The Conservation and Education Manager participates in the development of conservation strategies for the NY Division and manages and advances those strategies at the 2,039-acre Mashomack Preserve. The Conservation and Education Manager designs and implements programs and activities to build awareness, educate and engage a variety of audiences to build support for our mission and goals. Through leadership in attracting and managing research, guiding outdoor experiences and developing a cutting-edge curriculum, the Conservation and Education Manager will help transform the visitor and donor experiences and share the story of the Conservancy’s work at a global scale. They will develop and lead the research partnership experiences that help our visitors and donors explore and understand what is means to live in a changing world and the Conservancy’s work to find solutions to the pressing challenges facing nature and people.
The Conservation and Education Manager provides technical leadership and support to the NY Division by participating in the planning and development of conservation management strategies and implementing those programs at Mashomack Preserve. The Conservation and Education Manager oversees preserve stewardship and addresses critical threats to natural systems and individual species. He/she will be an expert on engaging people with nature and with our work. The Conservation and Education Manager will develop and operate the Mashomack Visitor Center as the portal to allow researchers, educators, students and the community to investigate and explore what is means to live in a changing world and highlight the Conservancy’s work to find solutions to the pressing challenges facing nature and people. They will develop curriculums, incorporating cutting-edge technology, to create awareness, educate and engage a variety of audiences, including donors, board members and the public. They will develop a series of meaningful field experiences and regularly lead the public, donors and other Preserve visitors on guided field experiences to leverage support for the Conservancy’s priorities.
Key functions:
- Education, awareness and field experiences – 55%
- Conservation Management and Preserve stewardship - 45%
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Create, execute and regularly lead guided field experiences that connect people to nature and our work to build and leverage support for our mission and goals;
- Promote research opportunities and coordinate research conducted at the Preserve; ensure access to research results (papers, conclusions, etc); develop opportunities to connect research in field experiences and curriculums;
- Manage a calendar of program events and assure each event is leveraged for maximum impact; coordinate closely with a wide variety of TNC colleagues and teams, including Conservation, Science, Stewardship, Marketing, Communications, Operations and Fundraising;
- Build awareness and support using all communication tools, including, but not limited to: storytelling (including sharing field experiences), digital channels and social media;
- Work collaboratively with Conservancy staff in the NY Division to develop/update and implement a Mashomack Preserve management plan focused on habitat resiliency (forest, grassland, wetland, coastal) and monitoring rare and protected species;
- May supervise multi-disciplinary staff, with responsibility for performance management, training and career development.;
- Utilize active volunteer pool to provide meaningful support to Mashomack Preserve;
- Financial responsibility may include working within/managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating and contracting with vendors, assisting with budget development, and meeting fundraising targets;
- Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements;
- Under minimal supervision, makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context;
- This position involves regular office work as well as leading frequent physical outdoor activities in variable weather conditions and may require working variable hours and weekends, and
- Residency on Preserve property may be required.
- Supervisory experience;
- Experience communicating with the public and/or media both in writing and verbally;
- Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Web Browsers;
- Valid driver’s license.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated;
- Master’s degree preferred;
- Donor engagement and cultivation experience;
- Experience working outdoors as a naturalist, tour leader and/or doing field work;
- Experience in training and/or curriculum design;
- Excellent communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages; digital media experience;
- Supervisory experience which includes motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance;
- Knowledge of land management conservation practice and conservation science;
- Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences, and
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management, and natural resource preservation.
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.