JOB OPENING

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH

Location: Remote; ability to travel to New York City regularly strongly preferred

FLSA Status: This is a fractional role with salary disbursed evenly throughout the year. Part-time for 9 months of the year, with a full-time commitment required during approximately 3 months of the year (e.g., immediately before, during, and immediately after our annual seminar*).

*For 2026 (and likely 2027), our annual seminar will be held in the fall. We may return to our normal summer schedule in 2028 or beyond.

Reports to: Board of Trustees

ABOUT THE FLAHERTY 

The Flaherty (International Film Seminars, Inc., New York, NY) is a small non-profit organization dedicated to fostering community around the moving image. The organization's central event is the annual Flaherty Seminar, which brings together artists, curators, academics, media professionals and lovers of film for a week of screenings and field-building collective inquiry into the form and function of independent non-fiction cinema. Founded in 1955 by Frances Flaherty and named after filmmaker Robert Flaherty, the Flaherty Seminar is the longest continuously-running film event in North America. Now in its seventh decade, the Seminar is an internationally recognized forum that has introduced audiences to the works of hundreds of influential filmmakers, including D.A. Pennebaker, Agnès Varda, Satyajit Ray, Cauleen Smith, Bruce Baillie, Natalia Almada, Paul Chan, Charles Burnett, Lisandro Alonso, and Sarah Maldoror. Today, The Flaherty also organizes screenings and partnerships around the world to connect artists and audiences internationally.

ABOUT OUR VALUES

The Flaherty has a long-standing commitment to engaging critically with the ethics and aesthetics of nonfiction filmmaking in the widest sense, including artists’ moving image, expanded cinema, and related visual art forms. We propose cinema (and the act of collective viewing) as an invitation to step outside oneself and engage in rigorous and generative discussion and debate. We bring together an international and intergenerational community dedicated to exploring the transformative, world-building power of non-fiction cinema, the exchange of cinematic ideas across cultures, and the expansion of the limits of cinema itself.

We seek an Executive Director who has a passion for cinema and the arts, strong fundraising, operational, and management skills, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

ABOUT THE POSITION 

The Executive Director will lead day-to-day operations and long-term strategy, and fundraising for The Flaherty’s annual seminar, in addition to leading and executing year-round partnerships and occasional New York programs. This position requires a unique skillset combining organizational and program development, relationship and coalition building, systems and personnel management, and fundraising and stakeholder cultivation to effectively develop and manage the annual Seminar and related activities. The ideal candidate is a warm, engaging relationship-builder who enjoys connecting with artists, donors, foundations, and community members. They will serve as a passionate ambassador for The Flaherty, cultivating meaningful relationships and confidently articulating the organization's mission, impact, and vision. The Executive Director should be comfortable wearing multiple hats, including soliciting financial support, stewarding donors at all levels, and leading fundraising efforts with authenticity, enthusiasm, and persistence.

Working closely with the Board of Trustees and Program Director, the Executive Director will also select and supervise the programmer(s) of each annual seminar, ensuring that programming aligns with the mission, budget, and values of the organization. They will also oversee the organization’s financial management and programs and manage part-time and seasonal staff. Additionally, expanding The Flaherty’s digital presence through new and existing screening partnerships (e.g., Seminar Pod partners and Flaherty on the Road) is a priority for the organization.

FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising and Financial Management

  • Increase, diversify, and secure resources for The Flaherty; support and oversee the organization’s financial health and growth, which includes financial planning. 

  • Devise new financial advancement strategies and execute them with support from the Board. 

  • Establish and cultivate relationships with current and potential Flaherty donors and supporters. 

  • Direct financial decision-making and oversee fiscal management of the organization, including overseeing payroll, artist and fellowship partner contracts, the annual budget, and audit.

Board Development & Engagement

  • Cultivate a strong working partnership with the Board and leverage trustees’ skills and relationships to increase the capacity of the organization to meet organizational, financial, and programmatic goals. 

  • Build relationships with and aid in the recruitment of new board members

Relationship-building & External Communications

  • Represent the organization, in conjunction with the Board President, at all media and public events. 

  • Create and develop opportunities to raise the profile of the organization.

  • Bring a compelling and credible voice to the public conversation about film and community engagement. 

  • Actively promote the organization to the public. 

  • Oversee the maintenance and improvement of IFS website and other online assets.

Strategic Vision and Leadership

  • Provide strategic vision and leadership for The Flaherty to formulate and implement its organizational goals. 

  • Work closely with the Board of Trustees to lead and oversee short- and long-term organizational vision and goals in alignment with The Flaherty’s mission. 

  • Ensure that equity-driven values and initiatives inform the organization’s work.

Program Development & Oversight

  • Maintaining and updating permanent records/archives of The Flaherty’s history, including organizing and overseeing a full Assessment of Flaherty Archives and a move of pertinent assets to Fine Art Storage. 

  • Overseeing maintenance of Flaherty assets in Vermont

  • Managing one full-time year-round staff member and one part-time staff member, as well as seasonal staff who are responsible for day-to-day management and operations of core program activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Minimum 5 years of experience in nonprofit management and leadership, or equivalent

  • Proven track record in fundraising and grant writing 

  • Experience in film/media program development (or related fields) 

  • Staff and program management experience 

  • Excellent time-management skills 

  • Superior writing and communication skills 

  • Experience with virtual platforms, design, and social media is a must

  • Experience and/or strong interest in archival preservation is a plus

SALARY RANGE

  • $80,000–$100,000 annually, paid biweekly 

BENEFITS

  • Paid time off (including nine annual holidays, office closure between Christmas and New Years, and a post-seminar staff break)

  • Medical insurance 

  • Commuter benefits

PROCESS AND TIMELINE

Applications will be accepted through August 10, 2026, with the goal of beginning interviews in late August. Please submit the following documents via this form. Candidates may contact hiring@theflaherty.org with any questions.

  • A one-page cover letter that shares why you are interested in the position and what you would bring to the role. 

    • Please make sure to address your experience and comfort level with fundraising and individual giving 

  • A one-page resume

  • Names and contact information for two professional references 

  • Please also note how you learned about this opportunity and indicate whether you are authorized to work in the United States. 

Additional materials may be requested at a later date.

The Flaherty is committed to inclusiveness, to tolerance, to openness, to change and progress, to a collective rather than an individualistic sensibility, to integrity and transparency in all of our processes, and to welcoming new and diverse participants into the Flaherty experience.

The Flaherty is committed to a diverse workplace and is an enthusiastic equal opportunity employer for people of all backgrounds and ages. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. 

All applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Apply