The Conservation Operations Specialist works as part of the 15 person remote conservation team (located across Canada and the US), managing the development of grants and contracts, grant and contract payments, special events logistics and travel, tracking of photo release forms, and other coordination and administrative activities to support implementation of conservation program activities across Canada. A small portion of time will be spent supporting travel and scheduling for the Philanthropy team.
The Conservation Operations Specialist (COS) will work to advance the strategic priorities of the Canada conservation program by leading the drafting of grants and contracts; processing invoices and payments associated with these agreements; planning and executing the logistics, including arranging partner travel, for conservation related events and meetings; develop and implement communications between conservation and other functional groups, including identifying and sharing important news from the program and drafting monthly conservation reports; supporting implementation of communications guidance, including tracking photo release forms; coordinating training and implementation of a safety plan; and other administrative duties as assigned. The COS will also provide travel and scheduling support to the philanthropy team. They will become well versed in the Standard Operating Procedures and approval processes of both Nature United and The Nature Conservancy and lead the refinement of Nature United processes associated with their responsibilities. The COS will be part of the conservation team, report to the Director of Conservation, and work closely with the Canada program’s legal, philanthropy, finance, and operations staff.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Work within scope of program’s strategic goals;
- Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience, referring difficult questions and unusual problems to supervisor, attorney and/or finance staff;
- Coordinate projects with several variables, working within a defined timeline and budget;
- Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information;
- Perform non-routine analysis, research and follow-through;
- Ensure compliance with Nature United and Conservancy policies and procedures, and external (donor/legal/IRS/CRA) requirements;
- Financial responsibility includes purchasing, processing invoices, contracting with vendors, and assisting with budget preparation;
- May act as a resource to others to solve problems and act in supervisor’s stead when instructed;
- May supervise administrative and/or volunteer staff, including training and professional development;
- Provide input through project teams for the improvement of existing programs;
- Travel and work flexible hours as needed;
- Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain; and
- Work is diversified and may not always fall under established practices and guidelines.
- Experience coordinating administrative processes;
- Experience generating reports and interpreting data;
- Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading;
- Experience organizing time and managing diverse activities to meet deadlines;
- Willingness to participate in cultural competency training and to support successful partnership with Indigenous people;
- Experience working across teams and communicating with a wide range of people; and
- Experience with communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to analyze information for the purpose of coordinating and planning activities, and solving problems;
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience, particularly with Indigenous people;
- Ability to analyze information for the purpose of coordinating and planning activities, and solving problems;
- Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results;
- Excellent customer service skills and focus and a desire to ensure conservation staff are supported;
- Experience interpreting guidelines to achieve desired results; and
- Strong organization skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.