Managing Director, Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River

  • National Wildlife Federation
  • This is a remote position that can be based in the watershed states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
  • Aug 17, 2020
Full time Nonprofit-Social Services

Job Description

The Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River (AWE, Alliance, or network) seeks a full-time Managing Director to provide leadership and coordination across the Alliance, including facilitating and coordinating the day-to-day activities and strategic direction of an ever-changing and adapting network of twenty-three partnering environmental education centers in the Delaware River Watershed.

We seek a solutions-focused relationship-builder who is experienced in working in the unique collaborative network context and who can lead from behind, and always within the frame of equity.

The ideal Managing Director will:

  • Be an active listener who brings interpersonal awareness and empathy to all interactions.
  • Value diversity and associated equity and justice outcomes.
  • Build trust through intentional relationship-building, identifying connections, and communicating consistently and effectively.
  • Actively build community and encourage action within the network.
  • Take initiative by identifying what needs to be done before the situation requires it.
  • Inspire and influence members around a shared vision.
  • Bring attention to detail across all areas of work.
  • Diligently solve problems and suggest thoughtful, workable solutions.
  • Seek perspectives, notice trends, and develop contingency plans.
  • Bring an openness and a willingness to pivot to another procedure, structure, or solution.

If this sounds like you, please read on.

In this position you will:

  • Work with the Steering Committee to develop, advance, and execute Alliance strategies and goals, in accordance with an existing strategic framework.
  • Provide strategic guidance and direction to the Steering Committee, in line with Alliance goals.
  • Work with the Steering Committee and Work Groups to keep AWE’s mission and goals as the main focus, providing guidance toward the network’s efforts.
  • Provide full-scale meeting planning and support for Alliance-wide meetings, including developing agendas that support relevant and emergent topics, facilitating meetings, capturing takeaways, communicating outcomes and next steps to appropriate parties.
  • Oversee the Alliance’s internal grantmaking process to ensure projects and awarded grants are in support of the advancement of the Alliance’s defined goals.
  • Act as a center-point for the Alliance by creating synergy across groups and guidance of staff to ensure that work is geared toward achieving the Alliance’s defined outcomes.
  • Support Work Group interaction and integration, with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work, the Fellowship Program, and sharing or creating training and tools.
  • Facilitate the development of annual work plans by Work Groups, and monitor progress to assess, manage, and resolve conflicts and natural tensions as they arise.
  • Connect with Alliance Centers and members to understand their programs, aspirations/priorities and capacity to contribute to the Alliance as a whole.
  • Maintain sightlines into AWE’s programs and budgets, resources, assets, work completed by staff and consultants, in an effort to retain a systemic/holistic view of the Alliance's operations.
  • Create engagement with external stakeholders and alliances to advance the goals of the Alliance through strategic partnerships.
  • Engage frequently and regularly with other Alliance staff to support listening, collaboration, learning, and improved communication.

Qualities we’re looking for include:

  • Proven ability to facilitate complex groups with similar but varying interests to reach consensus and follow through on action steps.
  • Strong organizational and time-management skills.
  • Clear, confident, and thorough communications style.
  • Attributes reflective of an experienced professional including reliable, thorough, deliberate, flexible, responsive, nimble, and patient.
  • Ability to balance long-term projects and priorities with short-term needs.
  • Demonstrated cultural humility and awareness of power differences; practiced in working with persons of various social, cultural, economic, political and educational backgrounds.
  • Proven ability to create structures and break-down barriers to bring like-minded organizations together for shared learning, networking, capacity building, cause-related marketing, and to stand together to meet community challenges.

 Requirements:

  • A combination of relevant work experience and education to successfully perform the responsibilities outlined in this description.
  • Proficiency in using virtual meeting platforms and in hosting and running virtual meetings
  • A commitment to continued professional learning and growth.
  • Passion about AWE’s work and the environmental outcomes of the collective work of the network.
  • Experience in environmental education, and specifically watershed education, is a plus but not required.
  • Access to a functional work space. This is a full-time, remote position that can be based in the watershed states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
  • Availability for occasional evening and weekend work.
  • Regularly planned day-trip travel and occasional overnight travel within the watershed to visit education centers and to connect with members across the watershed, including Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A valid driver’s license is required.
  • The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the fiscal and staffing agent for this position.
  • Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.

Compensation:

The salary range of $80,000 – $90,000 and is dependent upon experience and qualifications. Please note that we will not offer or negotiate an initial salary above this range for this position. We ask that candidates consider this before applying. This is a full-time, exempt position.

 The National Wildlife Federation values work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere. Our paid time-off includes 3 weeks of vacation leave, 10 days of wellbeing leave, 10 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, a week-long winter break, and additional leave options, per year. In addition, our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, 16 weeks of paid FMLA leave, 403b retirement plan with employer matching and annual contribution, adoption benefits, and flexible work options including telecommuting, non-traditional work hours, and compressed work weeks. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

Application:

  • Please submit a resume and cover letter.
  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • If you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we support your application.
  • If you would like to request accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please call 703-438-6244.
  • If selected, a background check will be conducted in line with an offer of employment.

About the Alliance for Watershed Education:

The Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River (AWE) is comprised of 23 environmental education centers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Delaware River is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, and its watershed stretches all the way into upstate New York, providing clean drinking water for more than 15 million people – that’s nearly 5% of the entire United States’ population! The Delaware River watershed provides important ecological habitats to a multitude of species, and provides recreation for cyclists, hikers, paddlers and other outdoor enthusiasts. The 23 education centers in the Alliance share a mission to collectively increase and enhance constituent appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of the Delaware River watershed.

AWE is comprised of a dedicated and passionate group of educators and conservationists, committed to fostering a safer place to live, and to leaving the world better than we found it. This includes socially responsible practices toward a healthier natural environment, especially for those who have been subjugated and oppressed for far too long. AWE has taken steps to provide space for dialogue on this issue among our member centers, Watershed Fellows, and stakeholders to strengthen and grow our work in this area; as such, AWE and its art team have created statements of solidarity to stand with the communities that have been oppressed.

About the National Wildlife Federation:

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF or Federation) is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.  The Federation's mission is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

NWF strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

Occupations

Environmental Protection-Conservation

URL

www.nwf.org

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