Executive Director Job Description
This is a working document, and not yet approved by the OSGeo Board.
Background
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) has a very broad mandate to support and promote its projects. To date, all the work to meet these progressive goals has come from volunteers - project management committees, promotion, etc. Higher level organization of OSGeo has been done through a volunteer Board of Directors who administers the more formal and legal aspects across the organization. The goal of the board is to act as a steward of the foundation, pursuing the innovative goals of the foundation by engaging the membership at large and removing barriers to its success.
While the board has provided substantial amounts of support, there are still many tasks which require increased attention or a single point of contact - more than the board or volunteers can be responsible for. For example, there is the need to have more focused communication of events, issues and progress between the board, projects and the membership in general. Fundraising efforts also require some more dedicated assistance by having a primary point of contact for sponsorship activities. There is also the potential need to have someone manage staff or contractors that the foundation hire (e.g. a systems administrator, book-keeper). To meet these and other needs, the board is hiring a full-time Executive Director (E.D.).
Goals
The position will be flexible in order to meet the changing needs of the board, membership and organization. The primary goals of the position include:
- Consistently representing the organization as a key contact, advocate, promoter and fundraiser
- Improving communication between the board, membership, projects and chapters
- Managing the day-to-day operations of the organization
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the position will also be somewhat flexible. The primary focus of the position will be around communication - internally and externally - as well as managing/supporting various initiatives. These will include:
- Communicating vision, policies and status of board direction to the rest of the organization and the public
- Managing the day-to-day operations of the foundation (e.g. possibly managing other staff/contractors, helping direct questions to the appropriate groups, etc.)
- Providing support to community projects and guide membership management
- Bringing forward issues of concern from the membership/projects to the board
- Overseeing the development of a stable Internet infrastructure for member projects
- Working with other members to pursue fundraising opportunities by writing proposals, meeting potential sponsors and developing relationships
- Helping coordinate and develop promotional material
- Identify financial requirements to meet foundation objectives, and oversee their use/implementation
- Following OSGeo committee activities and participating when needed
Reporting
Just as the board serves the overall membership and organization, so the E.D. is to serve the needs of the board and, indirectly, the membership. The position will report directly to the board of directors, who will collectively set direction, tasks and priorities. The E.D. is appointed and removed by the board. Because the position is new, close and regular contact with the board will be required, especially in the short term. The E.D. will be expected to work independently, within the scope of the position as directed by the board. Effective time management and communication skills will be essential for success. In addition to regular ongoing communication, the E.D. will personally deliver monthly activity/status reports to the board. As the position develops, less frequent reporting may be sufficient.
Finances
The position will have spending authority for some items in the budget that pertain to the above responsibilities. The details of the budget and extent of spending authority will be determined on an as-needed basis until the needs of the position are clearer. The board of directors will then provide longer-term direction on issues related to financing.