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Vermont Legal Aid Executive Director

Vermont Legal Aid seeks a visionary, mission-driven Executive Director to lead our nationally recognized, statewide civil legal aid organization into its next chapter. This is a rare opportunity to build on a strong foundation and partner with staff, communities, and a dedicated Board to drive VLA’s mission and goals for the decades ahead.

About Vermont Legal Aid

VLA is where Vermonters turn when a civil legal problem threatens their rights, shelter, income, health, or well-being. We provide free, high-quality legal assistance and advocate for fairer laws and systems that address the root causes of poverty, discrimination, and inequality. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law firm with five offices serving the entire state and working closely with Legal Services Vermont to maintain a unified legal services delivery system.

The Role

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director provides strategic, operational, and public leadership for VLA’s statewide work. In close partnership with the leadership team (Deputy Director, CFO, HR Administrator, Project Directors, and Development Director), the Executive Director will:

Key responsibilities include:

  • Vision & strategy: Set and advance an organization-wide strategic vision; guide programmatic direction and organizational transformation to meet emerging needs.
  • Fundraising & external relations: Lead and expand fundraising at scale; cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, foundations, government funders, and partners; strengthen a culture of philanthropy across staff and Board.
  • People & culture: Recruit, supervise, mentor, and support a diverse, high-performing leadership team and staff; foster a collaborative, caring, and inclusive workplace aligned with VLA’s core values.
  • Collaboration with staff union United Justice Workers: Engage in labor-management relations and periodic renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement to cultivate and maintain VLA’s positive and supportive work environment.
  • Financial stewardship: Ensure long-term financial health, budgets, systems, and compliance in partnership with the CFO.
  • Advocacy & impact: Maintain and grow VLA’s leadership in Vermont and nationally; lead policy and legislative advocacy in key issue areas; elevate VLA’s public profile and community outreach.
  • Partnership with Legal Services Vermont: Coordinate shared goals and activities to sustain a seamless statewide legal services network.

We’re looking for a leader who combines deep commitment to justice with demonstrated organizational leadership and fundraising success.

Preferred qualifications:

  • A clear passion for social, racial, and economic justice and a strong alignment with VLA’s mission and values of access, dignity, respect, and fairness.
  • 7–10+ years of progressive senior leadership and people management experience preferably in law, policy or other non-profit sectors, including staff supervision.
  • Proven success in major fundraising and revenue diversification (individual giving, foundations, corporate partners, and/or government grants).
  • Strategic vision and agility—ability to anticipate trends and adapt in a changing legal and funding landscape.
  • Strong financial acumen, including budget development and oversight, and compliance with grants/contracts.
  • Credibility as a public ambassador and spokesperson who can build trust across Vermont’s public, private, nonprofit, and legal sectors.
  • A track record of recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse teams.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience within the range of $130,000 - $150,000. VLA offers excellent benefits including generous leave, high-quality family health insurance, life and disability insurance, and a 401(k) plan—plus the camaraderie of a team dedicated to justice for Vermonters.

How to Apply

VLA has partnered with Dan Lyons from The Richards Group and Scott McArdle of McArdle & Associates to guide this important search. To apply, send your resume and cover letter to dlyons@therichardsgrp.com, or reach out to Dan directly at 802-556-1167 with any questions. Resumes and cover letters will be accepted until we have a strong candidate slate.

Vermont Legal Aid is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive, culturally competent organization that reflects the communities we serve, and we welcome candidates who will strengthen that commitment.