The Southeastern NC Program Director serves as The Nature Conservancy’s conservation leader and manager for all aspects of work within the southern Coastal Plain and Sandhills regions of North Carolina. The geographic area contains a spectrum of longleaf pine habitat types interspersed with bottomland hardwood forests, Carolina Bays and peat wetlands. Our strategies for achieving tangible and lasting conservation outcomes include land acquisition, habitat restoration, controlled burning, and community/landowner outreach. The Director is responsible for managing program staff, defining strategies, building partnerships and developing program capacity and serves as principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, and foundations.
The Southeastern NC Program Director leads a team of nine professionals working across the southern Coastal Plain and Sandhills regions of North Carolina to achieve protection and management of resilient natural landscapes. The Director is responsible for developing and overseeing budgets and work plans, soliciting and utilizing technical and scientific expertise, conducting strategic planning and ensuring tangible conservation results. S/he guides acquisition priorities, restoration and land management actions, conservation planning, program administration, and partner and community relations. S/he provides leadership and support for TNC’s conservation activities utilizing best available science and conservation planning to establish overall program priorities. S/he provides management oversight and support to Conservancy land protection, stewardship and restoration staff including seasonal controlled burning crews.
The Southeastern NC Program Director serves as the principle contact with government agencies, other conservation organizations, private landowners, foundations, consultants, and the academic community. S/he negotiates complex and innovative solutions with agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities and implement conservation strategies. The Director expands the reach of TNC resources, builds public support for conservation efforts and represents TNC’s interests on high-leverage partnerships. S/he works closely with Philanthropy and other staff to raise program funding by identifying opportunities and developing proposals and grant applications. The Director develops policy priorities and works with Chapter and Government Relations leadership to implement these efforts. S/he serves on the NC Chapter Conservation Steering Committee and advises the Director of Conservation Programs on strategic priorities for the region.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Work is at a geographic size and scope of a larger, complex business unit and/or a program that requires cross-boundary work and relationships.
- Provides program vision and leadership and defines system scale strategies and priorities.
- Develops and administers budgets and ensures sound financial performance.
- Writes requests for proposal (RFPs), contracts, grant proposals and other materials to solicit funding, goods and services for program.
- Sets financial goals, evaluates return on investment, and develops corrective strategies to improve future results.
- Recruits, retains and manages high quality and effective staff at remote locations.
- Uses common software applications (e.g.; Word, Excel, Power point, Geographic Information Systems)
- Develops key partnerships with public and private organizations.
- Frequently makes independent strategic decisions based on analysis, ambiguous information and judgment.
- Frequent travel domestically and/or internationally, evening and weekend hours.
- May participate in controlled burning and in wild land fire suppression activities in partnership with other non-profits, local fire departments, and local, state and federal agencies.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience, coursework, or training related to southeastern ecosystems, forest ecology, and related land management practices.
- Experience working with private landowners, government agencies and/or in partnerships to achieve program objectives.
- Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
- Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including managing finances and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners.
- Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
- Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies.
- Experience demonstrating communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross cultural experience appreciated.
- 7-10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and regions.
- Ability to develop practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
- Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
- Politically savvy and experienced in policy and partnership development.
- Demonstrated experience working effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization.