest life insurance policy.

To learn more about the programs and activities at the National Resources Council of Maine go to the following link: https://www.nrcm.org/

NRCM is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, physical/mental ability, sexual orientation, or national origin. NRCM will provide reasonable accommodation to employees with disabilities where appropriate. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.