Job Listing: Director of Social Responsibility

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - Richmond, VA

Closes - open until filled

Position Title - Director of Social Responsibility

Compensation - $50,000 - $60,000 

Job Type - full-time; exempt

Apply - To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to hr@lewisginter.org.

Summary - The Director of Social Responsibility is responsible for broadening the accessibility and relevance of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden through intentional relationship building with communities that have not Direct Supervisor: Vice President, Learning and Engagement Department: Learning and Engagement Job Category: Category 1 Location: Richmond, VA Travel Required: Local Level/Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000 Exempt/Nonexempt: Exempt Contact: hr@lewisginter.org Position Type: FT Date Posted: February 2, 2024 Posting Expires: Until Filled Page 2 of 3 been robustly represented at the Garden. They will develop strategies for connecting with and engaging diverse communities, provide leadership and daily oversight of community partnership programs both on-site and off-site, and implement systems to build capacity and collaborations. Based on the Garden’s newly adopted strategic plan that includes social responsibility as one of four commitments, they will work closely with our partners, staff, volunteers and Board to build a more inclusive, welcoming, and accessible Garden.

We are committed to elevating diverse backgrounds and experiences that are not well represented on our team. We value the opportunity to work with individuals from different cultures and understand that like diverse ecosystems, diverse workplaces are needed for success. We have a strong desire for our Director of Social Responsibility to represent the diverse community we serve. We encourage candidates from underrepresented identities and experiences to apply.

Job Responsibilities - 

• Develop priorities, establish expectations, and set goals for community partnerships, implementing systems to build capacity and collaboration.
  • Actively participate in community networks and gatherings, listening to community needs and facilitating conversations in order to develop meaningful partnership programs.
  • Develop best management practices for partnerships, including overseeing the development of a rigorous decision making process that ensures an equitable approach to programming beyond the Garden’s walls.
  • Collaborate with staff and volunteers to manage and grow partnerships on and off-site, prioritizing community mental health and well-being.
  • Compile and maintain an inventory of partners.
  • Provide leadership and oversight for tabling at festivals and events, collaborating with the Marketing team on developing a strategic calendar.
• Collaborate with partners, staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, and Board of Associates to grow a more inclusive, diverse, and accessible Garden.
  • Lead efforts to improve accessibility to and within the Garden; manage and build upon Garden access programs such as Museums for All and Share the Garden.
  • Collaborate with community partners in order to effectively welcome individuals of all backgrounds and abilities.
  • Lead the Garden’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion cross-departmental team.
  • Collaborate cross-departmentally to tell the history of the Garden, its land, and the Reserve with transparency.
  • Collaborate with Human Resources and leadership staff to provide training for working with and welcoming individuals from diverse communities.
• Provide daily oversight for social responsibility initiatives.
  • Develop and implement an evaluation framework in order to measure and communicate impact and outcomes.
  • Establish, track, and maintain program budget.
  • Work closely with the Marketing department to share social responsibility and engagement initiatives on print, social media, website and other platforms.
  • Collaborate with the Advancement department to pursue funding opportunities, compile information for reports, and manage special project budgets. 

Qualifications -

• Strong leadership skills, including the demonstrated ability to bring together various stakeholders toward a common goal.
• Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and results.
• Adaptability; a demonstrated positive approach to problem solving and collaborating with others.
• The ability to foster empathy amongst colleagues and guests while working effectively and respectfully with people of diverse cultures, ages, and economic backgrounds.
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines while juggling multiple tasks and projects, planning months in advance while responding to day-to-day demands.
• A strong commitment to and experience with DEI practices and training.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate difficult conversations.
• Excellent writing, verbal, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Technical proficiency with computers, databases, and Microsoft software programs.
• Flexibility to work weekend, evening and holiday hours, as needed. 
• Bachelor’s degree.
• A minimum of 3 years related experience.
• Demonstrated experience in reaching, welcoming, and including underserved audiences in programming and outreach efforts.
• Experience with DEI practices and training.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in sustainable community relationship building.
• Broad-based knowledge of a full range of techniques for community programs development.
• Prior experience in a botanical garden, museum, or cultural non-profit preferred.
• Proficiency in conversational Spanish desirable.

About Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden -

Founded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a nonprofit garden located in Richmond, Virginia’s Lakeside neighborhood. The Garden encompasses 82 acres, four lakes, 5,500 unique taxa of plants within 15 distinct outdoor gardens, 11 major buildings including a conservatory and greenhouse, plus an 80-acre branch site, the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve. Annually, Lewis Ginter engages over 17,000 students in innovative and exciting education programs. This cadre of identified learners is just a fraction of the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the Garden. In recent years, the Garden has been honored with inclusion in several top ten lists for botanical gardens in North America.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees. We support the diversity and inclusion policy adopted by The American Public Gardens Association: to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated.