Executive Director PWCA

Prince William Conservation Alliance; Woodbridge (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

QSEHRA health benefit

Paid time off

401(k) match

Job summary

The Executive Director will guide PWCA as Prince William County faces growth, data-center development, and watershed protection decisions. The role requires credible leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to mobilize volunteers, donors, and local officials to advance conservation and responsible growth.

Based in Woodbridge, VA, the ED will translate Board direction into annual priorities, build partnerships, secure funding, and ensure effective operations while protecting drinking-water

Qualifications

• Land-use, policy, or community experience relevant to local government, growth management, conservation, or public policy.
• Leadership experience guiding programs, campaigns, or organizations from idea to action.
• Strong written and oral communication for diverse audiences and public engagement.
• Ability to build productive relationships across differing perspectives and coalitions.

Responsibilities

• Set annual priorities with the Board and staff, and keep the Board informed about opportunities, risks, finances, and major developments.
• Identify emerging threats and opportunities affecting PWCA’s mission, advocacy priorities, partnerships, funding, and organizational capacity.
• Recommend policy positions, action plans, timelines, and resources for Board discussion and decision.
• Oversee implementation of Board decisions and day-to-day operations, aligning staff, volunteers, communications, programs, fundraising, and partnerships around agreed priorities.
• Support staff and volunteers in a collaborative environment with clear responsibilities and ongoing governance support.

Skills

Land-use, policy, or community

Leadership and implementation

Communication and public engagement

Relationship and coalition building

Mission alignment and judgment

Job description

The next Executive Director (ED) will lead the Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA) at a pivotal moment for Prince William County—when land-use, growth-management, data-center, watershed, and rural-area decisions will shape the County for decades.

Prince William County continues to experience significant development pressure and complex land-use decisions. PWCA works to protect the County’s rural crescent, natural resources, open space, and the headwaters and watershed that support the Occoquan Reservoir—an important drinking water supply serving Prince William County and communities throughout the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The organization is entering a period of heightened land-use and growth-management challenges, including data-center development and related regional planning issues.

PWCA inspires people to enjoy and protect vital county resources through educational programming, conservation work, and advocacy on land-use issues. PWCA works to establish desirable, equitable, sustainable communities; promote environmental stewardship; protect natural resources and drinking-water sources; and create opportunities for residents to engage in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities.

Founded in 2002, PWCA has a 24-year record of conservation, public education, and land-use advocacy. Its current work builds on earlier successes while focusing on major growth and conservation questions now before the County. Examples include:

• Permanent protection of Merrimac Farm in partnership with MCB Quantico and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
• Nearly 40 miles of Virginia Scenic Byways and protection of Dove’s Landing as parkland.
• Advocacy on the Digital Gateway, Quantico Ridge, proposed land swaps, data-center development, and related infrastructure, groundwater, and growth-management issues.
• Development and public use of the “3Rs” framework to connect responsible growth, rural-area protection, and resource stewardship in a way residents and decision-makers can carry forward.
• Public education and mobilization on land-use and watershed issues, including community forums, coalition work, and testimony before planning and elected bodies.

Overview

The ED will help PWCA turn Board-approved direction into focused annual priorities, visible advocacy, sustainable funding, and practical organizational capacity. The role will strengthen PWCA’s public voice on land use, conservation, growth management, data-center impacts, and drinking-water protection while building relationships with residents, donors, public officials, agencies, and partner organizations.

A successful candidate will be credible, clear, resilient, collaborative, and able to move from analysis to action. They should be comfortable speaking publicly, building coalitions, learning local context quickly, and balancing advocacy with practical relationship-building.

The ED works with the Board to set annual priorities, identify resource needs, and define mutually agreed measures of progress before implementation begins. Measures should reflect meaningful conservation, advocacy, fundraising, partnership, and organizational outcomes—such as policy shifts, public participation, partner alignment, donor support, and narrative evidence of influence—not simply event attendance or program counts.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a small nonprofit. PWCA does not expect one person to be equally expert in advocacy, fundraising, management, and local knowledge from day one. The strongest candidates will bring clear strength in at least two of those areas, the judgment and learning capacity to grow in the others, and the ability to work with the Board, staff, volunteers, and partners to fill gaps realistically.

Responsibilities

Strategy, Leadership, Management, & Administration:

• Work with the Board and staff to set annual priorities, clarify resource needs, and keep the Board informed about opportunities, risks, finances, and major developments.
• Identify emerging threats and opportunities affecting PWCA’s mission, advocacy priorities, partnerships, funding, and organizational capacity.
• Recommend policy positions, action plans, timelines, and resource choices for Board discussion and decision.
• Oversee implementation of Board decisions and day-to-day operations, aligning staff, volunteers, communications, programs, fundraising, and partnerships around agreed priorities.
• Support staff and volunteers in a collaborative work environment where contributions are valued and responsibilities are clear.
• Participate as a non-voting member in Board meetings and help the Board Chair support effective governance, agendas, information flow, and committee work.

Financial Oversight & Fund Development:

• Work with the Board to meet PWCA’s current $325,000 funding target, which should be understood as a near-term operating sustainability target unless the Board confirms otherwise.
• Build and maintain relationships with donors, foundations, Grantmakers, and Board members involved in cultivation and solicitation.
• Set fundraising priorities and measures of progress with the Board, report results, and adjust development efforts as needed.
• Administer grants and maintain sound financial practices, including development and management of the approved annual budget and operating plan.

Advocacy & Public Leadership:

• Identify and prioritize land-use, conservation, environmental, and community issues that affect PWCA’s mission and members.
• Represent PWCA before elected officials, planning bodies, agencies, community organizations, coalitions, and other stakeholders.
• Explain complex land-use, groundwater, watershed, data-center, and environmental issues clearly through testimony, presentations, writing, and public engagement.
• Build coalitions around priority conservation, land-use drinking-water, and community issues, including continued use and refinement of the 3Rs framework.
• Communicate regularly with members, supporters, and residents to generate involvement and engagement.

Office Management & Operational Support:

• Ensure administrative, office-management, and facility-related tasks are handled efficiently through appropriate delegation, outsourcing, volunteer support, or other arrangements.
• Work with the Board to decide which responsibilities must remain with the Executive Director and which require staff, Board, volunteer, consultant, or partner support so the role remains realistic.

Qualifications

Required

• Land-use, policy, or community experience: Knowledge or experience related to land-use planning, local government, growth management, conservation, sustainability, public policy, or a closely related field.
• Leadership and implementation: Experience leading people, programs, initiatives, campaigns, organizations, or complex projects from idea to action.
• Communication and public engagement: Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues clearly to different audiences.
• Relationship and coalition building: Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across differing perspectives and interests.
• Mission alignment and judgment: Commitment to conservation, responsible growth, community engagement, and sound decision-making in a changing environment.

Preferred

• Experience working with elected officials, local government, planning bodies, public agencies, or community coalitions.
• Experience with smart-growth, land-use, conservation, watershed, groundwater, rural-area, or related public-policy work.
• Existing knowledge of Prince William County or Northern Virginia is helpful, but transferable experience from another community or region is valued.
• Nonprofit, civic, grassroots, conservation, environmental, military-spouse/community transition, federal, foreign-service, regional planning, or AICP-adjacent experience that would help the candidate build local networks.

Long-Term Commitment

PWCA is seeking a leader interested in making a sustained commitment to the organization and the Prince William County community. Candidates may be asked during the selection process about their interest in the region and what attracts them to a longer-term leadership opportunity.

Practical Requirements

The position requires some evening and weekend availability, a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation, the ability to lift up to 50 pounds, and authorization to work legally in the United States. PWCA is unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Selection Note

PWCA will use a structured interview and candidate evaluation process to assess leadership characteristics such as credibility, collaboration, persistence, persuasion, listening, adaptability, and judgment. These characteristics will support interview criteria and are not additional minimum qualifications.

Compensation

This is a full-time role with a salary range of $80,000 to $95,000, commensurate with experience. The position is headquartered at PWCA’s office: 2239 Tackett’s Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192.

• QSEHRA health benefit: $5,000 annually through a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) administered by PeopleKeep; funds must be used for eligible medical expenses.
• 15 days paid time off and 11 paid holidays, following the Prince William County holiday schedule.
• 401(k) plan with employer match up to 2%.

Equity and Inclusion

PWCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.