Job description

Executive Director
Heartbeet Lifesharing
218 Town Farm Road, Hardwick, VT 05843, www.heartbeet.org

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POSITION PROFILE*
Founded in 2001, Heartbeet is a vibrant Lifesharing Camphill community and licensed therapeutic
community, nestled in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in the hamlet of Hardwick. Heartbeet
includes adults with intellectual differences (friends) and integrates social life, arts and culture,
meaningful work, and person-centered approaches, to create an environment that fosters well-being for
all. Heartbeet is also a working farm, practicing biodynamic/regenerative agriculture for the renewing of
soils and ecosystems. It is a community where everyone, regardless of ability, can find meaning, dignity,
and reverence for life.
Community members live and support each other, in beautiful, extended family households, forming a
mutually supportive environment that enables each individual to discover and develop his or her unique
abilities and potential. Long term co-workers, adults with intellectual differences, non-resident
employees, and volunteers who come for a year or more of service, learn, play, and work together.
Community members care for and grow with one another, celebrating the myriad of joys and challenges
of life. Each person adds to the richness of interdependent living.

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Introduction*
The Board of Directors of Heartbeet Lifesharing seeks a dynamic individual with a collaborative
leadership style, excellent communication and team building skills and a deep commitment to the values
of Camphill, to lead a highly respected and effective organization as it seeks to deepen and grow its
impact.
The Camphill movement is an international effort creating communities which strive to meet the needs of
children, youth, and adults with intellectual differences through life sharing that is immersive and
inclusive. Inspired by the non-denominational teachings of Rudolf Steiner, a Camphill Community is a
place where people with and without intellectual differences live and work together, living a life of
dignity, equality, and purpose. It is a different type of community where the values of service, sharing,
spiritual nourishment and recognition offer a model of renewal for wider society. Camphill communities
are both innovative and lasting. Heartbeet currently has 14 adult friends, 10 non-resident employees and
18 residential coworkers.
There are 15 Camphill communities and affiliates in North America, with a total population above 1300,
and over 100 communities worldwide. For more information, please visit, www.camphillfoundation.org
and www.camphill.org. Heartbeet Lifesharing currently comprises 51 residents and non-resident
employees in total.

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Organizational Programs and Services*
The community life of a service-oriented community such as Heartbeet Lifesharing can also be viewed
through the traditional lens of a series of innovative programs and services designed to support the friends
and to constitute an environment of well-being for all.

Life At Home
Each home at Heartbeet is unique. Householders are responsible for co-creating and maintaining beautiful
therapeutic homes for people of all abilities. Households typically consist of 3-4 adults with intellectual
differences, 2-3 volunteers serving 12-24 months, and 1-2 house leaders (and their children, if any).
Heartbeet aims to create a stable, health-enhancing, joyful environment where individuals can meet as
whole human beings and find their needs met holistically and collaboratively.

Life On The Land - Biodynamic Agriculture
To ensure the best health for our community members and the land and animals we care for, we use
regenerative Biodynamic agricultural practices. Our person-centered approach to therapeutic work on the
land allows each farmer and gardener to contribute according to their unique strengths, and to continue to
deepen their agricultural skills. Our farm is centered around the care of our animals, including pasture raised
chickens, pigs, and small dairy and beef herds. Our work in the garden keeps us busy sowing,
transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and storing of a broad array of annual vegetables as well as some
perennial vegetables and fruits. The 2/3-acre plot is a human-powered, no-till, permanent raised-bed
system.

The Culinary Arts crew produces breads and other baked goods, makes yogurt and kombucha, and
prepares community lunches, often using ingredients grown or raised in Heartbeet. We create a supportive
environment of mutual leadership and growth where we become each other’s teachers, and everyone can
learn new kitchen-based skills.

Life Infused With Arts - Arts and Artisan Studios
Community members develop skills and express themselves creatively through our craft studios. All
natural materials are used to create beautiful products including wall hangings, cards, frames, and
birdhouses, many of which have been sold at craft fairs and galleries providing Heartbeet artisans with the
experience of contributing their work and creativity to the wider world.

Artisan Woodworking at Heartbeet focuses on creating a socially warm and inspiring space where each
individual can bring and share their ideas and learn new skills. Wood is our medium to transform each
person’s gift into useful, beautiful, fun, and simple items, from picture frames and carved signs to cutting
boards, bird houses and more.

In Felting we use richly dyed sheep’s wool to collaborate on one-of-a-kind felted paintings, garlands, and
dolls. These projects, particularly the very fine paintings produced in our studio. allow us to express the
richness of the world around us and in the worlds in our imaginations. The results are stunning.
Northeast Vermont is a region with progressive and interesting small companies and non-profits. A
number of our friends maintain employment and internships with these fascinating local partners.

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Strategic Opportunities and Challenges*
Heartbeet Lifesharing has had only two executive directors in its 21 years and faces an important and
exciting juncture in its organizational history. During 2020 and the first half of 2021 Heartbeet made the
passage through the pandemic while navigating a leadership transition and the transition of a number of
its pioneer generation community members.
Heartbeet has gathered an amazing new constellation of talented, committed resident coworkers and
nonresident employees to move the community forward into its next strategic arc of growth and development.
A key challenge and opportunity for the new director will be to identify and implement the appropriate
supports (building from current practices) to accompany, train, mentor and inspire these individuals
towards their fullest potential as professionals, colleagues, and future leaders.
Worldwide, Camphill Communities are actively experimenting and innovating with new forms and
practices for person centered support, social enterprises, and partnerships. Heartbeet’s new executive
would most likely initiate a strategic planning process in the second half of 2023 to identify and prioritize
key opportunities. The development of a day placement program to serve the local region, expansion, and
diversification of residential options into the local town of Hardwick, increased partnership with
progressive local companies and the development of food/agriculture based social enterprises have all
been recently discussed as strategic options.
The next executive director can work from a position of strength regarding Heartbeet finances,
fundraising, and licensing relationship to the state of Vermont. The next leader has the opportunity and
obligation to build on this progress, growing and focusing such resources to take Heartbeet’s work to the
next level.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate
Heartbeet Lifesharing offers prospective candidates the opportunity to lead a highly-regarded
organization, which, as part of the Camphill movement in North America has helped shape the field of
intellectual differences for the better. Heartbeet Lifesharing’s mission, values and unique approach have
attracted an excellent board and staff who are energized, youthful, dedicated, and multi-talented.
Maintaining the strength and effectiveness of Heartbeet Lifesharing’s person centered programs and
initiatives; energetically, transparently, and effectively leading Heartbeet Lifesharing’s board and staff;
and managing important relationships with funders and other partners and stakeholders are clear priorities
for the Executive Director.
The candidate is a superior listener who is ready to take calculated risks to advance Heartbeet’s mission.
The Executive Director will lead through offering respect, empathy, collaboration, and innovation, while
building a leadership ethos and culture that is fundamentally – team first.
The ideal candidate will be able to identify and activate opportunities for both greater impact and
sustainable funding and will bring experience nurturing a culture of collaboration, innovation and
excellence and will rapidly build trust in a collaborative team environment marked by mutual care and
dedication.
The Executive Director will be responsible to provide both guidance and effective partnership with the
board, staff, and other regional leaders in Camphill North America to further Heartbeet’s mission and
vision. The candidate will have or commit to develop deep sensitivity and understanding of the special
nature of Camphill in its international, national, and local expressions, structures, and work with adults
with intellectual differences. An appreciation for the anthroposophical basis of Camphill life will be
expected.

Skills and Experience
A Passionate Advocate for Heartbeet Lifesharing’s Mission and Values
The Executive Director will be leading a strongly mission based organization. Camphill coworkers,
families, donors, and board members' commitment to the importance of dignity, equality, purpose, and
person-centered approaches, in the lives of individuals with disabilities run deep, and thus demonstrable
evidence of such ethical commitment is a requirement for this role.

A Collaborative, Empathetic, Engaged Leader
The Executive Director will discover a board and staff that is talented and effective. The ideal candidate
will have worked in a leadership position with demonstrated success in inspiring staff, in delegating
effectively and in generating trust and respect across an organization. He or she will also have experience
working successfully with a board of directors to achieve its full potential impact. The Executive Director
needs to be hands-on in his/her grasp of the work, but comfortable and competent in empowering others
to make their strongest contribution.

A Strategic Thinker
The ability to take a comprehensive view of Heartbeet Lifesharing’s offerings and to assess effectiveness
at a strategic level is an essential skill for the new Executive Director. Heartbeet Lifesharing is seeking a
strategic thinker, who will focus on continuous improvement and on developing, sustaining, and
implementing a shared vision that both board and staff embrace. Experience in partnering with a board
and other constituents to forge and implement a strategic plan will be an asset for the new Executive
Director.

An Exceptional Communicator and Collaborator
The Executive Director is the public face of Heartbeet Lifesharing. The Executive Director must be
completely comfortable in that role and highly effective in external communications. Heartbeet
Lifesharing’s Executive Director must be able to listen carefully, speak persuasively, educate, and
respond effectively, while bringing intelligence, humility, and value to both internal and external
discussions. He or she must have the ability to articulate powerfully the purpose, contributions, and
impact of Heartbeet Lifesharing.

Solutions and Opportunity Focused – During Times of Change
The policy and funding environment for the field of intellectual differences nationally and in Vermont
consistently undergo substantial and rapid change. The ability to think creatively about Heartbeet
Lifesharing’s capabilities and assets and to identify and implement new programs, partnerships and
internal systems and processes, will be a significant asset for the Executive Director.

Technical & Sector Skills
Staff Development
The Executive Director must be a skilled leader with demonstrated experience leading and supervising
staff towards agreed upon goals, in an environment of respect, positivity, and collaboration.

State Contracting
The Executive Director should have a grasp of issues and strategies for creatively engaging with state
agencies for contracted services and be able to work with the Finance Manager and Board Treasurer to
develop realistic and reliable budget projections on this basis.

Financial Competence
The Executive Director must have a firm grasp of financial issues, be able to work with the Finance
Manager and Board Treasurer to develop realistic and reliable budget projections, and have the
competence and experience to implement Heartbeet Lifesharing’s strategies within realistic financial
parameters.

A Creative Fundraiser
The ability to think creatively about Heartbeet Lifesharing’s capabilities and assets and to articulate a
vision for the organization’s future, in a manner that connects powerfully with donor interests, will be a
significant asset for the Executive Director. This implies experience and understanding of the elements
and demands of donor cultivation and stewardship.

Minimum Qualifications

• BA or BS Degree
• Willingness to re-locate to the region of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont
• Seven or more years’ progressive management experience, with proven leadership experience in

at least one of the following areas: administration and management, fundraising, communications
and public relations, program leadership, or organizational change and development

• Professional or personal familiarity with the field of intellectual differences is preferred but not

required

• Experience as a nonprofit Executive Director is preferred but not required
• Experience with fundraising and development is preferred but not required
• Familiarity with Anthroposophy as developed by Rudolf Steiner is preferred but not required

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Life In Vermont*
Vermont is a year-round haven for outdoor fun. There are ponds and pools to swim in, lakes and rivers to
paddle, and waterfalls to explore. Autumn shows Vermont at its most glorious, with ‘leaf-peepers’ from
around the world visiting to enjoy the fall foliage display. In cooler months, we look forward to winter
days of adaptive skiing and snowboarding. The town of Craftsbury is home to the world-famous
Craftsbury Outdoor Center where community members can enjoy cross country skiing. Our land provides
trails for walking, hiking, and snowshoeing. Our pond provides a place to cool off in summer and skate
on in winter.
Northern Vermont also offers diverse cultural activities. We often take day trips into Burlington, a small,
bustling city on the banks of Lake Champlain and home to the University of Vermont. Ten minutes down
the road, you will find the Highland Center for the Arts, and about 30 minutes up the road from us is the
renowned Bread and Puppet Theater. Prior to the pandemic, Heartbeet itself had become a cultural center
for many of our Vermont neighbors, who visited our community for weekly classes from yoga and
meditation to painting and felting.

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Application Process*
Please include your resume along with a cover letter with salary requirements, where you learned of the
position and a description of how your qualifications and experience match Heartbeet Lifesharing’s
needs. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit materials by January 10, 2023. Applications will be
accepted until the position is filled, with priority given to those received by this date.
Heartbeet Lifesharing will offer a competitive salary package commensurate with experience, along with
benefits.
Heartbeet Lifesharing is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates.

A note to potential candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary, and Black,
Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet
every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a
diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job.
That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s
welcome. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the
qualifications described

Job Type: Full-time

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