Catch Together Regional Ownership & Organizing Lead

Location: New England, Gulf of America, or Southeast Alaska (Hybrid)

About:

Across America, coastal communities are losing ownership, influence, and control over

the resources that shape their future. At Catch Together, we believe communities are

strongest when the people closest to the work have the power to make decisions, build

wealth, and shape their own destiny.

Catch Together is a nonprofit organization working with community-based organizations

across the US to build a new model of community ownership in commercial fishing. We

help create innovative ownership models that enable hardworking people to build strong

businesses, determine the future of their resources, and invest in collective solutions for

coastal communities. Alongside our partners in the Gulf of America, New England, and

Alaska, we are starting a movement to support the next generation of fishery leaders,

business owners, and ocean stewards across North America.

This position(s) will work with the nation’s leading fishermen’s organizations including

the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, Gulf of America Reef Fish Shareholders’

Alliance, Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, and Maine Coast Fishermen’s

Association.

What we can achieve together:

We are looking for dynamic, relationship-driven leaders, organizers, entrepreneurs, and

institution builders who think big and will bring people together around a transformative

vision. We are building a cooperative ownership system within fisheries to put power in

the hands of working people, transition capital flows from extractive to regenerative, and

provide a platform for fishermen to invest collectively in solutions for their communities.

The Lead(s) will work alongside extraordinary people and organizations to build the

trusting relationships, leadership, and culture necessary to launch this new system.

What matters most is your ability to earn trust, build bridges, and lead people to achieve

collective solutions.

This is not a traditional role. You will not spend your days behind a desk. You will spend

them on the docks and back of boats, developing leaders, bringing people together

around a shared vision, and helping fishermen create institutions that can determine the

future of their communities. Any given week may include walking the docks before

sunrise, joining fishermen on the water, facilitating a leadership meeting, strategizing,

and working with fishermen to build campaigns and organizations that secure the future

of fish stocks and fishing communities. The systems developed through this work have

the potential to influence coastal communities across the country.

Key Responsibilities:

● Build strong, trusting relationships with and between people

● Build bridges and activate stakeholders to align around transformative goals

● Identify leaders and strengthen local leadership capacity to build power

● Innovate and launch new institutions, initiatives, and ownership structures

alongside respected fishermen

● Design creative financing and ownership models to support strong businesses,

cooperative ownership, and sustainable growth

● Coordinate campaigns, gatherings, and collaborative initiatives

● Tell powerful stories across multiple mediums

Who thrives in this role:

The strongest candidates may come from start ups, organizing, entrepreneurship,

community development, conservation, labor, or entirely different fields. What matters

most is a demonstrated ability and passion to lead, build trust, and bring people

together.

Ideal candidates will be:

● Experienced in building things bigger than themselves - organizations,

businesses, campaigns, coalitions, community efforts, or movements

● Energized by genuine human connection and creating authentic, trusting

relationships across diverse communities

● Solutions-driven with comfort working in ambiguity

● Self-starters with demonstrated ability to launch and lead initiatives from concept

through execution

● Superb communicators, comfortable working with multiple audiences and serving

as a bridge across individuals, participants, and organizations

● Bring optimism, humility, and joy to working with people

● Energized by travel, new experiences, and spending time where people live and

work

● Comfort navigating conflict, competing interests, and difficult conversations

● Familiarity or interest in cooperative models, community-based work, or rural

community organizing

● Storytellers with a passion for sharing authentic human stories - experience

conducting interviews, producing podcasts, taking photos or film is a plus

Experience in fishing and existing relationships with commercial fishermen and fishing

communities is welcome but not required. We are looking for exceptional builders,

organizers, and leaders who are excited to learn and help people shape the future of

their communities for generations.

What we offer:

This is a rare opportunity to help build community ownership alongside some of the

most extraordinary fishermen, organizers, and community leaders in the country.

The role will begin with an incubator program designed to strengthen a cohort of leaders

working on this vision around the country with the following skills and knowledge:

● Organizing,

● Leadership development,

● Conflict resolution,

● Fisheries knowledge,

● Catch Share and quota systems,

● Cooperative governance

You will receive:

● significant responsibility from day one to shape strategy and execute,

● extensive mentorship and leadership development through the incubator

program,

● connection to a national cohort of organizers and leaders,

● the opportunity to shape a growing national effort to strengthen ownership,

stewardship, and self-determination in commercial fishing communities.

Structure: These are full-time, exempt hybrid positions based in one of our three

regions - New England, Gulf of America, or Southeast Alaska.

Extensive travel within that region is required to meaningfully engage with participants,

requiring some longer stays (1-2 weeks) and occasional evenings and weekends. The

rhythm of fishing communities does not always align with traditional business hours.

This position works closely with:

● Alaska Region - Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust based in Sitka, AK

● Gulf Region - Shareholders’ Alliance (remote), with members spanning Texas to

Florida

● New England Region - Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association based in

Brunswick, ME & Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance based in

Chatham, MA

While the organizer will be spending significant time on the ground building relationships

with fishermen, expanding the reach of work in the region, and fostering trust between

fishermen, they do not have to be from their region of work. We seek the most qualified

candidates regardless of where they are located in the United States.

Compensation:

Catch Together and our partner organizations are committed to

providing competitive salary ($70,000-$100,000), depending on experience

We recognize that exceptional candidates bring different experiences. Depending on a

candidate's background, demonstrated leadership, and regional needs, we may hire into

roles with varying levels of responsibility and leadership.

How to Apply:

All applicants should complete their application here, including a resume and optional

cover letter.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority applications are due on August 7,

2026.