Description

KAEHU 

Executive Director

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt  |  Salary Range: $70,000 – $80,000/year  |  Location: Paukkalo, Maui, Hawaii

Reports To: Board of Directors

Position Summary

The Executive Director is the institutional visionary and steward of KAEHU — the leader who maintains and communicates the organization's long-term direction while ensuring it is financially sound, well-governed, compliant, and vision-oriented to carry out KAEHU's mission. This position serves as the primary interface with the Board of Directors and leads KAEHU's relationships with county, state, and federal partners, funders, and the full philanthropic ecosystem.

This position works in close partnership with head of Finance and the Director of Operations & Programs for the delivery of services, to best steward the organization's strategic direction, grant development, and shared vision.

Core Responsibilities

Board Governance & Relations

Serve as primary liaison to the Board of Directors — coordinating board meetings, preparing governance materials, and supporting board development
Facilitate board committee work, including finance, audit, and governance committees
Ensure organizational compliance with all nonprofit governance requirements, bylaws, and fiduciary obligations
Build and maintain a high-functioning board by supporting recruitment, orientation, and ongoing board member engagement
Financial Stewardship

Provide oversight of KAEHU's financial health, including budget development, monitoring, and variance analysis
Lead financial reporting to the board and work closely with the CFO/Financial Consultant on audit preparation and fiscal compliance
Ensure alignment between organizational priorities and financial resources
Monitor funding for compliance with State and Federal regulations and guidelines 
Grant Management and Philanthropic Development 

Oversee all grant applications to ensure timely submissions
Work with grant writer(s) to complete comprehensive and competitive applications for funding 
Complete grant reports on time for each open and active grant
Work to develop other funding streams via diversified funding strategies 
Engage philanthropic partners to support building up funding streams
Government Relations & Advocacy

Serve as KAEHU's primary liaison to the County of Maui, State of Hawaii, and federal agencies
Maintain and strengthen relationships with elected officials, government departments, and policy partners
Lead advocacy strategy in alignment with KAEHU's mission and indigenous rights framework
Coordinate legislative testimony, policy engagement, and representation in county, state, and federal processes
Employee Management and Organizational Stewardship 

Work with staff to ensure efficacy of work, sharing of responsibilities, and completion of tasks/projects
Maintain a culture of support and service through regularly held staff meetings and alignment with the strategic plan/logic model 
Continued focus upon the growth and development of staff in their own areas of focus and collectively as a team 
Institutional Vision & Strategic Planning

Hold and communicate KAEHU's long-term institutional vision, serving as its conduit in governance and external settings
Lead organizational strategic planning processes in partnership with the board of directors and the planning consortium
Guide the KAEHU Strategic Plan and ensure alignment across all organizational workstreams
Performance Metrics

This position is subject to annual performance review by the Board of Directors. Performance-based raises (3–6% annually) and bonuses (5–10% of base salary) will be evaluated based on the following indicators:

Funds Raised: Total grant and philanthropic revenue secured; new funding sources developed; grant success rate
Board Engagement: Board meeting attendance and preparation quality; committee effectiveness; board retention and development
Government Relations: Strength and depth of county, state, and federal relationships; advocacy wins; policy outcomes
Institutional Engagement: Quality of engagement with high-level stakeholders, coalitions, and philanthropic partners
Financial Health: Budget adherence, audit outcomes, financial reporting timeliness, and accuracy
Strategic Milestones: Progress on Master Plan goals, organizational development milestones, and succession outcomes
Core Competencies

Requirements

Deep familiarity with Native Hawaiian culture, history, and community — with demonstrated respect and alignment with indigenous values
Executive-level leadership skills with proven experience in nonprofit governance, board relations, or institutional management
Strong financial acumen — ability to read, interpret, and communicate financial data to diverse audiences
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, advocacy, and executive-level correspondence
Skilled relationship builder with the ability to engage government officials, major donors, board members, and community partners with equal ease
Strategic thinker who can hold long-term institutional vision while managing complex day-to-day governance demands
Experience in fundraising, grant strategy, or philanthropic relationship management
Commitment to equity, shared governance, and community accountability
Ability to navigate political and policy environments at the county, state, and federal levels