As our president approaches retirement, an excellent opportunity exists for the right candidate to mentor with current leadership towards assuming the president’s role. Preference will be given to candidates with strong knowledge and experience in the Washington tree fruit industry, international marketing experience, budget analysis and oversight experience, strong presentation skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to build consensus amongst stakeholders, including the board of directors, industry sales organizations and government funding entities. The VP position will work closely with the international marketing team to develop and implement strategies for the Commission’s promotional programs in foreign markets.
The Washington Apple Commission is a State Agency, and the chosen candidate will be eligible for Washington State employee benefits, including participation in (PERS 2 or 3), health care, and the option of tax-deferred retirement savings. The VP salary range is $150,000 to $200,000 depending on experience.
Cover letter and resume should be sent to VPSearch@waapple.org. No calls or e-mails please. Position closes May 26th.
Equal Opportunity provider and employer.
VP/President Job Responsibilities
These are the minimum qualifications and skills required for the position:
Additional information regarding the position:
The Washington Apple Commission President serves as the primary liaison and contact for interaction between:
The successful candidate is expected to have the experience and skills to accurately represent Commission and industry viewpoints to local, national, and international media. They will also be expected to assist in any industry crisis communication response, including providing direction to overseas contractors as needed. Media experience is a plus, however formal media training can be provided at WAC expense. Candidate should be comfortable with providing presentations to local and state organizations and willing to look for outreach opportunities.
The successful candidate must be willing and available to travel up to 30% of the time. Travel includes in-state outreach visits to industry members, out-of-state travel to trade shows, conferences and Washington DC and international market visits of up to two weeks several times a year as needed.
The successful candidate will have experience in budget management, with a knowledge of grant administration a plus. The Washington Apple Commission funds operations through a combination of industry assessments and federal funding grants (Market Access Program and others). The President works closely with the Controller to oversee all financial administration aspects of the Commission, including adherence to state and federal funding requirements and audits.
The successful candidate will use their knowledge of the Washington apple industry to provide strategic direction for both seasonal and longer-term programs to WAC staff and international representatives. They will have a knowledge of the impacts of international trade issues on access opportunities and implications for WAC marketing programs and be able to communicate those impacts effectively to industry organizations, WAC staff and USDA FAS stakeholders.
The President works with WAC staff and contractors to protect and enforce WAC trademarks and liaises with the WAC trademark attorney when needed. Although no legal experience is necessary, an awareness and familiarity with trademark protection is a plus.