Job Posting: Faunalytics Is Hiring Our Next Executive Director

Author: Faunalytics | Published: September 14, 2026

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Faunalytics is hiring its next Executive Director. Read the full job posting and apply by October 18, 2026.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director (ED) leads Faunalytics with strategic vision, external presence, and operational accountability. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED is the organization’s chief executive, chief fundraiser, strategy lead, and primary ambassador to the animal protection movement. This is a role for a leader who is as comfortable cultivating major donors as they are presenting research findings to a room of advocates, and one who understands that Faunalytics’ credibility is not only built on rigorous data, but also on relationships, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to animals.

Faunalytics’ current Executive Director, Brooke Haggerty, will end her tenure with Faunalytics on January 15, 2027, after leading the organization for the last seven years. She has shared more about this transition and Faunalytics’ current position in this blog, and looks forward to cheering Faunalytics on as it enters its next phase. The organization is well-established and financially stable, making this an exceptional moment for our next leader to shape Faunalytics’ next chapter. While not specific to the ED role, note that Faunalytics helps animals indirectly, working behind the scenes to help advocates be as effective as possible.

Key Responsibilities

Movement Leadership & External Relations (15%)

Serve as Faunalytics’ primary external voice and ambassador, building and sustaining meaningful relationships with organizational leaders, funders, researchers, and advocates across the animal protection movement.
Represent Faunalytics at conferences, convenings, and public forums; contribute to movement-wide conversations about strategy, evidence, and impact.
Cultivate partnerships with aligned organizations, research institutions, and advocacy networks that extend Faunalytics’ reach and influence.
Maintain active engagement with the effective altruism and evidence-based philanthropy communities as a key constituency for Faunalytics’ work.

Strategy & Organizational Direction (15%)

Lead strategic planning processes in partnership with the Board Strategy & Impact Committee and senior staff, translating organizational mission into actionable multi-year priorities.
Translate strategic initiatives into concrete implementation steps and milestones with staff; lead goal-setting and progress review processes with direct reports.
Monitor the external landscape (e.g., trends in animal advocacy, philanthropy, research, and AI) and position Faunalytics as a thought leader in the space.
Oversee Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) activities, including maintaining the organizational impact dashboard and reporting regularly to the Board and key stakeholders on progress.

Fundraising & Development (20%)

Fundraising is a core, permanent part of this job. Faunalytics has a fantastic Philanthropy Manager, but the ED cannot fully delegate all aspects of fundraising and is ultimately responsible for fundraising outcomes.
Collaborate closely with the Philanthropy Manager on annual fundraising strategy, grant applications and reporting, donor communications, and prospecting.
Set and execute fundraising goals in partnership with the Philanthropy Manager, with accountability for meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
Lead major gift fundraising, maintaining positive relationships with major funders and personally stewarding a portfolio of high-value donor and funder relationships.
Conduct regular donor appeals and outreach, both general and personal, to maintain and grow donation income and relationships.
Identify and pursue new revenue opportunities to diversify and grow Faunalytics’ current operating budget.

Programmatic Oversight (15%)

In partnership with the Research Director, oversee Faunalytics’ independent research strategy, including input into the annual research agenda, and review and approval of research proposals and budgets.
Facilitate coordination across departments and committees on cross-cutting projects, collaborative logistics, and research dissemination.
Support senior staff in ensuring projects advance through key milestones on schedule; identify and resolve resource or timeline concerns as they arise.
Evaluate and implement new programs as determined by the organization’s strategic direction.
Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, including rigorous program evaluation and adherence to established quality standards.

Board Governance & Relations (15%)

Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors, ensuring members are informed, engaged, and effectively leveraged in support of organizational goals.
Work with the Board President to set agendas for and facilitate twice-quarterly board meetings, and to manage committee structures and meeting participation as needed.
Prepare and present board materials, including financial updates, program reports, and strategic initiatives and outcomes.
Partner with the Board on board development, including recruiting new members to fill key skills and experience gaps.

Financial Oversight (10%)

Lead the development of the annual budgeting processes, with input from key staff and the Finance Committee; present the budget for final approval from the Board.
Partner with the Operations & Finance Coordinator on all financial operations, including 990 tax preparation, financial reporting, independent audit, fiscal controls, and insurance policies.
Work with the Board Finance Committee to oversee asset distribution and management, and ensure that finances are allocated in alignment with strategic priorities and long-term sustainability.

Team Leadership & Culture (10%)

Directly supervise four staff members (Research Director, Resource Director, People & Operations Director, and Philanthropy Manager), providing clear direction, coaching, and accountability.
In partnership with the People & Operations Director, oversee performance management, professional development, and overall organizational health, championing a culture of learning, evidence, and continuous improvement.
Support the development and maintenance of organizational policies, manuals, and operational documentation.
Model transparent, values-driven leadership and ensure that Faunalytics remains a place where our team of talented, dedicated people can do meaningful and sustainable work.

Qualifications

Essential

Deep personal commitment to animal protection and the mission of using research to make a bigger impact for animals.
5 or more years of experience in animal protection and a genuine understanding of the animal advocacy landscape.
Professional experience in leadership, advocacy, philanthropy, research, or a related field.
A proven track record in fundraising, including cultivating and closing major gifts and managing funder relationships; experience fundraising at the $1M+ level.
Financial acumen sufficient to oversee a $1.5M organizational budget, work fluently with financial reports, and hold fiduciary responsibility.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with stakeholders, including donors, organizational leaders, researchers, and community members in animal advocacy.
Experience leading strategic planning processes, with the ability to see the “big picture” of animal suffering and position Faunalytics as an essential part of the solution.
Experience managing and developing teams, with the interpersonal skills to lead and inspire a remote, mission-driven staff.
Demonstrated ability to set priorities, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and allocate limited organizational resources among competing opportunities.
Exceptional public speaking, writing, and relationship-building skills; ability to inspire diverse audiences to support a data-driven mission.
Demonstrated understanding of the opportunities, limitations, and risks of AI, with experience considering or applying AI to strategy, research and analysis, and/or organizational processes.
Valid passport (or willingness to get one) and ability and willingness to travel nationally or internationally (approximately 4-5 times per year).

Preferred

Prior experience as an executive director or in senior nonprofit leadership.
An existing network within the animal protection movement and/or aligned funding communities.
Familiarity with effective altruism, evidence-based philanthropy and advocacy, and research-driven organizations.
Comfort with research methodology at a conceptual level, sufficient to engage credibly with researchers and communicate findings to external audiences.

About The Position & Process

Title: Executive Director (ED)
Reports To: Board of Directors
Direct Reports: Research Director, Resource Director, People & Operations Director, and Philanthropy Manager
Location: Remote (U.S.), must be eligible to work in the U.S.
Position Type: Full-time

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $110,000 USD.
Faunalytics offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the wellbeing of our team. View our benefits package here.

Application Timeline And Process

Application Deadline: October 18, 2026
The interview process will include three rounds. Qualifying candidates will also complete a five-hour work task. Candidates who are not selected for the role will receive a $200 stipend for time spent on the task.

How To Apply

Please complete this application form and attach your resume as a PDF at the end of the form. We sincerely thank all candidates for their time and interest in Faunalytics.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Faunalytics is not able to sponsor employment visas. Faunalytics participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact [email protected].

Commitment To Equitable Hiring Practices

As part of our commitment to reducing bias in hiring, applications are redacted to remove identifying information before being reviewed by the hiring team. As such, please do not include a headshot in your resume.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, but all applications will be processed in strict confidentiality. We sincerely thank all candidates for their time and interest.

Furthermore, while we appreciate candidate endorsements from our network, we ask that you refrain from emailing us recommendations and instead forward this job posting to anyone you think would be a strong fit for the position.

Lastly, although we love the enthusiasm, we are unable to take meetings with candidates hoping to talk to any staff or board member in advance about the role.

Commitment To Diversity And Equal Employment Opportunities

At Faunalytics our mission is to empower the animal protection community, and that means supporting advocates from all backgrounds and walks of life. We celebrate diversity in the movement, we’re committed to promoting diversity within our organization, and we believe that animal advocacy will be stronger when equity and inclusion are priorities. We strongly encourage women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons living with disabilities, and people of varied national origins to apply for this position, even if you don’t meet 100% of the criteria listed above.

Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility is available here.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, size, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Our Non-Discrimination And Anti-Harassment Policy is available here.

Our Faunalytics Candidates AI Use Policy is available here.

Meet the Author: Faunalytics

Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to helping animals by providing useful information to advocates to help them increase their impact.

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