The Engagement Director, Gulf Coast will work closely with a geographically dispersed staff, chapters, and volunteers across the Gulf of Mexico five states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) to engage a diversity of people in conservation action, engagement programs, policy action, and building organizational capacity in alignment with regional and national goals to maximize the effectiveness of Audubon as a whole.
S/he will work closely with specific target communities and chapters to facilitate strong programmatic and policy outcomes in alignment with the 2016 National Audubon Society Strategic Plan, Audubon’s Gulf Coast Initiative Conservation Plan, and strategic directions of Audubon’s Gulf Coast activities. Specific projects include Audubon’s Mississippi River Delta Coalition, Gulf Renewal Project, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. A key outcome for this work will be engaging and building a more diverse constituency to advance Audubon’s Gulf-wide and national Coastal conservation goals. The Director will build and manage culturally resonant programs and messages collaboratively with communities that address community needs and assets and that connect to actions that positively contribute to the conservation of our region’s birds and the spaces they need to thrive. The Director will report to Audubon’s Vice President of the Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi River Initiative and interact closely with Gulf Coast staff as well as Audubon’s Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Design, implement, and evaluate Audubon’s Gulf Coast Engagement plan, including coordination of staff and developing a plan to expand across the region
- Provide evaluation and reporting structure for programs to measure efficiency of community engagement efforts and alignment with national and regional organizational goals
- Diversify Audubon’s partnership base by engaging an array of partners that are representative of the region in which we work and execute programs that connect Audubon’s goals to community needs and assets
- Incorporates diverse visions and voices for programming to function as a cohesive whole
- Develop and execute a chapter engagement strategy, outline communication and program structure to support chapters, and identify organizational structure needed to support chapters in aligning with National Audubon
- Manager grant partnerships between Gulf Coast staff, volunteers, partners, chapters, and other stakeholders engaged in Gulf Coast partnerships and related coastal stewardship and Mississippi River Delta initiatives.
- Manage, organize, and facilitate regular state and regional chapter council meetings in collaboration with the national network team
- Manage chapter engagement in state, federal, and local advocacy campaigns assisting with strategy development and execution, outreach, and education
- Lead development of chapter engagement strategy for the Gulf Coast Initiative.
- Manage and facilitate chapter volunteer, outreach, coalition-building efforts that support conservation partnerships with chapters
- Serves as part of Audubon’s Gulf Coast leadership team, shaping Gulf Coast programs, operations, and initiatives
- In partnership with Gulf Coast and development teams, identify and secure funds from individuals, government agencies, and foundations; manage grant reporting and budgets for existing projects.
- Align program with broader Audubon efforts, including development, marketing, and capacity building
- Oversee budgets, program timelines, and grant reporting
- 7+ years of deep experience in community engagement work, with an emphasis of incorporating diverse perspectives into programs and initiatives
- 5+ years of experience in program management, grant writing, and staff supervision & evaluation
- 7-10 years of experience working in community-based and/or conservation organizations
- Well-developed problem-solving , time management, organizational, and prioritizing skills
- Proven success in project management and multi-tasking
- Strong collaborative work ethic and ability to work independently
- Ability to see big picture while maintaining attention to detail
- Superior interpersonal, oral and written communication skills that can be adapted to reach a wide range of individuals and can be used to build consensus
- Ability to schedule and prioritize work and meet deadlines
- Ability to identify problems and recommend solutions
- Passion for cross-cultural understanding and exploration
- Eagerness to learn, to explore, and to experiment, to lead and to work as a team,
- Demonstrated experience working with diverse communities throughout the Gulf region
- Ability to travel throughout the Gulf Coast region, with occasional travel beyond as required