Job Description

Director of Conservation

This is a full-time, exempt management level staff position, reporting to the Executive Director. Compensation includes a salary of $70,000 – $90,000 DOE and a supportive benefits package.

Summary of Position
The Director of Conservation leads the development and implementation of the
Trust’s Conservation Plan. This includes oversight of all aspects of the Trust’s land
protection and land stewardship programs. The Director supervises conservation
staff members and works closely with the Executive Director and other members of the management team to integrate conservation objectives in the Trust’s outreach, fundraising, and organizational workplans. The Director represents the Trust in collaborative partnerships that further land, water, and community conservation efforts throughout western Oregon. The successful candidate for this position will be one who brings a deep commitment to land and water conservation, a supportive approach to team leadership, and a strategic mind for collaborative community efforts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Land and Water Conservation

• Work with Executive Director, Lands Committee, and Board of Directors to set the strategic direction and conservation priorities that position McKenzie River Trust as a trusted, relevant conservation partner in the region.
• Oversee the development of annual conservation workplans that build upon the
  objectives and goals of the Trust’s strategic framework, Diversity, Equity,
  Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), and climate plans.
• Help develop innovative solutions to land, water, and other community resource
  challenges.
• Steer organizational resources for land acquisition, stewardship, and disposition.
• Support team assessments of new projects for their conservation value,
  stewardship, and funding needs.
• Ensure the integration of McKenzie River Trust’s conservation efforts by
  coordinating plans, activities, budget and resource needs with organization-wide
  capacities and functions.
• Oversee the refinement, implementation, and maintenance of the recordkeeping
  system for transactions in compliance with Land Trust Alliance Standards and
  Practices and McKenzie River Trust policies.
• Ensure conservation program accountability and compliance with internal
  policies and procedures and with external (donor/legal) requirements.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Serve as a member of the Trust’s management team and helps grow and guide the organization.
• Directly supervise the Stewardship Manager, Land Protection Manager,
  Restoration Projects Manager, Volunteer Programs Manager and Land Steward.
  Support their growth and shared leadership.
• Establish an environment that embraces Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
  initiatives and promote safe and healthy working conditions.
• Encourage and sustain an environment of commitment, cooperation, open
  communication, trust, and professionalism.
• Support board members and other volunteers’ orientation, leadership growth and engagement.

External Relations

• Establish and maintain effective external relationships with government, business, tribal and non-profit leadership to achieve large scale conservation outcomes across the region.
• Participate in collaborative conservation efforts with regional partners including
  watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, state and federal
  agencies, universities, and others.

Fund Development

• Support the Executive Director and Philanthropy staff in securing private funding for conservation and organization-wide initiatives, including grant preparation, private donor cultivation, events, and tours.
• Recruit new land and financial donations for conservation operations.
• Identify and help prepare grants for conservation projects and programs.

Budget and Finance

• Coordinate with the management team to develop annual budget elements.
• Monitor and manage costs to annual budget.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive professional experience in conservation, including land and water
  acquisition, habitat restoration, property stewardship, and landscape scale
  planning.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience in motivating, leading, setting priorities,
  and managing performance of a multidisciplinary staff.
• Successful experience developing meaningful partnerships with a wide variety of
  governmental and nongovernmental organizations to accomplish tangible and
  lasting results at all scales of conservation.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and develop creative solutions to
  complex conservation challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to fundraise for land acquisition and operations from
  foundations and private individuals.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in conservation science, natural resource
  management, landscape architecture, law, non-profit management, or related
  fields. Advanced degree preferred.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort
The Director of Conservation will work from the McKenzie River Trust office in
Eugene and from the field throughout our service area in western Oregon. Some
tasks may require significant physical exertion, being outdoors in all weather
conditions and on difficult and sometimes hazardous terrain. A valid driver’s
license, proof of insurance and good driving record is expected. Some weekend
and/or evening work will be necessary. Work is often fast-paced, demanding of
time, and requiring attention to multiple projects with deadlines.
We have a commitment to cultivating an inclusive work environment and provide
equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without
regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender
identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any
other protected category under federal, state and local law. In accordance with
the American with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be
modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no
accommodations will be made which may pose serious health or safety risks to
the employee or others or which impose undue hardships on the organization.
The McKenzie Trust maintains its status as an at-will employer.

Organizational Background
Since 1989, the McKenzie River Trust (MRT) has helped people protect and care for
the lands and rivers they cherish in western Oregon. From the Cascade Mountains to
the Pacific Ocean, MRT envisions a future in which conservation lands are at the core
of community efforts to sustain clean water, abundant fish and wildlife, and diverse
natural resource economies. We work at the intersection of ecological systems and
human community needs to ensure the health of both in the face of changes in
climate and land use. MRT protects over 7,000 acres of land through ownership and
conservation easement. Grounded in science, we work collaboratively to heal,
restore, and enhance regionally important natural systems, and connect people to
places they care about. MRT is based in Eugene, and our work is centered in the
upper Willamette River Basin, but we also carry out work in the Umpqua, Siuslaw,
and coastal river basins. In 2021 we will open our first field office on the central
Oregon coast.

On Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
Having invested in staff training in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) for
several years, we are currently crafting a DEIJ commitment statement and plan. For
over 30 years, the McKenzie River Trust (MRT) has pursued our mission by focusing
on habitat diversity and health, river dynamism, and wild landscapes. But we need to
more explicitly acknowledge that people and communities have been and continue to
be part of these ecosystems, and that the helping people part of our mission compels
us to ensure that our work benefits and engages all people, not just some. Bringing
DEIJ values to bear in our work will support us in maintaining the landscape-scale
vision required to address climate resilience and community resilience as we work to
maintain the ecological integrity of western Oregon’s landscapes. We have work to do. We encourage all candidates, particularly those with diverse backgrounds in culture, education, and professional experience, to apply for this position.

How to Apply

Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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