Audubon centers number among the National Audubon Society’s most important strategic assets in carrying out our mission to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon centers are embedded in some of America’s biggest cities and most treasured ecosystems. They can be hubs of influence and leadership for conservation throughout their communities and regions. They are Audubon’s front door in communities: Hundreds of thousands of people come into contact with Audubon, and with each other, at Audubon centers each year.
In October 2018, Audubon adopted Five Dimensions of Excellence (below) to guide the work at Audubon centers and outlined several areas of work that must be undertaken to support Audubon centers in achieving their full potential. A $5 million gift from Audubon Board Chair Maggie Walker will create an institute focused on transforming Audubon centers into a mighty network for conservation and community building.
The Director, Center Innovation & Strategy will be an influential leader; a change agent; highly energetic, adaptable, relationship-oriented; and a results-driven team player. The Director will engage staff and volunteers across Audubon centers and state programs, conservation programs, business functions, and executive and fiduciary leadership to lead this transformation. The Director will be responsible for the following but not limited to:
- Lead visioning and business planning processes that enable local, state, and conservation leaders to develop clear Audubon center roadmaps and business models that measurably advance Audubon’s strategic conservation and community engagement objectives and generate the right mix of revenue streams, reserves, and endowments to support the work. These processes must emphasize community input and equity, strong conservation and advocacy plans, clear KPIs, and financial sustainability.
- Work with VP, EDI to develop and implement a business-planning framework for Audubon centers that integrates equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) goals and objectives for effective outreach and engagement of underrepresented constituencies into center operations.
- Develop strategies and accountability to build our centers’ workforce and advisory bodies to attract and retain talent and leadership that reflect the local community and who are skilled at working in an inclusive and respectful manner with one another and with the community.
- In partnership with development staff, work with state and center leadership to build and reinforce strong volunteer center advisory bodies that help lead fundraising and community relations, advise on programs, and champion equity and inclusion at Audubon centers.
- Implement $1 million matching grant program to grow fundraising impact and commitment at the state and local level.
- Work with national development staff and executive leadership to develop and secure additional principal gifts to support the center network.
- 7–10+ years of experience with community engagement, advocacy, or conservation including leadership of a network of place-based settings (with nature centers specifically a plus).
- Proven experience leading organizational transformation and change management across networked organizations.
- Exceptional leadership skills and the ability to lead, mentor, motivate and inspire a team.
- Proven experience developing strategic partnerships.
- Experience working within organizations with local, state, and national affiliations a plus.
- Experience networking, engaging, and successfully cultivating diverse community partners, including bipartisan coalitions and communities of color.
- Strong people-management skills, and experience managing distributed teams preferred.
- Relentless commitment to meeting goals and deadlines, and demonstrated ability to motivate others to do the same.
- Experience developing training programs.
- Strong commitment to conservation.
- A self-starter, one who is motivated, able to work in a decentralized work environment with minimal supervision, and juggle multiple projects simultaneously.
- Excellent judgment, professionalism, and ability to work independently and take initiative.
- Strong problem solving skills, including ability to respond quickly and effectively to unforeseen challenges.
- • Effective listening, probing, and assessment skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills and the ability build consensus among a wide range of individuals.
- Comfort with presenting and engaging in public speaking events also necessary.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and technology solutions for nature centers, museums, science centers a plus.
- Willing and able to travel extensively and work nonstandard hours, e.g., evenings and weekends.
- Spanish-language proficiency a plus.