Executive Director

Atlas Assistance Dogs envisions a world where anyone who could benefit from a service dog can have one, and where people with disabilities and their dogs thrive together.

Our mission is to support people with disabilities to train their own service dogs, educate ethical trainers, strengthen the human-canine bond, and promote a more inclusive society. We are a relational, volunteer-rich, mission-driven organization committed to disability inclusion, accessibility, client-centered service, positive reinforcement, force-free training, and the well-being of both people and dogs.

About the role

Atlas is entering an important next stage of growth. We have a strong foundation built by founders, board members, staff, contractors, volunteers, trainers, clients, and community supporters. We are seeking an Executive Director who can help us build on that foundation with greater clarity, sustainability, and shared purpose.

We are looking for someone who can help Atlas grow in a thoughtful and realistic way. The Executive Director's first priority will be fund development and financial sustainability. The second priority will be organizational coordination. The third priority will be broader community messaging, partnership building, and outreach.

What this person will focus on

1. Fund development and financial sustainability

The Executive Director will help build the financial foundation Atlas needs for long-term impact. This includes:

• Leading a practical fund development plan.
• Building relationships with donors, funders, sponsors, and community partners.
• Leading donor cultivation, grant strategy and writing, fundraising campaigns, and stewardship.
• Partnering with the board to strengthen fundraising and community ambassadorship.

2. Organizational coordination

The Executive Director will help the organization work together with clearer roles, priorities, communication, and decision-making. This includes:

• Serving as the executive leader accountable for whole-organization output, viewing the organization holistically to ensure integration, compliance, and performance across programs, fundraising, operations, communications, finance, and board communication.
• Helping clarify who owns what, where questions go, and how decisions are made.
• Supporting staff, contractors, and key volunteers with clear coordination and follow-through.
• Strengthening systems that reduce over-dependence on informal knowledge or any one person.
• Managing business operations such as budgeting, taxes, state and federal compliance, in partnership with the board.

3. Community messaging, partnerships, and outreach

The Executive Director will help represent Atlas' mission, values, programs, and impact. This includes:

• Supporting the marketing team and ensuring we communicate Atlas' work clearly and consistently.
• Supporting partnerships that strengthen Atlas' mission and expand its reach.
• Ensuring public messaging reflects Atlas' commitments to disability inclusion, accessibility, client-centered service, positive reinforcement, force-free training, animal welfare, dignity, and mission integrity.
• Serving as an ambassador on behalf of Atlas with the broader community.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a collaborative, grounded, and relational leader who can bring structure to complexity while honoring the culture that makes Atlas special.

The right person will be able to build trust across staff, board, volunteers, clients, trainers, donors, and partners. They will communicate clearly, listen well, make thoughtful decisions, follow through on commitments, and hold accountability with dignity and care.

Strong candidates will bring many of the following:

• Experience with nonprofit fund development, donor relations, grants, fundraising, sponsorships, or revenue planning.
• Leadership experience in a nonprofit, mission-driven, or volunteer-supported organization.
• Experience working with a board of directors.
• Experience leading staff, contractors, volunteers, or distributed teams.
• Budget and financial literacy.
• Strong organizational coordination and project management skills.
• Strong written, verbal, and public-facing communication skills.
• Comfort with technology-enabled operations and willingness to learn new platforms.
• Commitment to disability inclusion, accessibility, client-centered service, and humane, force-free dog training methods.

Experience with organizational growth and founder transition, the disability community, and/or the service dog community is strongly preferred.

Compensation, location, and schedule

This role is remote, with preference for someone located in Washington or Oregon due to time zone and in-person proximity. Only US residents will be considered.

This role is initially offered as an independent contractor position with full time availability. Our preference is someone looking for a long term role; conversion opportunities to full time employment exist.

The hourly range for this position is $40 - 50/hr. This is a good faith estimate of what Atlas may pay for a new hire; actual pay may vary based on a candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, related experience, education, certifications, and ability to meet required job qualifications.

A criminal background check will be conducted as part of final candidate selection. Prior criminal history does not necessarily preclude acceptance.

To apply

Please apply by completing our application.

Atlas Assistance Dogs is committed to disability inclusion, accessibility, and equitable participation. If you need an accommodation during the application and/or interview process, please let us know when you apply.