Nonprofit Executive Director

Organization:Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi

Reports To:Board of Directors

Direct Reports: Program Directors/Managers, Grants Portfolio Director;
External Financial Controller, External Consultants

Location:Kunia Camp, Oʻahu

Employment Type: Exempt, Full-Time Salary Range: $115-135K (Commensurate with experience and qualifications) Benefits

Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi provides practical support and funding to Hawaiʻi’s farmers, ranchers, and land managers. Formed from the merger of the Oʻahu Resource Conservation & Development Council and the Oʻahu Agriculture and Conservation Association in 2024, the organization connects agricultural communities with tools, funding, and technical support. In 2025, Ag Stew supported 292 producers across all Hawaiian Islands. Our vision is of thriving, resilient agricultural communities stewarding Hawaiʻi’s lands, waters and agroecosystems and our work aims to empower and support them.

Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi is homed within the Kunia Camp Village area of central O’ahu, within the ahupua’a of Waikele in the moku of ‘Ewa. The organization operates on an approximately $2.5M annual budget with a core team of 15, delivering four programs:

— free one-on-one grant writing, funding navigation, and financial-education support so producers can access public and private funding.

— direct funding and in-field technical assistance for stewardship that improves soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity.

— policy and partnerships collaboration with government, funders, nonprofits, and industry to shape policy, infrastructure, and investment.

— Fiscal sponsorship for new sustainability-focused programs that are mission aligned.

The Executive Director (ED) leads Ag Stewardship Hawaiʻi’s mission, people, finances, and compliance under the direction of the Board of Directors. As the organization approaches its 30th year, the ED will provide steady, forward-looking leadership to carry Ag Stew into its fourth decade: setting direction, building the team, and deepening the organization’s standing and impact with the agricultural producers and food system stakeholders it serves.

At the heart of this role is a kuleana to Hawaiʻi’s farming, ranching and restoration communities — and to the ʻāina they steward. We are looking for a leader who carries that responsibility as a core part of their professional, personal and community commitments.

• Provide the vision and steady leadership to carry Ag Stew into its fourth decade, building on nearly 30 years of service since 1997. Set and execute organizational strategy in service of Hawaiʻi’s food-system resilience and agricultural stewardship.
• Cultivate relationships with funders, partners, and industry to expand reach, impact and investment.
• Serve as the organization’s principal public representative and spokesperson, including with funders, partners and policymakers, strengthening the organization’s long‑term stability, reputation, and readiness for what the next decade will demand.
• Lead the implementation of an organization-wide learning and evaluation framework to inform and refine strategy and spur continuous improvement.
• Orient the organization, its resources and partnerships towards addressing root causes of barriers to farming and working collaboratively to solve challenges.

• Provide a vision and structure for how organizational values, care, conflict and learning are incorporated into the organization, including creating a culture of frequent feedback, learning…