International Project Officer

 American Bird Conservancy

International Conservation Project Officer

 

 

Position Summary:

 

Title: International Conservation Project Officer

Supervisor: Vice President of Threatened Species

Location: The Plains, Virginia or Washington DC

 

Submission Deadline: June 19, 2020

 

Introduction:

 

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is the Western Hemisphere's bird conservation specialist— the only organization with a single and steadfast commitment to achieving conservation results for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.

 

ABC is best known for its ability to achieve conservation results for birds, including continually advancing solutions to address the most significant human-caused sources of bird mortality and population declines. In its 25-year history, ABC has established a network of conservation areas and reserves protecting more than one million acres of habitat for the rarest birds and planted more than six million trees to restore bird habitat on degraded lands; and reduced threats to birds from the most dangerous pesticides, invasive species, collisions, and more, thereby preventing the deaths of millions of individual birds.

 

ABC seeks to hire an International Project Officer to join our International Program working to prevent extinctions of the rarest birds in the Americas. This position will be based at ABC's Washington DC or Northern Virginia offices (Virginia office preferred), and will involve international travel. [Note, ABC staff are currently working from home and refraining from international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic]

 

Primary Duties:

 

1. The International Project Officer will work with ABC's conservation partners abroad to protect habitat and reduce threats for the rarest birds of the Americas, as well as to help our partners build their capacity to fundraise and manage their institutions and protected areas. Project activities often include creating new nature reserves and expanding existing nature reserves; planting trees, erecting nest boxes, and other habitat restoration techniques; developing ecotourism, shade coffee, payment for ecosystem service schemes, carbon sequestration and other financial mechanisms to support reserve and institutional management; community education, outreach and other activities to reduce threats and improve local livelihoods to incentivize conservation.

 

1. The International Project Officer regularly communicates with our partners to advance project activities as well as traveling to visit partners and project sites –including some of the most spectacular and important nature reserves in the Americas.

 

1.  Develop and manage international projects. Project Officers will develop new projects and new phases of ongoing projects working with their supervisor, partners, and other ABC staff to define project goals and align these with higher-level ABC plans, and implement activities to realize these goals.

 

In addition to working with other members of ABC's International Program and ABC's partners, the International Project Officer will also work closely with ABC's administration, development, and communications teams to track projects internally, fundraise, and share the results of our work with broader audiences.

 

Position Requirements:

 

• Passion for ABC's mission to conserve birds and their habitats.

 

• At least three years of conservation experience in the Latin America and Caribbean region, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Bachelor's degree or higher in conservation or environmental sciences, non-profit management, wildlife management, international relations, fundraising, or a related field. Previous professional experience working with resident or migratory Neotropical birds preferred.

 

• An outgoing, positive, persuasive manner and predisposition for collaboration, with ability and comfort to work both independently and as part of teams, including with partner conservationists and government officials from different countries and cultures. This requires excellent writing and presentation skills, as well as fluency in English and Spanish. Additional languages, such as Portuguese, may also be useful.

 

• Well organized with keen attention to detail and results-oriented. Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, the tenacity and creativity to solve difficult problems, and an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue new conservation opportunities.

 

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.