About the job

Environment America is seeking an experienced campaigner to run our Conservation America Program team. Responsibilities include coordinating program development, advocacy, field organizing and communications, recruiting and managing the team and building the resources for our work. More than 280 million people visited our national parks last year: places like Yellowstone and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which are a big part of what makes this country so great. Yet last year Congress voted to slash funding for all of our parks - a move that would leave our best places with less protection against pollution, logging and overdevelopment. These places deserve better. It’s up to us to protect them for the next generation.

Environment America is a grassroots, advocacy organization tackling today’s toughest environmental problems. Working with our state affiliates and members across the country, we use creative strategies, effective tactics, grit and determination to win positive change for our environment and our families’ health. As the Conservation America Program Director, you would be responsible for using these tools to drive a program to protect our federal lands.

Responsibilities:

On a day-to-day basis, our Conservation America Program Director will be responsible for:

Advocacy: Present both problems and solutions to decision-makers on the local, state and federal levels. Build access and influence with key players who can help us move our agenda forward.

Campaign Strategy Development: Assess opportunities for building political and public support through coalition-building, grassroots organizing, grasstops mobilization, generating media coverage, and developing winning plans for putting our resources to use.

Media Outreach: Organize media events, write news releases, attend editorial board meetings, generate on-line content and design other communication tactics with a goal of building name recognition, garnering broad support and educating and mobilizing the public around our conservation vision.

Program and Policy Development: Participate in and oversee policy development, research and messaging for our conservation program. Help determine where our field resources will be most effective.

Building the Community: Build relationships and mobilize support within the national environmental community while working with key constituencies that share our concerns about conservation, from health professionals and farmers to outdoor recreational businesses and local elected officials.

Mobilizing the Public: Provide compelling information and opportunities for action to our members and the general public. This will be a critical component of winning our conservation campaigns.

Fundraising: Write grant proposals, build relationships with foundation staff, and meet with major donors, all to bring more resources to our campaigns. Work with our citizen outreach and on-line staff to build and develop a strong membership base to sustain our work.

Recruiting and Developing Staff: Recruit new staff, new interns and new volunteers to increase our impact and build more power. Oversee all staff on the Conservation America Program team, develop and implement work plans, and provide training and leadership development opportunities.

Qualifications

Candidates must have at least five years of relevant professional experience. Qualified candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to environmental issues and to citizen-based social change as well as a track-record of leadership. We're looking for goal-driven and results-oriented individuals who have excellent verbal, writing and analytical skills, the ability to speak persuasively in a charged atmosphere, and enthusiasm for the work.