Location: Los Angeles (Hybrid) - Relocation assistance available
Hours/Classification: Full-Time, Exempt (Salaried)
Reports to: LCLT Board of Directors
Target Start Date: December 1, 2026
Compensation: $78,000 - $96,000, depending on experience
ABOUT US:
At Liberty Community Land Trust, we're not just redefining community empowerment, we're revolutionizing it. Through bold, innovative, and collaborative real estate stewardship, we're building a future where community ownership and justice are the cornerstones of a more equitable world.
We're not your typical non-profit. Liberty Community Land Trust is a movement of land liberators and visionary community-driven real estate operators. Our mission is unapologetically ambitious: to establish community control of land and advance racial, economic, and climate justice through groundbreaking innovation, deep collaboration, and fearless public advocacy. We are known for leading the most successful raise for a community-owned real estate project in American history and developing a pioneering model for community ownership. We are the state's fastest growing community land trust with over 10 properties for low-income residents, small businesses and Black cultural institutions, and more properties currently in escrow. Now, we're looking for a leader to join forces with co-creators, trailblazing innovators, and disciplined practitioners - someone ready to dream big and drive tangible change.
YOUR ROLE:
As the first permanent Director of Liberty Community Land Trust, you'll be at the helm of a transformative movement. Working closely with engaged visionaries, you'll steward the organization's growing portfolio, deepen community partnerships, and champion LCLT's work and model across South Central Los Angeles and beyond.
You'll lead LCLT's asset management and day-to-day operations, direct a team of staff and consultants, and represent the organization to residents, leaseholders, partners, and the community. This is more than a leadership role - it's a chance to grow something extraordinary.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
- Lead and manage LCLT's asset management function and day-to-day operations - stewarding the organization's portfolio of community-owned properties and ground leases, overseeing asset performance, leaseholder relationships, and compliance - exercising independent judgment and discretion on matters of significance to the organization.
- Partner closely with the executive leaders of other Liberty Ecosystem entities to implement the strategic plan through operational execution and cross-functional coordination.
- Translate organizational goals into annual work plans, scalable systems, and performance dashboards that drive execution.
- Supervise, direct, and evaluate the work of LCLT staff and consultants: assigning work, setting priorities, and managing performance, and participating in hiring and personnel decisions.
- Coordinate with property managers, contractors, planning officials, and community organizations to keep property operations and projects moving.
- Monitor organizational performance against the budget, ensuring alignment between financial plans and programmatic priorities.
- Coordinate closely with legal/compliance partners on risk identification, data governance, contract negotiation, and regulatory readiness.
- Partner with the Board of Directors on policy, governance, and raising LCLT's visibility and brand awareness.
- Cultivate and sustain strategic relationships with community organizations, funders, policymakers, and local leaders to advance LCLT's mission, and unlock new opportunities.
- Build and sustain relationships with elected officials, planning agencies, lenders, and coalition members to align projects with community priorities and build political and financial support.
- Represent LCLT in local, statewide, and national community land trust coalitions and membership organizations to ensure LCLT is involved in local and state housing policy decisions, and also has access to organizational development and project resources.
- Support fundraising and grant applications by contributing LCLT's relationships and narrative, in a supporting role rather than as the lead.
- Serve as a public champion of our work, sharing successes and positioning LCLT's model for replication on a national scale.
WHO YOU ARE:
We hire for who you are under pressure, not just what's on your resume. We believe talent is defined by growth and the ability to thrive in rapid change. But this role stewards land, leases, and relationships a community is counting on, so how you operate matters as much as what you believe. Here's the person we're building with:
- You finish what you start. 5+ years of management or leadership experience with a track record of leading teams and driving growth, and a reputation for closing loops, not just opening them.
- You turn vision into a plan people can follow. Strategic execution: you translate long-range strategy into short- and medium-term operational plans with clear ownership, sequencing, and accountability.
- You read a budget like a story. Financial and operational acumen; a deep understanding of nonprofit finance, budgeting, risk management, and asset management.
- You'd rather build the system than be the system. Exceptional strategic planning, delegation, and program development; you make yourself replaceable by design.
- You know land, buildings, and the people in them. Familiarity with property and asset management, development, and construction, plus knowledge of community-owned and community-driven real estate.
- You come from community, not just to it. Experience with community organizational development and resident organizing, and a deep, lived commitment to racial equity and inclusion in diverse communities.
- You can hold a room - and a stage. A natural communicator and public representative who can inspire and collaborate with board members, volunteers, funders, and community leaders.
- You stay standing when it's fast and unclear. Agile, adaptable, and resilient, with strong analytical and strategic thinking, a bias toward results and long-term impact, and the creativity to bring bold solutions to the table.
- Credentials help; character decides. Nonprofit experience is a plus, but not required. Passion for community empowerment is non-negotiable.
OUR CORE VALUES
- Mission Alignment and Advancement: We are dedicated to our collective goals and the advancement of our community.
- Mutual Commitment: We show up for our organization and for each other.
- Curiosity and Creativity: We encourage innovative thinking and the exploration of new ideas.
- Initiation and Follow-Through: We are proactive in our efforts and committed to seeing projects to completion.
- Respect for Confidentiality: We handle sensitive information with care and integrity.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
This full-time, exempt, salaried position offers a salary range of $78,000-$96,000 per year, depending on experience, with a flexible work schedule designed to support work-life balance. Potential relocation support is available for those who live outside of the region. You'll have unique opportunities for professional growth and community involvement, including access to workshops, conferences, and engagement initiatives. We offer a competitive health and wellness benefits package to support your overall well-being.
JOIN US:
This isn't just a job - it's a call to action. You'll be leading an organization at the forefront of meaningful, transformative change. Here's what you can expect:
- Community Connection: Play a key role in initiatives that empower Black Los Angeles, Black America, and the solidarity economy.
- Access to Visionaries: Collaborate with and learn from the country's leading thought-leaders and practitioners in community-owned real estate and land liberation.
- Professional Growth: Unlock unique opportunities for personal and professional development, with leadership pathways and skill-building experiences.
- Work-Life Harmony: Experience the freedom of flexible hours and a hybrid model that nurtures both your personal well-being and professional aspirations.
This work asks for a deep commitment to community-controlled land, patience for the long arc of justice, and the drive to steward something built to outlast any one of us. If that's the work you want to be doing, we want to hear from you.
YOUR FIRST MOVE
Your journey to impact starts now.
Submit your resume and cover letter
In your cover letter, tell us why community-controlled land is the work you want to be doing. We're less interested in a recitation of your resume than in understanding what draws you to this mission, how your experience prepares you to steward it, and what you believe we can build together.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Let's build a just and equitable future together.
Liberty Community Land Trust is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. As a Black community-focused organization, we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, and are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for all team members.