Job Description

Who we are: City Fruit is a Seattle, Washington based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2008. As a food equity organization, we believe in advocating for socially just and environmentally sustainable food production, distribution, and land stewardship. City Fruit promotes the cultivation of urban fruit in order to nourish people, build community, and protect the climate.

What we do: We have access to over 7,000 fruit trees and vines across Seattle, harvest 25,000-45,000 pounds of diverse fruits annually across the County, and partner with hundreds of individual tree owners and more than 35 community organizations to harvest, promote, and distribute fruit and fruit-based foods Our passion is to put urban orchards and fruit trees to their best and fullest use so that everyone in the community shares in the value of fruit. Learn more about how we positively impact the community in our 2023 Annual Report.

Is this you?: Are you a self-starting leader with a passion for food equity and social justice, and excellent written and verbal communication skills that can engage-ucate on these topics? Do you possess an analytical proclivity that’s matched by a good sense of humor? And, do you desire to mold the future of a successful, mission-driven organization that’s firmly grounded in a local community? Come help us develop our next five-year plan to advance City Fruit’s mission and amplify the organization’s impact in our community. We want an Executive Director excited to bring their experience, enthusiasm, and creativity to help us deliver on our goals.

If you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily meet every single point listed below, please apply – you could be exactly who we are looking for! 

Role & Responsibilities

The Executive Director is a full-time (approx. 36-40 hours per week) role and will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for City Fruit’s staff (5 full-time staff as well as part-time staff and interns), programs, budget, and mission execution. The on-site office is located on the border between Fremont and Wallingford, in Seattle, WA.

Leadership, Strategy, & Management

• Drive the strategic direction of programs and initiatives in partnership with the Board of Directors and staff, including development and execution of City Fruit’s annual workplace and budget, and next 5-Year Plan.
• Oversee existing programming (harvest, distribution and volunteer activities), business operations (tree care services, fruit sales, and cidery contracts), and intake and process development required for new programs and updates to existing programs.
• Maintain a culture of teamwork, leading all aspects of recruitment, supervision, retention, and career growth for personnel.
• Cultivate and nurture relationships with a range of diverse partners across the community to raise awareness and support the mission. This includes Seattle area schools, food banks and meal programs, community-based organizations, public and private orchards and gardens, small and large businesses, foundations, corporations, public representatives, and government entities.

Fundraising & Communications

• Oversee development of fundraising strategy and workplan.
• Steward grants and funded initiatives to completion; maintain existing relationships to continue sustained funding; look for opportunities to expand fundraising activities and revenue generation.
• Supervise web and social media communications to external relations; build the City Fruit brand and bring awareness to the organization and its mission.
• Serve as a primary spokesperson to partner organizations and the public.

Teamwork, Organization, & Ethos

• We pride ourselves on our team’s dynamic, diverse approaches, and thinking styles. We are looking for an excellent communicator (verbal and written), who displays effective interpersonal interactions, can lead projects and meet deadlines in a collaborative, team-oriented environment, and has a positive get-the-job-done demeanor.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or above (or foreign equivalent).
• Prior experience in a small organization or non-profit with a proven track record bringing revenue to an organization through fundraising across individual donors/memberships, grant procurement, corporate sponsorships, and special events.
• Basic to advanced understanding of food systems, and activities, resources and people involved in providing human nourishment and sustaining health.
• Knowledge of operational accounting protocols for 501(c)3 entities and comfort reviewing finances to build consensus around priorities and ongoing expenditures.
• Demonstrated marketing and public relations experience, ideally including with the Press.
• Prior experience supervising a team.
• Willingness to work at City Fruit for at least 2 years.
• A valid driver’s license.
• Ability to lift or move up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to stand or walk on uneven surfaces for up to 8 hours per day.
• Ability to work outdoors, including in inclement weather.

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a full-time, salaried, regular, non-exempt position based in Seattle, WA.
• The salary range for this role is between $67,000 to $75,000. This is the range based on a .8 FTE assumption (our current operating model), but we are open to adjusting based on the incoming ED’s preferred number of working hours/week. When determining an offer, we carefully consider these factors: candidate skill and experience; room for growth within the band; and internal equity across the team.
• Alongside salary, we offer the following benefits:
  • 160 hours of paid time off (PTO). PTO accrual for employees is based on length of full-time, regular employment service (eligible employees progress to the next level upon their individual full-time, regular anniversary date).
  • City Fruit is closed from December 26 through December 31. All regular, full-time employees on payroll during the bonus week will receive their expected regular pay for weekdays during this period.
  • 12 paid, federal holidays.
  • A monthly Health & Technology stipend. While City Fruit does not currently offer health insurance benefits, they are actively considering enhancing their benefit offerings to staff – so this is subject to change.
  • Access to free and fresh local produce, preserves, and ciders – all year long!

• Due to the seasonal nature of City Fruit’s programming, City Fruit observes an off-season and harvest season office schedule as follows. Exact dates are determined on an annual basis.
  • During City Fruit’s off season (November-June), regular office hours are between 9-6 pm Monday – Thursday and the office is closed on Fridays.
  • During peak harvest season (July-October), regular office hours are Monday-Thursday 9-5 pm and 9-1 pm on Fridays.
  • Hybrid schedule: Employees that primarily have desk duties that do not require in-person job duties can work 1 regularly scheduled remote day and additional remote hours as approved.

How to Apply

Please submit a compelling cover letter outlining your qualifications and alignment with the position, and a complete chronological resume for the position through this application form.  Application review will begin on September 9th. The position will be open and accepting new applications until filled. If selected, the ideal candidate would be able to begin work no later than October 2024.

Job Categories: Sustainable Agriculture / Food. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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