The Director oversees all aspects of science, stewardship and community relations for land management activities for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. Provides scientific leadership and support for TNC’s conservation planning work and establishes overall conservation priorities in Ohio.
The Director provides technical and program leadership and support to Conservancy field operations. TNC preserves and land management responsibilities range from streams, wetlands to forests and grasslands. They serve as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community on ecological land management and research on TNC preserves. They will help to evaluate and maximize the role of our preserves and land management in relation to other TNC priorities of climate change adaption and mitigation, inspiring people for nature, building healthy cities, and providing food and water sustainably. They establish the Conservancy as a major conservation partner in land management in Ohio, define conservation priorities, lead and manage a team which supports and improves land conservation efforts, and build strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field. They assist with sponsoring and managing research to improve ecological land management on TNC and partner conservation areas. They will guide and ensure implementation of field safety programs on TNC preserves and projects.
The Director develops key partnerships with public & private organizations to improve land management, identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices, develops innovative scientific methods, analyses, tools, and frameworks to address the natural system needs, build and maintain funding support, and engages local community support for local conservation efforts. They negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities and develop and implement conservation strategies. The Director reports to the Ohio Director of Conservation and manages land management staff across Ohio, including central Ohio, Appalachian Forests, Oak Openings and Lake Erie watersheds
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Leads ecological land management on Ohio TNC protected lands that cover a wide range of Ohio habitats and collaborations with diverse conservation partners to improve land management.
- Supervises staff at multiple remote locations.
- Establishes and maintains optimal performance standards within budget.
- Writes requests for proposal (RFPs) for grant/contract funding for program.
- Frequently makes independently strategic decisions based on analysis, ambiguous information and context.
- Negotiates complex agreements, in a political environment.
- Experience in communicating, understanding and managing the aspect of climate change and resilient and connected lands in relation to overall land management.
- Frequent travel domestically and/or internationally, evening and weekend hours.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Experience in ecological land management techniques and science.
- Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation
- Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including managing finances and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners.
- 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.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross cultural experience appreciated.
- 7-10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and regions.
- Ability to develop practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
- Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives or related field.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
- Politically savvy.
- Meet one of the following fire qualifications: 1) NWCG RXB2; or, 2) NWCG ENGB working towards ICT4 (incident commander); or, 3) experienced state agency burn boss. See the Conservancy’s Fire Management Manual for a full explanation of qualification requirements: http://www.tncfiremanual.org/BurnBoss.htm.
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.