Program Director

Program Director

Status : Salaried (30 hours @ $75,000-$80,000 / yearly)

Reports to : Executive Director

Supervises : Program Manager

Location : South Seattle, WA (hybrid; in-person gatherings required)

Schedule : 8 : 00am–4 : 00pm; some evenings and weekends required

Summary

The Program Director plays a central, relational leadership role at The Common Acre, stewarding our land-based programs, youth programming, and emerging conservation policy work. This position works closely with the Executive Director, staff, Tribal partners, community members, and a wide network of contractors to bring The Common Acre’s mission to life through culturally rooted, accessible, and community-led programming.

The Program Director is both a strategic thinker and a hands‑on coordinator – someone who can hold complexity with care, build trust across difference, and translate vision into well‑run, values‑aligned programs. This role requires strong relationship‑building skills, comfort managing multiple moving parts, and the ability to adapt to changing community needs. This role is supported by a small, collaborative staff team and works in close partnership with the Executive Director and Program Manager.

Our Values & Approach

The Common Acre’s work is grounded in racial justice, Indigenous leadership, land stewardship, language justice, and care for community. The Program Director is expected to embody and advance these values by :

• Centering BIPOC and Tribal leadership and lived experience
• Practicing accessibility and language justice across all programs and gatherings
• Building relationships rooted in trust, accountability, and respect
• Leading with humility, collaboration, and care
• Balancing structure with flexibility in community‑based work

Monthly Land Stewardship Days

At our land stewardship days, we connect BIPOC community members to BIPOC leaders in the field of restoration and environmental justice, through a variety of culturally relevant and accessible urban land management workshops. Workshop topics include (but are not limited to) healthy soils, planting and maintenance of a Native hedgerow, collecting clean rainwater, and soil remediation.

Conservation Policy Campaign

The Program Director will collaborate with the Executive Director to build and implement a Native‑led policy campaign with three partner organizations. The campaign focuses on advancing a State policy change effort regarding the Conservation Futures Tax Levy, whose goal is to preserve natural lands and urban green space. This partnership seeks to address the notable disqualification of Tribes as potential recipients of land, should nonprofit recipients of this funding program, sunset and need to designate their beneficiary.

Duties

Team Management and Supervision

Program management

Policy and strategy

In collaboration with the executive director, provide strategic direction, mentorship, and development for a new conservation policy initiative. This initiative will include 3 partnering organizations.

Accessibility and Language Justice

Qualifications

Demonstrated ability to write program budgets and track expenses

Encouragement to Apply

If this role feels aligned with your values and the way you want to work in the world, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every qualification listed. We value lived experience, community knowledge, and people who are excited to grow in relationship with our work.

How to Apply

Please send a copy of your resume to scarecrow@commonacre.org.

Benefits

The Common Acre is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

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