Senior Conservation Planner

Location: Headquarters, Washington, DC, or Portland, OR
Department: Conservation Science & Policy
Supervisor: Director of Conservation Effectiveness

Note: This is a two-year term position, with potential to be further extended if additional grant funds become available.

BASIC SUMMARY:

We believe, as you do, that the conservation of biodiversity is critically important. We need more resources, and we need to be more efficient in how we use those resources in the race to save rare wildlife and habitats that will disappear without our help. 

Our conservation strategies team works to address both these problems. We help the conservation community do a better job of identifying and building strategies that will be effective in achieving conservation goals. We help our partners figure out how to make their work more effective – how to identify priorities and effective strategies to address them. This helps make the case for greater support for conservation initiatives. Our planner is someone who works well in a team, who is passionate about biodiversity conservation, and who knows how to help others become more effective.

The Senior Conservation Planner works with Defenders staff, state and federal agencies, land trusts and other non-governmental organizations to develop and promote more strategic approaches to endangered species, wildlife and habitat conservation. This professional-level position plays a leadership role in developing and implementing Defenders’ programs related to strategic conservation planning and adaptive management, with the aim of improving planning tools that in turn produce better on-the-ground results.

During the term of this grant-funded position, the successful candidate is expected to provide conservation planning support for a diverse set of projects, including (but not limited to): climate adaptation planning with state wildlife agencies and non-profit partners; incorporating principles of results-based management into federal forest planning; and improving the recovery planning process for listed endangered and threatened species.  We are currently supporting this as a two-year position, but a successful and committed candidate will be encouraged to help us develop funding to make it a longer-term opportunity.

The Senior Conservation Planner works closely with Defenders’ staff experts throughout the organization. S/he works with the scientific and land and wildlife management communities to provide technical support and facilitation -- including best practices for adaptively designing, managing, monitoring, and learning from conservation projects -- to practice Results-Based Management.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage projects, including oversight of project administration and project meetings, including reports on project progress, implementation, and budgets. These include established projects California, Florida and the Chesapeake Bay that will be completed over the next year and that all seek to build climate change adaptation into agency and non-profit land management plans.

• Provide training, coaching, and facilitation in project design and planning, monitoring, evaluation that follows the best practices in conservation planning and focuses on helping conservation teams find ways to be more effective and efficient at conserving wildlife.

• Work with the U.S. Forest Service on implementation of a new national policy that guides their management of biodiversity, endangered and candidate species.

• Launch new work to improve the effectiveness of endangered species recovery plans in guiding conservation investments, in ways that will result in species recovering more quickly.

• Assist the Conservation Strategies Director in guiding and overseeing the work of other staff on conservation planning projects

• Communicate and market our program’s projects to a diverse audience, including other conservation organizations, state or federal agencies, funding organizations, and the general public

• Develop and maintain constructive relationships with project partners, including government agencies and other non-profit organizations

• Represent Defenders and promote principles of conservation planning and results-based management in a variety of forums at the national, regional, and state level

• Lead the development of written publications, workshops, and multi-media presentations (including webinars and the Defenders website); present training materials at workshops, conferences, and briefing sessions

• Engage in grant writing and solicitation of support for conservation planning projects, including but not limited to grants, contracts, in-kind assistance, and political support

• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education:  Advanced degree in environmental/public policy, conservation biology, conservation planning, natural resources management, or related discipline.

• Experience:  5+ years of experience of progressively responsible experience is required in at least one of the following areas: developing and implementing programs to conserve biodiversity, conservation or land management planning, working with land or resource management agencies, or developing planning or policy programs for non-profit organizations. Experience with conservation planning in natural resource agencies and /or environmental non-profits is essential for this position.

• Other:

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills

• Experience implementing and/or facilitating adaptive management frameworks for conservation planning, such as the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

• Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to work effectively with other staff members and external partners in an interdisciplinary team context

• General understanding or background in biodiversity conservation issues, including landscape ecology, federal environmental policies, ecosystem markets, restoration, and climate change

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and various internet applications; familiarity with ArcGIS and Miradi a plus

• Self-starter with a flexible nature and the ability to seek direction when needed

• Understanding of local planning or policy initiatives, policy process, and conservation easements a plus

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• General office working conditions, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

COMMENTS:

• This position requires occasional domestic travel.

All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their positions. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

How To Apply

Interested applicants please reference Senior Conservation Planner in your subject line and submit a letter of interest, along with your resume and salary history to us via e-mail at: HR@defenders.org  

It is the policy of Defenders of Wildlife to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law, in all personnel actions.