Executive Director

West Virginia Land Trust; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

West Virginia Land Trust seeks an Executive Director to serve as chief executive and external ambassador, guiding WVLT's mission and strategic plan. The role leads fundraising, stakeholder engagement, and organizational growth to sustain statewide impact.

The successful candidate will balance strategic vision with operational discipline, oversee staff and partnerships, and drive WVLT's conservation goals across West Virginia while maintaining financial health and program excellence.

Qualifications

• Experience in fundraising and donor relations.
• Strong organizational and financial judgment.
• Proven ability to lead and develop staff.
• Ability to build partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as WVLT's chief executive and external ambassador.
• Lead fundraising efforts to secure resources for operations and growth.
• Advance the organization's mission and strategic plan.
• Cultivate donors, foundations, partners, and community leaders.
• Ensure resources, systems, and relationships sustain statewide impact.

Skills

Fundraising ability

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Partnership development

Job description

Executive Director
Morgantown Or Charleston, WV

The West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) is a nationally accredited statewide nonprofit that has permanently protected more than 62,000 acres of West Virginia's forests, streams, drinking water sources, farms, historic and cultural lands, and places of deep community value since 1994.

WVLT enters this leadership transition from a position of strength. The organization has an experienced staff, engaged Board, strong financial foundation, meaningful partnerships, and an ambitious new strategic plan. Recent transformational projects reflect both the scale of WVLT's conservation opportunity and the need for alignment of growth opportunities with near- and long-term capacity.

The next Executive Director will serve as WVLT's chief executive, lead fundraiser, and primary external ambassador. Reporting to the Board of Directors, this leader will advance the organization's mission and strategic plan; cultivate donors, foundations, public partners, landowners, community leaders, and conservation partners; and ensure WVLT has the resources, systems, and relationships required to sustain its growing statewide impact.

A central priority for the new Executive Director will be translating momentum into focused, sustainable execution. WVLT must continue to prioritize the highest-impact conservation opportunities, grow unrestricted and discretionary financial support, and build stronger operational infrastructure to keep pace with the organization’s growth.

The successful candidate will be a strategic, externally focused, relationship-driven leader who can balance ambition with discipline. Strong candidates will bring proven fundraising ability, sound organizational and financial judgment, experience building partnerships, and the skills to lead and support a talented staff through a period of stabilization and continued growth.

The salary range for this position annually is $130,000 - 175,000, commensurable with experience. The comprehensive benefits package includes workers' compensation and a retirement plan. WVLT observes 10 paid holidays each year and offers paid time off and sick leave.