Executive Director of HAWC

Open Position Description: 

Executive Director of HAWC

Position Overview
Healthy Air and Water Colorado (HAWC) is seeking a dynamo Executive Director to lead the organization into an exciting new phase of growth. After launching in an initial phase as a sponsored program of The Fund for a Healthier Colorado, HAWC is now obtaining its own 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. The Executive Director will report to a newly built board of directors. After arriving, it is expected that the Executive Director will initially hire for at least one more position on the organization’s team. As HAWC has been operating for five years, the organization has existing funders and grants, and a robust set of relationships with advocates and elected officials. This is a salaried position with a hybrid in-office work policy.

About HAWC
Founded in 2019, HAWC is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that activates health professionals to address climate change for the sake of people’s health. We elevate the voices of nurses, doctors, public health professionals and other health experts to add a critical perspective within the public policy process. While HAWC operates at the local, state and federal levels, we spend most of our time working within the state legislative process, where we both advance original policy that we develop, and work in coalition with allies on legislation of mutual interest. Our activity includes the composition of white papers and issue briefs, supporting the activism of health professionals through avenues such as legislative testimony and media engagement. We believe our focus on human health supports our interest in building support for pro-climate policies among both Republicans and Democrats.

HAWC is a member of a family of organizations that share the same values in serving different functions. Together, we seek to elevate the voices of communities to improve people’s health and well-being. Healthy Air and Water Colorado Action (HAWCA) is our 501(c)(4) sister organization whose legal status allows for activity including engagement in political candidate races. The Executive Director is also responsible for management of HAWCA. 

The flagship entity within our family of organizations is Healthier Colorado, a nonpartisan, nonprofit entity that changes laws so that everybody in our state has the chance to live a healthier life. The family also includes Colorado’s Health Capitol, a collaborative workspace that is home to dozens of mission-aligned organizations; Open Answer, a non-profit providing direct outreach and field strategy for mission-driven efforts in communities across Colorado and North Carolina; and Archer Group, a nonprofit that provides accounting and administrative services to other nonprofits.  

Position Responsibilities

The Executive Director, under the direction of the HAWC Board of Directors, will be ultimately responsible for all aspects of organizational planning and leadership. Described below are the major categories of responsibility for this position.

Fundraising

• Lead HAWC’s fundraising efforts, including developing and maintaining relationships with funders (including through grant reports), managing the composition of grant applications, producing of events, and developing other fundraising appeals to individuals.
• The Executive Director can be supported in this capacity via contracting with Healthier Colorado’s Development Director, who helps identify grant opportunities, plays a coordinating role in grant application development, and plays an advisory role in other fundraising activities.

Financial Management

• HAWC’s bookkeeping and accounting is currently outsourced to the Archer Group. The Executive Director will be responsible for financial planning, including the development of an annual budget, but will be supported by the Archer Group in the execution of payroll, accounts payable and receivable, cash management, and communication to facilitate the organization’s annual audit.

Board Management

• The Executive Director will report to two overlapping Boards of Directors, one for HAWC, and the other for HAWCA. While operating under the direction of these boards, the Executive Director will be expected to maintain communication as necessary both within and between board meetings and work collaboratively with the boards on all relevant aspects of organizational management.

Staff Management

• The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for the management of all staff, and is expected to build a supportive and productive culture for the organization that is consistent with its values and mission.
• We currently anticipate the hiring of an Advocacy & Communications Manager, whose primary responsibility is to organize and activate health professionals. The Advocacy Manager also provides support for communications activity (e.g. social media content, legislative testimony, op-eds) and represents HAWC in some policy coalitions as determined by the Executive Director. The Advocacy & Communications Manager would only be hired after the arrival of the Executive Director, and this position is subject to change according to the preferences of the Executive Director.

Organizational Planning

• HAWC utilizes a planning system of a vision (6 year time scale), strategic plan (2 year time scale), and annual goals (annually). The Executive Director will be responsible for leading the development of these planning tools and realizing the goals that are set out within them.

Policy Development & Engagement

• Develop HAWC’s legislative agenda, which may include both new policy that we develop as well as legislation developed and/or identified by allies on which we will take a position. The Director will also determine our policy agenda at the federal and local levels as needed.
• Manage HAWC’s state legislative scorecard process, which tracks and records votes and other actions associated with our legislative agenda and then publishes those scores publicly.
• Build and operate within policy coalitions as needed at the local, state, federal levels.
• Determine and manage our professional lobbying capacity during the state legislative session, which may include the use of lobbying contractors and/or staff.
• Determine and manage our communications capacity for our local, state and federal policy agenda. This capacity may be supported by the Advocacy & Communications Manager, communications staff at Healthier Colorado, and/or contractors.
• Direct the activation of health professional voices to support the organization’s policy agenda.

Political Engagement

• Develop and execute a political strategy for the organization that aligns with HAWC and the larger Healthier brands’ missions of bipartisanship and health-focused policy solutions.
• Lead our program of donations to selected political candidates in the interest of advancing the organization’s policy objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in public policy or political campaigns – experience with state legislative campaigns in Colorado is not required, but is particularly valued.
• Previous experience working in health and/or environmental policy is a distinct plus.
• Fundraising and grants management experience is desirable.
• 2+ years managing staff is preferred.
• A passion for the mission of HAWC.

Preferred Competencies

• Self starter with a strong ability to work independently.
• Sound political instincts that align with HAWC’s interest in building bipartisan coalitions for pro-climate policies.
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced, demanding environment, including by serving as a dependable staff management leader who leads by example and lifts morale.
• An entrepreneurial sensibility that informs the pursuit of new opportunities within policy, politics and organizational development.
• Outstanding oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to write clearly and compellingly.
• Can build trust with co-workers and obtain the best efforts of teammates.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and follow-through skills.
• Self-directed and results-oriented, handling multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Proactive and independent problem solver.
• Ability to handle confidential information, including financial information, professionally.
• Excellent research skills.
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of management and staff.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. The salary range is $105,000 to $115,000 annually with an opportunity for a performance-based bonus.   

Benefits

Healthy Air & Water Colorado offers a very generous benefits package. We value the opportunity for our employees to support their physical, mental, and social health as well as practice a work and life balance. Our benefits package includes: 

• Health, vision, and dental insurance;
• Retirement plan (no match requirement);
• 20 days of PTO to start;
• Eight paid holidays;
• Professional development stipends;
• Wellness, parking and cell phone benefit reimbursed monthly; and
• Paid sabbatical after five years of employment

HAWC Non-Discrimination Policy

HAWC is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any term, condition or privilege of employment. HAWC does not discriminate in employment or advancement opportunities on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation (including gender identity and gender expression), disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

We believe that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people — including people of color, people from different socio-economic backgrounds, women, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community, to name a few. We believe that we are better as an organization when we work to deconstruct barriers and build a team that has authentic representation from diverse communities, backgrounds and beliefs. Hence, we strongly encourage qualified candidates from those mentioned, as well as other marginalized communities, to apply for roles within our team.