The Nature Conservancy seeks a Director of Conservation Programs to make a mark in Ohio as part of a global conservation effort. The Director of Conservation Programs provides conservation vision and leadership. They will work with partners and the Ohio Board of Trustees and will direct staff to advance a strategic conservation agenda in Ohio’s globally significant ecosystems, aligned and supporting The Nature Conservancy’s global and regional priorities. The Director of Conservation works as part of a leadership team. They will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, celebrates innovation, values collaborative approaches, and seeks lasting conservation results.
The Director of Conservation Programs is responsible for the management, planning, and implementation of an effective conservation program. They will foster and integrate rigorous science, innovative and critical thinking, strategic cost-benefit analysis, adaptive management, and tactical partner/stakeholder engagement to advance the Conservancy’s ambitious conservation agenda. They serve as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, science foundations and the academic community. They lead and manage team(s) that implement, support and improve conservation efforts, and build strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field. They engage support for conservation efforts, negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies, private partners and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities, and develop and implement conservation strategies. The Director of Conservation also assists the State Director in sharing Ohio experiences and successes and importing new ideas to and from regional and global programs of The Nature Conservancy.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Establishes the Conservancy as a major conservation partner and defines conservation priorities for the Ohio Chapter.
- Recruits, retains and manages high quality and effective multi-disciplinary staff with responsibility for performance management, training and career development.
- Broad management and leadership responsibility for 25+ staff members, and teams consisting of members internal and external to the chapter.
- Develops long-term strategies and achieves strategic goals and objectives.
- Develops key partnerships with public and private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices.
- Develops innovative scientific methods, analyses, tools and frameworks to address natural system needs.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Makes independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, sometimes ambiguous information, experience and judgment.
- May require frequent travel and evening and weekend hours.
- Plays a key role in public and private fundraising for the Ohio Chapter and TNC globally.
- Serves as a member of the Chapter’s Leadership Team, helping to set strategic direction and provide senior management for the Chapter.
- Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
- Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines.
- Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions.
- Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
- Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies.
- Experience negotiating
- Experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans at the state or country level.
- Experience with financial management of a large program.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi- lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- 10-12 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
- Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives and experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
- Politically savvy.