Call for applicants for a Django Executive Director

The Django Software Foundation is announcing a call for an Executive Director. The Executive Director is the operational leader of the Django Software Foundation, a paid position reporting to the Board of Directors, responsible for setting the Foundation's strategic direction and turning it into action, while managing day-to-day operations. They serve as the main connector between the Board, staff, community, and sponsors.

The Django Software Foundation (DSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and maintains Django, a free and open-source web application framework. The Foundation exists to support the development of Django by sponsoring sprints, meetups, gatherings and community events; to promote the use of Django among the web development community; to protect the framework's intellectual property and long-term viability; and to advance the state of the art in web development.

This is a new role for the Foundation. Django itself has been around since 2005, but the DSF wasn't founded until 2008, and the person who takes on this role will play a key part in maturing the Foundation's internal structure, helping ensure the DSF can properly support and sustain this important ecosystem going forward. The position is initially for a period of one year, renewable subject to an annual performance evaluation. Depending on the candidate, the role may be part-time or full-time.

Beyond running the Foundation, the Executive Director is a representative of the DSF itself. They embody Django's welcoming culture and help the community sustain the framework's home. The Executive Director is often called upon to represent the Foundation publicly, including at Django conferences and events, and to grow awareness of the DSF as an organization, distinct from the framework it supports.

Responsibilities

Executive Director duties include (but are not limited to):

• Fundraising: leading sponsorship development, corporate and individual membership growth, and partner relationships, including support for the jump from our current 300K USD annual fundraising goal to 500K USD. At the current funding level (around 300K per year), a full-time Executive Director isn't yet sustainable. We'd like to fix that, and we want you to lead that change.
• Admin and operations management: day-to-day operations and administration of the DSF, financial reporting, grant management, and the general running of the organization. Over time, helping grow the DSF into a more mature organization by establishing the operational foundations that support the nonprofit's growth.
• Managing the DSF Assistant and Fellows: overseeing the DSF Assistant and the Django Fellows program, the paid maintainers funded by the DSF.
• Marketing and outreach: community outreach and communications, representing the DSF publicly (for example, conference representation), and growing awareness of the Foundation as distinct from the framework.
• Legal, trademark, and follow-ups: overseeing international trademark policy enforcement, creating, signing, and renewing contracts, handling legal correspondence, and the unglamorous administrative follow-through that keeps a 501(c)(3) compliant. First-hand legal knowledge isn't required here; you'll work with counsel.
• Working group check-ins: regular coordination with the DSF working groups, the volunteer committees handling events, AI, accessibility, fundraising, and more.
• Working with our Django events and conferences like our DjangoCons.

Requirements

An Executive Director is responsible for fundraising, operations, communications, and community coordination. This is a broad remit, and it isn't our expectation that you come into the job an expert in every part of it. We hope you'll have solid experience in a few of these areas, particularly the ones most central to the role (fundraising and partnership development, nonprofit operations, and stakeholder communication). A willingness to learn and a demonstrated history of doing so are more important than comprehensive knowledge.

The areas you can expect to work across include (and are not limited to):

• Fundraising, sponsorship, and partnership development
• Nonprofit operations, financial reporting, and grant management
• Contracts, trademark, and 501(c)(3) compliance (in coordination with counsel)
• Public representation, marketing, and communications
• Coordinating staff, volunteers, and working groups
• Technical knowledge is not required, but is a nice-to-have:
• Knowledge of, or familiarity with, the Django and Python community
• Familiarity with open source licenses and communities

And required professional skills such as:

• Conflict resolution
• Time management and prioritization expertise
• Ability to focus in short periods of time and do substantial context switches
• Self-awareness to recognize their own limits and reach out for help
• Relationship-building and coordination with the Board, staff, working groups, sponsors, and external parties
• Tenacity, patience, compassion and empathy are essential

Therefore, a Django Executive Director requires the skills and judgment of an experienced nonprofit leader who is comfortable with fundraising, operations, and coordination with community stakeholders. Open-source experience and familiarity with the Django or Python community in particular are a big plus.

Being part of the Django community isn't a prerequisite for this position. We'll consider applications from anyone with a proven history of nonprofit leadership or comparable experience in an open-source or mission-driven community, but this is a remote position based in the United States, and unfortunately we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

The DSF is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background and don't discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

How to apply

If you're interested in applying for the position, please submit your application via hiring@djangoproject.com. Your application should include:

• A cover letter (optional)
• A resume or CV
• A brief vision statement (500 to 1000 words) addressing your understanding of the Foundation's current position, the key opportunities and challenges you see for the Foundation, and your approach to the role

References may be requested during the interview process.

The compensation for this role is a base salary of $90,000 to $120,000, plus a bonus of up to $60,000 tied to our progress toward the $500,000 fundraising goal, which we'll tier as we work toward it. Depending on the candidate, the DSF will consider a part-time position and adjust the salary accordingly.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant nonprofit leadership and operational experience
• Track record in fundraising and partnership development
• Understanding of the position and of the DSF's current stage
• Clarity, formality, and precision of communications
• Familiarity with open source and/or the Django and Python community
• Strength of reference(s)

Applications will be open until midnight Central Time, September 14, 2026, with the expectation that the successful candidate will start around November 1, 2026 (to be confirmed).

Reference: Announcing the Search for a DSF Executive Director (Django Project blog, June 17, 2026).