The Director of Conservation plays a leadership role in overseeing the Washington Chapter’s strategies to sustain nature and people in the Pacific Northwest and beyond and to establish the Washington Chapter as a center of conservation innovation and success. With a team of senior staff, the Director of Conservation establishes the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within Washington and the Pacific Northwest, defines the Chapter’s conservation priorities, and ensures measurable conservation impacts The Director of Conservation also leads innovative and critical thinking, integrating science into on-the-ground conservation, building strategic partnerships, and fundraising. The Director of Conservation builds support for local, regional, and global conservation efforts, negotiates complex and innovative solutions, and implements cutting-edge conservation strategies in support of TNC’s Shared Conservation Agenda.
Significant functions include, but are not limited to:
- Lead and manage the Washington Chapter’s conservation, science, stewardship and transactions teams. Provide outstanding, timely and transparent management, communications and decision-making to the teams. Develop a cadre of talented and effective conservation practitioners.
- Serve as a member of the Chapter’s Executive Team. Participate in Chapter-level decision-making. Ensure productive integration of all key functions including conservation, philanthropy, marketing, government relations and operations.
- Build a culture of innovation, collaboration and drive for results while also providing excellence in personnel and team management, communications, decision-making and operating practices.
- Manage strategic and planning processes and systems to bring clarity, precision and vision to the work of the Chapter. Set ambitious and clear goals for our work. Implement effective assessment practices to enable the Chapter to measure progress and rapidly evolve and adapt its work.
- Integrate chapter work with TNC’s global shared conservation agenda and develop cross-boundary projects that utilize chapter strengths and assets and resources in Washington.
- Represent the Washington Chapter with external and internal audiences as appropriate, . Participate in philanthropy and marketing work as appropriate.
Areas of Responsibility:
Level of Position: The Director of Conservation is an executive leadership position for the Washington Chapter, with significant strategic, management and financial responsibilities.
- Lead, inspire and develop a multi-disciplinary team of 35+ professional, administrative, and volunteer staff, including direct supervision of 5-8 staff, with responsibility including recruitment, retention, professional development, establishing clear direction, and inspiring “stretch” objectives.
- Work as part of the Executive Team to provide overall leadership for the Washington Chapter and assist in fulfilling other Chapter objectives, such as private fundraising, financial management, board management, engagement with new audiences, marketing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and organizational culture.
- Direct ambitious conservation program for Washington State, including collaboration with other Conservancy business units, oversight of the Board of Trustees Conservation Committee to ensure Board participation in conservation goals, and oversight of critical relationships both internal and external to the organization.
- Make independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, ambiguous information, experience and judgment, which may affect public image, impact multiple programs, and bind the organization financially or legally.
Within the scope of the position, the Director of Conservation will:
- Direct major program(s) of strategic importance to the Conservancy through management of decentralized, multi-disciplinary teams located throughout the state.
- Design, implement, and direct complex and diverse projects, encompassing multiple programs and coordinating the work of other professionals, inside and outside the organization. Incorporates cross-disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives.
- Exercise leadership in strategic and tactical manners, work with fellow leaders to establish and evaluate policies and/or long-term programs.
- Highly diversified work involves participation in the formulation and evaluation of broad policies and/or long-term programs, or making decisions, which typically have broad organizational impact.
- Foster learning and collaboration across the Conservancy’s state, national and global programs, and represent the Chapter in key internal TNC initiatives and programs.
- Build strategic, scientific and technical capacity in the field.
- Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive information.
Work Environment and Schedule
- Travel as needed (up to 25%) and on short notice occasionally. May require working extended and/or varied work hours, including on weekends.
- Work is generally performed in a professional office environment and involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.
Educational Background:
Bachelor’s degree and 12 years’ experience in conservation practice OR equivalent combination of education and experience.
Skills/Experience:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
In your resume and cover letter, please address how you meet the following minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications:
- Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
- Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines.
- Experience conceiving and implementing strategic and creative initiatives.
- Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans.
- Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
- Experience with financial oversight and management of project and program budgets.
- Experience developing partnerships (partners, community, government).
- Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions.
- Experience negotiating complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree and 12-15 years’ experience in conservation practice OR equivalent combination of education and experience, with 5 years’ experience supervising a large, multidisciplinary team, and managing the full employee lifecycle (recruitment, onboarding/orientation, performance management, career planning/development, termination).
- Knowledge of key conservation issues and players in Washington and surrounding region.
- Experience inspiring, motivating and leading teams to achieve goals and sustain excellence.
- Experience managing teams with a commitment to respecting team dynamics, and a strong ability to understand and credit diverse perspectives, and synthesize multiple perspectives to achieve the best outcome.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change and serve as an effective change agent.
- Experience working in a large, complex, not-for-profit environment. Direct experience working for The Nature Conservancy strongly preferred.
- Experience and demonstrated success developing and implementing funding strategies for conservative initiatives or projects, including funding from foundations and public agencies.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages including ability to translate complex issues into concise and clear messages.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Cultural competency and proven ability to partner with non-traditional organizations to reach new audiences and conservation objectives.
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Dec 9 2017
Active Until:
Jan 8 2018
Hiring Organization:
Nature Conservancy
industry:
Nonprofit