Director, Virginia Coast Reserve

Nassawadox, Virginia (VA)

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

The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) is a flagship conservation project that includes ownership of all or parts of 14 barrier islands along with thousands of acres of salt marshes, mud flats, tidal creeks, and upland habitat on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  Overall, the Conservancy owns more than 50,000 acres at the VCR, which makes it the single largest owner of Atlantic coastline in Virginia.  In addition, an array of like-minded conservation partners has protected another 70,000 acres of critical habitat on the seaside and bayside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia which together form one of the only coastal wilderness areas on the United States’ eastern seaboard.

Launched in the 1960’s, the VCR has been a laboratory for developing innovative conservation strategies to protect this world class ecosystem.  Today, with an on-site staff of eight, along with additional part-time and seasonal staff, the Conservancy is working with academic, government and community partners to develop programs to enhance coastal resilience in response to the effects of climate change to the people, communities, and natural systems at the VCR.  In addition, the Conservancy has a successful avian conservation program across the islands, coastal bays, and mainland through which we monitor and manage populations of and habitat for resident nesting and migratory colonial waterbirds, shorebirds, and songbirds.  Furthermore, our comprehensive estuarine restoration program, in concert with research and other partners, has developed the world’s largest sea grass restoration project and has pioneered policy and on-the-ground approaches to oyster and bay scallop restoration across hundreds of acres.  Land protection and land management continue to be cornerstones of the Conservancy’s work at the VCR, and will be guided by our goals of maintaining and restoring coastal resilience in the face of climate change.

The activities at the VCR nest within and contribute to the Conservancy’s Mid-Atlantic Seascape (MAS) whole system project which implements priority conservation strategies in the Atlantic coastal and offshore region stretching from Cape Hatteras, NC, to Montauk, NY.  Embracing whole system conservation, the Virginia Chapter of the Conservancy, and therefore the VCR, contribute important leadership, capacity, and on-the-ground (or in-the-water) results towards the MAS’s ultimate outcomes associated with marine and coastal ecosystems, and species of concern.  In addition, activities on the Bayside of the Eastern Shore contribute to goals of our Chesapeake Bay whole system project.  Finally, the VCR continues to reach out to and engage community leaders, donors, Virginia Chapter board members, elected officials, and land owners to build consensus and support for the conservation work and challenges that lie ahead.
TNC

The Director of the Virginia Coast Reserve oversees all aspects of land protection, science, stewardship, coastal restoration, and community relations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  S/he provides scientific leadership and support for TNC’s conservation planning activities and works with the Virginia Director of Conservation to establish overall conservation priorities in the region. The Director collaborates with other TNC staff in the fields of conservation, government relations, marketing, philanthropy, and operations, along with chapter leadership, and is the principle contact with landowners, corporations, donors, government agencies, and local elected officials.  Further, the Director engages local community support for conservation efforts.  In particular, the Director negotiates complex and innovative solutions with government agencies, landowners, corporations, and partners to conserve and protect natural communities. The Director collaborates with other Conservancy colleagues to plan and implement conservation strategies across the Mid-Atlantic Seascape and Chesapeake Bay whole system projects and works to align VCR activities with TNC’s global and organizational priorities.    Moreover, she/he communicates broadly, effectively, and persuasively in both written and oral form about solutions to complex problems.  The Director raises private and public funds to implement conservation strategies and to support local, state and global program operations.  She/he leads and manages a team of eight full-time staff and additional seasonal staff, interns, and volunteers. 
TNC

• BA/BS degree and 7 years experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including managing finances and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners, within and outside TNC.   
• Experience in partnership development (community, government, academic, etc.).
• Supervisory experience, with interdisciplinary staff.
• Experience with donor cultivation and proposal writing. 

PREFERRED QUALFICATIONS

• 7-10 years experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.  Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success as an inspirational manager who has successfully motivated staff to achieve and sustain excellence.
• Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, particularly in coastal areas.
• Ability to develop practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
• Knowledge of methods for ecological assessment and priority setting.
• Ability to motivate team members, setting goals, and leading efforts.
• Deliver practical, adaptable products and services to customers.
• Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental affairs.
• Managing time and diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results.
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English.
• Demonstrated leadership and visionary qualities and able to work effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization.
• Extensive networking with high-level conservation contacts; political savvy.
• Proven interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills. 
• Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

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
• Resolves complex issues involving multiple program areas independently
• Anticipates, diagnoses, and resolves complex problems and identifies creative solutions
• Interprets guidelines, evaluates information, and modifies processes to adapt to changing circumstances
• Manages and prioritizes tasks from multiple sources
• 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

DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING

• Ensures program accountability and legal compliance
• Consults peers to review own work
• 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

RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT – FINANCIAL AND SUPERVISORY

• Supervises staff at remote locations
• Establishes and maintains optimal performance standards within budget
• Develops and administers budgets and ensures sound financial performance
• Writes requests for proposal (RFPs) for grant/contract funding for program
• Judges talent, assesses staff’s strengths and weaknesses, creates strong morale and team spirit, and motivates individuals and teams toward desirable results
• Recruits, retains and manages high quality and effective staff
• Supervises work inside and outside organization
• Sets financial goals, evaluates return on investment, and develops corrective strategies to improve future results
• Supervises staff
• May need to gain cooperation from outside parties to accomplish program goals
• May negotiate and contract with vendors
• Develops long-term strategies and achieves strategic goals and objectives
• Communicates strategic project goals and objectives
• Using common software applications (e.g.; Word, Excel, Web browsers)

COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS

• May need to gain cooperation from outside parties to accomplish program goals
• Negotiates complex agreements
• Works effectively under pressure
• Diffuses tension among colleagues comfortably
• 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
• Collaborates with a wide range of people
• Produces results in a team environment
• May develop and present proposals to achieve program goals

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 VCR Director 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
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently and on short notice, including evenings and weekends
• Must have valid driver’s license, safe driving record (per the Conservancy’s Auto Safety Program), and provide own transportation and personal automobile insurance.  (Rental and/or Conservancy vehicles provided in most cases.)

The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, a 401k plan, 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 position number 41414, submit resume and cover letter as one document. Please include salary requirements in cover letter. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 6, 2013.

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