Position:  Executive Director

Reports to:  Board of Directors

Salary:  $100,000-$110,000/year

Benefits: Health Insurance, 401k with 4% match, PTO

Location: Vancouver, WA with travel along the Columbia River.

Work Environment: Hybrid work environment. Executive Director needs to be located in the Confluence Service Area.

About Confluence

Confluence is a community-supported nonprofit with the mission to connect people to the history, living cultures and ecology of the Columbia River system through Indigenous voices. It began in the early 2000’s in response to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial as a way to connect people with the Indigenous side of American history. Tribal leaders along the Columbia River saw the Bicentennial as an opportunity to dispel myths about Native Americans and to strengthen the Tribal perspective in the popular narrative of American history.

Meanwhile, Confluence’s dynamic founding Executive Director Jane Jacobsen wanted to build reminders of this history into the landscape through art installations. The founders of Confluence invited the celebrated artist Maya Lin to build a series of projects along the Columbia River. The result is five completed arts landscapes that stretch from the coast to eastern Washington. The final project remains on hold. Over the years, Confluence’s mission evolved into a focus on education for students and the wider public. Today, Confluence brings Indigenous artists into schools, organizes public events that elevate Native voices, and creates media and publications with Tribal perspectives.  

Confluence is now looking for its next Executive Director to lead its next chapter. This is an amazing opportunity to build on a legacy of Tribal partnerships and find new and more expansive ways to elevate Indigenous voices in our collective understanding of America. 

Job Summary

The Confluence Board of Directors and its community of partners seek a visionary diplomat to lead Confluence’s mission and vision. We are looking for someone with a deep understanding of Indigenous American history and an enthusiasm to learn more from the Columbia River’s Native culture bearers of today. Qualities and qualifications include:

• Experience with and knowledge of Columbia River Indigenous Tribes
• Patient collaboration
• Outstanding self-awareness
• Humility to serve a larger vision 
• Desire to find consensus in sensitive scenarios with multiple perspectives that may not always align
• Collaborative approach to leadership
• Honest and clear communication
• Willing to be surrounded by elders and experts
• Does not avoid conflict but embraces ways forward so that everyone can rise
• Demonstrated experience and skills in creating, maintaining and navigating a diverse environment that embraces and advances equity and inclusion in every facet of the organization
• Experience leading or working in a values and mission driven organization where trust, patience and a commitment to learning and sharing are centered 
• Able to inspire people to stretch their abilities beyond their expectations

Application Instructions

Nonprofit Professionals Now is proud to be working with Confluence on this key leadership position.  For a full job description and application information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3KcwDXE  

or contact Agnes Zach, Search Lead at agnes@npprofessionals.com

Application Deadline:  June 16, 2024