Florida State Director

Altamonte Springs, Florida (FL)

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 35 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.                                                   

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.
 

The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit conservation organization with more than a million members, is known for a balanced approach to conservation that provides for human needs while protecting native animals and plants by safeguarding the lands and waters they need to survive.  The organization has protected more than 11 million acres in the United States and some 60 million acres internationally, and is the largest freshwater and marine conservation organization globally.

The Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy was established in 1961 and has helped protect more than 1.3 million acres of natural lands, advocated and supported the unprecedented public funding for conservation at the state and local levels and influenced the management of conservation lands in public and private ownership.  The Chapter’s work is supported by more than 60,000 members and an active and engaged Board of 16 members and a newly created Chairman’s Council comprised of past Board Members eager to help.  This Board has committed and raised over $1 million dollars annually the past two years for our work. We work from the forests of north Florida all the way to the Florida Keys and out to the Dry Tortugas.  We actively partner with ranchers, farmers, and the Department of Defense among others.  The Nature Conservancy in Florida plays a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of natural resources and Florida’s way of life.

The Florida Chapter is solid financially and has exceptional opportunity ahead of it.   We will continue to grow our strong foundation of donor support to grow revenues, both to underpin vigorous and worthwhile programs in the state, as well as to enhance support for significant and valuable projects in Florida and globally.  The Florida Chapter is committed to supporting conservation around the world by raising funds, and providing staff and trustee expertise, for the Conservancy’s global priorities.  

Due to our exceptional history of public funding and the Conservancy’s expertise, 29% of Florida is currently in conservation.  We are just completing our strategic vision and have organized our work around three critical pillars: Securing Freshwater, Healthy, Safer Coasts, and ensuring our Critical Lands and Waters. Current whole system conservation priorities for the Florida chapter include the Gulf of Mexico, Longleaf Pine, the Everglades and the South Atlantic Seascape.  The State Director serves on the management teams for these whole systems, along with several other state directors.  Each of these whole systems is an Eastern US Division priority project that aligns with the organization’s Global Challenges/Global Solutions conservation framework.  Increasing the impact and scope of this work will require an increased emphasis on developing new and existing donors, partnerships, and a broader constituency for conservation across the state. It will require leadership in conservation at a scale that will make a difference and embracing and leading staff and trustees into newer and broader strategies for people and nature.

The State Director functions as manager and conservation strategist for The Nature Conservancy’s operations in Florida, which is headquartered in Altamonte Springs.  S/he is accountable for the chapter’s success in implementing TNC’s conservation approach, producing measurable conservation results and maintaining organizational values.    S/he ensures outcomes are achieved in priority areas that fall within the Chapter’s responsibilities, and contributes intellectual, financial, and/or human resources to the formulation and execution of priority cross-boundary efforts.  S/he acts to secure, coordinate, and configure resources, capacity, and programs to address the most critical organization-wide projects, threats and strategies both in Florida and beyond her/his span of authority.  The State Director oversees fundraising, including approving budgets and setting priorities which dictate private and public fundraising goals. S/he supports philanthropy, resources, and external affairs staff in the cultivation and direct solicitation of donors (private, bilateral and multilateral government) to meet those fundraising goals.  S/he serves as the primary spokesperson for the chapter to internal and external audiences including staff, volunteers, the Board of Trustees, public and private donors, government agencies and officials, community leaders and other partners.  The State Director cultivates those audiences to support and promote TNC’s mission and vision.

The State Director is responsible for day-to-day management of his/her 6 direct reports as well as the overall management of 67 staff in 11 locations; Altamonte Springs, Jupiter, Kissimmee, Babson Park, Bristol, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Big Pine Key, Coral Gables, Miami and Melrose.   S/he reports to the Director of the Eastern U.S. Conservation Division and works closely with the Lead Director of the 5-state Southeast Conservation Council, and a statewide voluntary Board of Trustees. The State Director is engaged as a global team member with colleagues from around the world, sharing the lessons learned from the Florida experience, gathering ideas from others and actively contributing to the Conservancy’s strategies and solutions around the globe.

The State Director should ideally embody the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

Professional Qualifications

• A deep commitment to the mission of TNC as the world leader in science-based conservation.
• A skillful spokesperson with the ability to frame and articulate a powerful program vision with the leadership qualities to inspire implementation by staff, board, and partners.
• Outstanding leadership and visionary qualities and able to work effectively with and through others in a large decentralized and geographically dispersed organization.
• Superb communication and presentation skills required; must have ability, as lead spokesperson to persuasively convey the mission and conservation priorities of TNC to diverse groups including major donors, corporate executives, board members, partners and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity.
• Demonstrated experience to mobilize and motivate a volunteer advisory Board of Trustees in achieving philanthropic, program and operational goals.
• Strong interpersonal skill.  Must be an open communicator with excellent people management and team-building skills.
• A proven track record of success and accomplishment as an inspirational leader.
• Demonstrated success as a manager who has considerable experience attracting and retaining a decentralized professional staff.  Strong belief in development of staff.
• Proven managerial talent in budgeting, staffing, performance management and professional development.
• Considerable and demonstrated success in leading fundraising efforts including experience cultivating and soliciting major donors, foundation and private corporations in support of program and operational activities.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding in the role science plays in policy development and conservation of natural resources.
• Experience with relevant conservation practices and natural resource management issues.

Personal Attributes

• Articulate, with proven experience to write effectively and speak persuasively.
• An ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas - a sense of inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity.
• High energy level, personable, trustworthy, diplomatic, and in possession of impeccable integrity; and exceptional analytical, strategic, and tactical ability.

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 7 years of experience as a leader in the conservation arena, non-profit sector, advocacy, or related for-profit area.
• Management experience including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing the performance of a large multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience with communications and presentations.
• Experience communicating with and presenting to diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.
• Experience in fundraising and budget management.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 7-10 years of experience as a proven leader in the conservation arena, non-profit sector, advocacy, or related for-profit area, including demonstrated experience producing results and meeting program/department goals. 
• Experience gained both in and outside the U.S. preferred.  Demonstrated commitment to developing and practicing global literacy a must.
• Success as an inspirational leader who has successfully motivated staff to achieve and sustain excellence. Proven managerial talent in budgeting, staffing, and performance management.
• High energy, forward thinking, creative individual with high ethical standards.  Outstanding leadership and visionary qualities and able to work effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization.
• Proven technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.  Demonstrated operational, implementation and detail-oriented perspective.
• Well organized and self-directed; politically savvy and a team player.
• Successful experience in marketing or fund raising desired.

To apply to position number 42139, 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 June 22, 2014.

Click “submit” to apply for the position or “save for later” to create a draft application for future submission. Once submitted, applications cannot be revised or edited. Failure to complete required fields may result in your application being disqualified from consideration.

If you experience technical issues, please refer to our applicant user guide or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.
*LI-CH1

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy’s background screening process.