From the Executive Director Hiring Committee — Julie Hollek (Chair), Sanket Verma, Wolf Vollprecht, Jim Weiss, Michael Zargham
A new chapter is beginning for NumFOCUS. Last fall, our founding executive Director, Leah Silen, announced that she would be stepping aside from her role at NumFOCUS in spring 2025. We are deeply grateful to Leah for her years of leadership and service, starting as the sole staff member and guiding NumFOCUS from its inception to the organization it is today.
As we begin the search for our next Executive Director, we recognize the importance of finding the right person to carry our mission forward. In January, the newly-elected NumFOCUS board established the hiring committee, one of the most important tasks for Q1, to appoint the next Executive Director. The hiring committee is composed of members from the administrative board, technical steering committee, advisory board, and staff to lead the search process. This is a pivotal moment for NumFOCUS, and we are committed to ensuring a thoughtful, inclusive, and equitable hiring process. We want to be open about what this process will look like and how far along we are.
We are partnering with an executive search firm
We are in the final phase of selecting an executive search firm, using a request for proposals (RFP) process. Hiring at the executive level is complex, and we are looking for help with:
- navigating hiring and HR regulations
- sourcing a diverse and highly qualified group of candidates
- developing a standardized, comprehensive interview framework that assesses leadership, execution, and alignment with NumFOCUS’ mission
- ensure that equity and inclusivity are central to our process
We’re evaluating different firms on their ability to understand our work culture, experience in hiring executive directors of nonprofit organizations, their commitment to creating a fair and inclusive hiring process, and their experience in the technology and open source spaces. Soon, we will start to work with the chosen recruiting firm to open applications, solicit candidates from the community, interview candidates, and select the finalists. Future blog posts will detail each step of the process.
Finding the right search firm is crucial because NumFOCUS is a unique organization. Pursuing its mission — to support open-source scientific computing — requires engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including project communities, donors, and the broader scientific computing ecosystem. NumFOCUS provides projects with essential services such as financial, legal, and operational assistance, grants, and promotional support. Additionally, NumFOCUS fosters community-driven educational programs, providing opportunities for networking and collaboration. Leading NumFOCUS requires the ability to steward this ecosystem effectively — balancing competing demands, navigating resource constraints, and ensuring the organization continues to thrive into the future.
Community Involvement: We want to hear from you
The community is at the heart of NumFOCUS’ mission and we want to hear from you. What question would you ask a candidate for the ED role? We’ll be collecting responses and using these to help us make hard decisions and evaluate tradeoffs. [Form]
As we move forward, we will share updates on key milestones in the hiring process and further calls to action for the community. This is a significant transition for NumFOCUS and we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.
