Executive Director

2 days ago

Albany, New York, United States Wild Bear Nature Center Full time $120,000 - $240,000 per year

Wild Bear Nature Center seeks a
visionary executive leader

to guide our transformation from beloved grassroots organization to professionally managed regional destination for environmental education. Following a recent fire that destroyed our interim facility, Wild Bear has renewed focus: complete our $15+ million net-zero nature center and launch operations that will serve 50,000+ annual visitors. This is a rare ground-floor opportunity to architect an organization's future from a clean slate — designing strategy, building systems, hiring teams, and establishing culture in a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility adjacent to 3,000 acres of Boulder County Open Space.

The Role

The Executive Director will provide executive leadership to complete a major capital campaign, open a world-class facility in 2026, and scale operations from ~$800K to $2M+ annually. You will:

  • Lead and grow the team

from 4 FTE to 12+ FTE by 2030, recruiting exceptional talent in education, development, and operations while building a culture that attracts mission-driven professionals to a mountain community
- Complete the capital campaign

, raising the remaining $4M+ while converting capital donors to operational supporters and establishing sustainable fundraising systems for long-term organizational health
- Launch transformational programming

including nature preschool, expanded camps, school partnerships, adult education, visitor experiences, and earned revenue streams — all designed from scratch for the new facility
- Manage facility opening and operations

, overseeing construction completion, move-in logistics, and phased program launches while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational excellence
- Build strategic partnerships

with Town of Nederland, Boulder County, schools, regional environmental organizations, and community stakeholders to anchor Wild Bear as an essential regional resource
- Provide transparent financial stewardship

to the Board, managing complex budgets, cash flow, multi-year planning, and achieving operational sustainability
- Serve as the visible public face

of Wild Bear, becoming an authentic, active member of the Nederland community and trusted voice for environmental education across the region

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience:

  • 7+ years nonprofit executive leadership with demonstrated success in organizational transformation, growth, or startup operations
  • Proven major gift fundraising ($100K+) with verifiable results in completing capital campaigns ($5M+ strongly preferred)
  • Experience in environmental education, nature centers, outdoor education, or closely related mission-driven fields
  • Track record building high-performing teams, implementing professional systems, and scaling operations sustainably

Critical Success Factors:

  • Entrepreneurial mindset

: Comfort with ambiguity, fast decision-making, hands-on leadership, and building infrastructure in real-time
- Fundraising excellence

: Personally demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and close major gifts while building diversified revenue streams
- Community integration

: Deep appreciation for small mountain community dynamics and commitment to establishing authentic local roots and residency
- Financial acumen

: Nonprofit financial management, budgeting, audit processes, and ability to make tough decisions while maintaining quality
- Operational rigor

: Absolute commitment to regulatory compliance (childcare licensing, HR best practices, nonprofit standards)
- Mission passion

: Genuine love for connecting people with nature — not just managing nonprofits generically

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