| Job Description: |
OFFICE LOCATION
Seattle, Washington (WA)
ABOUT US
The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 30 countries, all 50 United States, and your backyard. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Visit www.nature.org/aboutus to learn more.
TNC
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The Director of Conservation is responsible for delivering outstanding conservation results for the Washington Chapter. S/he oversees all aspects of the Washington Chapter's conservation and science programs and leads a staff of 33 professionals distributed across the state. As a member of the Chapter's Senior Management Team, the Director helps set overall strategic direction for the Chapter and provides Chapter-wide leadership and management. The principal role of the Director of Conservation is to lead, manage, and support the Chapter's conservation and science teams to integrate this team with the Chapter's other functional teams and to enable the Washington Chapter's to accomplish ambitious and innovative conservation work. S/he must have a proven track record of significant conservation accomplishment and be a proven and successful builder and manager of teams of seasoned professionals. While the primary purpose of this position is to provide strong internal management, the Director of Conservation must also be able to serve effectively as a senior representative of the organization with the media, government agencies, foundations, the academic community, businesses, tribes, elected officials and other TNC staff.
This position represents an extraordinary opportunity to serve as a senior conservation leader and to build a world-class science and conservation team working in Washington, the Pacific Northwest and abroad.
The essential functions of this position include but are not limited to:
- Leads and manages a large team that delivers outstanding conservation results. Manages senior conservation and science professionals and integrates his/her team effectively with other Chapter managers and teams.
- Serves as a member of the Chapter's Senior Management Team and helps set strategic direction and provides senior management for the Chapter.
- Establishes the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within Washington and the Pacific Northwest.
- Defines conservation priorities in the area of responsibility and develops and implements cutting edge conservation strategies.
- Builds strategic, scientific and technical capacity in the field.
- Develops innovative scientific methods, analyses, tools, and frameworks to address the natural system needs.
- Plays a role in managing major public agency and elected official relationships.
- Plays a role in public and private fundraising programs of the program.
- Represent the Chapter in key internal TNC initiatives and programs.
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING
- Negotiates complex agreements, sometimes in political environments
- Develops and implements creative ideas to improve overall performance in conservation strategies
- Formulates, evaluates, and decides broad organizational policies and long-term programs
- Anticipates, diagnoses, and resolves complex problems and identifies creative solutions
- Designs, implements, and directs 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
- 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.
- Directs major program of strategic importance to the Conservancy through management of multi-disciplinary teams.
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING
- Assesses decisions' potential impact on colleagues' work, public image, scientific credibility and financial and legal standings
- Makes decisions based on incomplete or ambiguous information and accepts associated risks
- Makes independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, experience and judgment
- Decisions may affect organization's public image.
- Decision may have maximum financial and/or legal impact on the organization
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT - FINANCIAL AND SUPERVISORY
- Broad management and leadership responsibility.
- Recruit, retain, and manage high quality and effective multi-disciplinary staff with responsibility for performance management, training and career development.
- Establish clear directions and set stretch objectives.
- Management responsibility for 10+ staff members, both internal and external to the organization
- Develops long-term strategies and achieves strategic goals and objectives
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors in support of program activities.
- Overall responsibility for financial management of program, including setting financial goals, analyzing results, and taking corrective actions.
- Ensure that programmatic commitments, financial standards, and legal requirements are met
- Ensures that program complies with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal) requirements
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS
- Builds cooperative relationships and collaborates with diverse groups, including land owners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, board members, and the general public, to recruit support for the Conservancy and publicize Conservancy efforts
- Commands attention, changes tactics midstream as necessary, and manages group processes during presentations or discussions
- May speak with and in front of varied audiences on scientific topics and the Conservancy's mission; interacts and provides input/guidance to senior managers
- Ability to establish excellent working relationships with outside partners, state/local/federal agencies, land managers, private landowners and the academic community. Leverages constructive and effective relationships inside and outside the Conservancy.
- Works effectively in high-tension situations and maintain composure under pressure. Diffuses high-tension situations comfortably
- Work and communicate effectively with a diverse group of people, including scientists, preserve staff, and others, providing and obtaining needed information
- Ability to articulate lessons learned regarding conservation initiative successes and failures
- Ability to simplify and explain complex scientific data to general audiences
- Creates and communicates a compelling vision; practices the Conservancy's core values.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- BA/BS degree and 12 years experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience with certain aspects of fundraising: identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
- Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals and coordinating the work of partners.
- Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and regions.
- Experience in partnership development (partners, community, government, etc.); experience with high-level conservation contacts.
- Experience working with methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives.
- Experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 12-15 years experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Masters degree preferred.
- Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans at the state and/or country level.
- Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising on behalf of OU and global priorities.
- Motivating team members, setting goals, and leading efforts.
- Delivering practical, adaptable products and services to customers.
- Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental affairs; politically savvy.
- Managing time and diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages
- Demonstrated success as an inspirational manager who has successfully motivated staff to achieve and sustain excellence.
- Demonstrated leadership and visionary qualities and able to work effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization.
- Proven interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
AUTO SAFETY POLICY
This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with the Conservancy's Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." Please see further details in the Auto Safety Program document available at www.nature.org/careers.
Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT
The Program Director IV may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. These conditions may:
- require occasional physical exertion and/or muscular strain
- present occasional possibility of injury
- require long hours in isolated settings
This position may also:
- require frequent travel domestically and/or internationally
- require evening and weekend hours
BENEFITS
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.
TNC
TO APPLY
To apply to position number 40984, submit resume and cover letter as one document. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 9, 2013.
Failure to complete all of the required fields may result in your application being disqualified from consideration.
You must click "submit" to apply for the position. You may select "save for later" if you prefer to create a draft application for future submission. Once submitted, applications cannot be revised or edited.
If you are experiencing technical issues, please refer to our applicant user guide or contact applyhelp@tnc.org .
*LI-KM2
EOE STATEMENT
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process
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