Executive Director

Job Title: Executive Director, The Deanery Project

Application deadline February 28, 2026

Position Summary

We are seeking a visionary, hands-on Executive Director to lead the Deanery Project into its next chapter —a leader who shares our commitment to community, sustainability, and
imaginative approaches to building a more sustainable and equitable world.
The successful candidate will be experienced in leadership, community building, and non-profit management. Guided by our mission, vision, and values, they will lead The Deanery’s strategic initiatives while overseeing day-to-day operations.
The Executive Director will work in close collaboration with The Deanery Project’s Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and community partners to maintain and grow the organization.
This position will balance big-picture vision with practical operational leadership, a passion for environment, the creative arts, and grassroots, people-powered approaches.
The Deanery Project is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, rural, and other equity-deserving candidates.
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About The Deanery Project
The Deanery Project is located in Ketmenipukwek (Ship Harbour, NS) in Mi’kma’ki, the
ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, as governed by the 1726 Treaties of Peace and Friendship. The Deanery is committed to acts of reconciliation and decolonization, this includes building meaningful relationships and partnerships with the Mi’kmaw people who have cared for this land since time immemorial.
Established in 2011, the Deanery Project is a registered charitable, non-profit organization
rooted in the rich history of its location, on Nova Scotia’s beautiful Eastern Shore. The
organization was formed at a pivotal moment to safeguard community access to the land and buildings of the former Tangier Deanery Centre, preventing its loss to private development. The Deanery Project was created to steward the property forward as a living, evolving place for learning, creativity, healing, and community resilience.

Today, the Deanery Project is a secular, interdisciplinary centre for environmental and arts education. It has grown into a dynamic organization and ‘living lab’, where environmental innovation, natural building, permaculture, the arts, and hands-on learning intersect.
The facilities and environment at the Deanery Project are managed in a way to showcase
sustainable design, permaculture principles and a commitment to low-impact, energy-efficient construction. Further, the Deanery Project is committed to building relationships that support Indigenous use of the land and facilities, while acknowledging and addressing the complex colonial histories of the area.

We offer our own diverse programming and act as a venue for aligned program rentals,
fostering meaningful connections between people and the natural environment.

Our core activities include:

● Providing inspiring hands-on learning, and programming related to the creative arts,
wellbeing, and the environment from permaculture courses to community music jams,
and workshops on food, art, traditional skills and sustainability.
● Hosting events like our annual SeaLight SkyLight Festival, the Natural Building East
Colloquium, and Dalhousie University Architecture programs.
● Supporting programming for aligned organizations, through facility rentals and
customized program options, as well as serving as an interdisciplinary convening space.
● Maintaining day-to-day operations of our beautiful 25-acre ocean front site, ensuring it
remains a vibrant, sustainable space for education, creativity, and environmental
stewardship that is accessible to the local community, the region and beyond.

Key Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership & Vision
● Steward the organization through its next phase, balancing continuity, care, and
innovation.
● Support a positive, inclusive organizational culture rooted in creativity and sustainability
principles.
Partnerships & Community Engagement
● Act as an ambassador for The Deanery, building and maintaining relationships with local
and regional partners, stakeholders, and community members.
● Attend meetings of partner organizations and maintain a collaborative presence within
the community.
Programming: Environmental & Artistic Leadership
● Work with program staff to develop, coordinate, and deliver events, workshops, and
grant-supported programming that advances the Deanery’s mandate and reflects its
core values of creativity, environmental sustainability, and community education,
grounded in hands-on, place-based learning and creative exploration.
● Cultivate and steward a space where environmental sustainability and artistic expression thrive together.

Facility Rentals

● Oversee and promote rental activities, including facility rentals (e.g. Main Hall, on-site
accommodations, The Sound Studio, Art Residencies, The Bike Hub and Wood Shop)
● Assist with rental-related programming (e.g., retreats & workshops).

Fundraising & Financial Stewardship

● Apply for, manage, and report on grants to sustain operations and future programming, and explore pathways to further develop the Deanery’s potential as a social enterprise.
● Support fundraising initiatives, and other revenue-generating projects including new
opportunities associated with the Deanery recent charitable status designation.
● Maintain strong financial oversight in collaboration with the Board of Directors.
Operations & Site Stewardship
● Oversee day-to-day operations (e.g., cleaning, food preparation, grounds/buildings/trails maintenance).
● Ensure all buildings and outdoor spaces reflect sustainability practices.
● Oversee on-site projects for new builds and renovations informed by permaculture and
natural building principles.

Team Support & Administration

● Recruit, train, and lead staff and volunteers to maintain smooth operations.
● Oversee internal and external communications.
● Oversee hiring, HR, and volunteer coordination.

Qualifications & Experience

We welcome candidates with diverse life experiences, education, and professional expertise. Ideal applicants will be self-directed, passionate, and ready to take on hands-on leadership. If you do not meet all the essential qualifications listed, but are enthusiastic about this opportunity and envision yourself thriving as an Executive Director, we encourage you to apply. Please use your cover letter to explain why you are a strong fit for the role.

Essential Competencies

● Leadership role (e.g., in non-profit or community organizations, government, or private sector; 3–5 years preferred).
● Experience with non-profit and community organizations.
● Demonstrated ability in project management (e.g., managing programs, events,
workshops, site and facility maintenance).
● Experience with grant writing, fundraising, or donor engagement.
● Financial literacy, including budgeting and reporting.
● Strong interpersonal skills, with experience in building collaborative teams and positive partnerships.
● Ability to leverage and mobilize diverse skill and knowledge sets to achieve a common
mission or goal.
● Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and approaches to foster organizational diversity,
equity, and inclusion, with an understanding of the Two-Eyed Seeing framework.
● Commitment to grassroots approaches, sustainability, and the arts.

Assets

● Familiarity with rural community development.
● Knowledge of the Deanery Project and/or Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.
● Experience in interdisciplinary/collaborative settings, including establishing partnerships across sectors (e.g., academia, non-profit, government, etc.)
● Knowledge of natural building, permaculture, or similar practices.
● Knowledge or experience with models for financial sustainability, including social
enterprise and opportunities linked to charitable status.
● Experience in site or facility management and/or maintenance.

Working Conditions & Compensation
Salary: $60,000 annually.

Work Setting: The role is grounded in deep relationship with the Land and Waters the Deanery helps steward. The beautiful 25-acre site includes ocean frontage, a field, forest trails, community gardens and buildings that serve as permaculture and sustainable living
demonstration spaces.

Professional Growth & Community Engagement: An abundance of opportunities for professional development, training, conferences, and ongoing engagement with a wide network of artists, educators, builders, researchers, and community partners is on-going,
Organizational Culture: A collaborative, mission-driven workplace rooted in care, creativity, environmental responsibility, and connection—to place, to people, and to purpose is at the heart of the Deanery Project.

How to Apply

Interested in helping lead this next chapter with us?
Please submit the following by February 28, 2026:
1. A resume.
2. A cover letter describing your interest in the role and how your leadership experience
and approach align with the position.
3. Optional: The Deanery Project is an innovative and dynamic organization. Applicants
who wish to share ideas for alternative leadership or management models aligned with
the Deanery’s values are welcome to do so. This is entirely optional and will not impact
evaluation of your application.
Please send your application to: <deaneryEDsearch@gmail.com>