Position Overview:

San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) seeks a dynamic Executive Director with a love for public transit and the people who ride it. We need a strategic thinker who can lead a small but powerful advocacy group that represents the voice of the transit rider in San Francisco and advocates for effective change.

The successful candidate will have prior experience in achieving sustainable fundraising at a non-profit. They are politically savvy with a firm understanding of the complex transit and government landscape of San Francisco. They will work to grow an organization with a broad membership, run the day-to-day operations, and implement the current strategic plan with motivated and dedicated staff, volunteers, contractors, and board members.

Responsibilities:

• Fundraise, build, and maintain long-term sustainable sources of funding for the organization.
• Represent transit riders and SFTR in interactions with city and regional government, other non-profits, and neighborhood groups. Establish, deepen, and maintain these relationships to continue developing trust and confidence in SFTR and the work that we do.   
• Engage with regional partners to secure long-term funding for transit in the Bay Area.
• Maintain effective decision-making processes to achieve SFTR’s long-term and short-term goals.
• Supervise, support, grow, and collaborate with a small staff of full-time and part-time employees and contractors as well as an engaged board to implement SFTR’s strategic plan.
• Manage day-to-day operations and administrative systems including human resources, finances, and information technology.
• Work with staff and the board to review SFTR’s Mission and update SFTR’s strategic plan on a regular basis. 
• Steer SFTR so that strategies and tactics drive the mission and strategic plan forward.
• Manage and coordinate the September Transit Month efforts for SFTR and key partners.

Key Qualities:

With an unwavering determination, the Executive Director must share a firm conviction and sense of urgency in transforming transit in San Francisco. The individual we are looking for has a passion for and experience working in the areas of transit, urban advocacy, and other related subjects. They are comfortable in an early-stage environment and have the vision and leadership skills to take the organization to the next level. Our members are passionate about transit and they enjoy the interaction of being part of SFTR. The right leader will leverage this social aspect of our work and create an engaging environment for members and volunteers.

They have the entrepreneurial ability to build and maintain a sustainable funding stream. SFTR had its most successful fundraising year ever in 2023 by building relationships and partnerships. As we shift advocacy toward transportation equity and environmental justice, we need a leader who can guide SFTR’s path to receiving funding from equity and climate-centered sources.