Freshwater Project Director – Austin, TX

Organization: The Nature Conservancy

Job Title: Freshwater Project Director

Location: Austin, TX

Hours and Compensation: Full time; 

Position Dates:

Application Deadline: October 1, 2012.

Posted On: August 24, 2012

Organization Overview

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Since our founding in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally. We have more than 1 million members and dedicated staff working in all 50 United States and more than 30 countries around the world — we are everywhere you want to be!

Description

The Freshwater Project Director directs some or all aspects of protection, science, stewardship and community relations for a region within an Operating Unit (OU). S/he serves as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community. Geographic size and scope is larger than a preserve and smaller than an OU, or overseeing one or more components of the Conservation function for an entire OU.

Responsibilities

•  Establishes the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within the area of freshwater
• Helps to define conservation priorities in the area of freshwater
• Is part of a team which supports and improves freshwater conservation and protection efforts
• Builds strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field of freshwater in Texas
• Develops key partnerships with public and private organizations in order to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices
• Develops innovative scientific methods, analyses, tools and frameworks to address the natural system needs
• Engages local community support for local freshwater conservation efforts
• Negotiates complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities
• Develops and implements conservation strategies
• Assists in completing proposal deliverables and completing case studies
• Helps inform freshwater policy work with on-the-ground science work

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree and 5-7 years experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in freshwater in Texas
• Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes
• Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives
• Delivering 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 and other relevant languages
• Successful experience in partnership development (partners, community, government, etc); political savvy.
• Proven interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.

How to Apply

For more information and to apply, please visit www.nature.org/careers and search for job ID# 40317 in the keyword search. Deadline to apply is October 1, 2012.