Deputy Director, HECHO

Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) was created in 2013 to help fulfill our duty to conserve and protect our public lands for future generations. In 2017, HECHO became a program of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) through a unique and mutually beneficial partnership built upon values of inclusion and equity and a commitment to elevating underrepresented perspectives as part of our conservation missions.

HECHO provides a platform for Hispanics to contribute knowledge and perspectives about public lands conservation issues, enhance leadership capacity of Hispanic leaders, and promote Hispanic cultural heritage and connections to nature. While our focus is on the conservation of public lands in the American Southwest, our work has a national scope and impact. To help achieve our mission of empowering Hispanic leaders to engage their communities in the conservation of our nation’s public lands, we are seeking a Deputy Director to be based in Denver, Colorado. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join a flourishing and in-demand program. The time is now for HECHO to expand its reach, influence, and impact by ensuring Hispanic leaders in targeted geographies have the resources they need to drive equitable and enduring public lands conservation wins and Hispanic voices are front and center in public lands decision-making and advocacy. At this pivotal point in HECHO’s growth, to achieve impact at scale, we seek a leader that can direct HECHO’s critical organizational and operational needs in support of growing programmatic work.

Reporting to the HECHO Executive Director, the HECHO Deputy Director will assist the Executive Director in implementing HECHO’s strategic roadmap, and where appropriate implement new processes and approaches to achieve it. They will work with the Executive Director, NWF Operations, and Philanthropy staff to diversify and grow HECHO’s revenue streams while effectively managing systems that maintain efficient operations and build synergies between HECHO and NWF. This full-time position will drive efforts to diversify HECHO’s raised revenue sources and assist HECHO’s Executive Director in the operations of the program, and will be a direct supervisor of several staff.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the implementation of HECHO’s development and fundraising plan by working closely with the Executive Director, HECHO staff, and NWF Philanthropy staff to build revenues from individual donors, businesses, foundations, and other funding sources. This includes:
  • Cultivating, developing, and deepening relationships with people and institutions, and connecting those relationships to opportunities for giving through gifts of “time, talent, and/or treasure.”
  • Managing communications with individual supporters and institutional partners, including working with HECHO staff to develop and implement a year-round outreach plan to consistently raise awareness about HECHO and connect to HECHO’s supporters and partners.
  • Managing the production of annual appeals, donor appreciation outreach, and impact reports.
  • Supporting and guiding HECHO Advisory Board members involved in soliciting gifts.
  • Acting as a liaison between the NWF Philanthropy Department and HECHO, collaborating to advance donor prospecting and research, and tracking donors in a database.
  • Taking ownership for writing compelling letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports for grants and other funding opportunities.
• Serve as the lead person assuring efficient operation and administration of the HECHO program. This includes:
  • Ensuring the management of HECHO operations, including communicating policies and expectations to staff and day-to-day administration (contracts, invoices, expense reporting, etc.).
  • With NWF Operations and Philanthropy, ensure HECHO properly reports and administers its existing and new grants.
• Provide support to the Executive Director as an internal leader by:
  • Managing HECHO recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention.
  • Coordinating day-to-day staff management and development with HECHO Executive Director.
  • Assisting in the performance management process to develop annual workplans and measuring progress against goals.
• Support the Executive Director in communications with donors, partners, and funders, including drafting and reviewing messaging, coordinating follow-up, and creating an outreach calendar.
• Be conversant in HECHO’s mission, programs, and approach to engage external audiences, and to serve as a primary ambassador of the HECHO program.
• Build collaborative relationships with partner programs and organizations to create strategic funding and programmatic alignments when possible.
• Contribute to an organization culture that values collaboration, learning, equity, and meaningful change.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience with non-profit management, operations and/or fundraising experience.  
• A passion for and/or understanding of public land conservation and commitment to access, inclusion, and representation on public lands and in their management.
• Motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized.
• Committed to an environmental justice approach in program development and partner engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to manage financials and create budgets successfully.
• Excellent writing and research skills, and ability to produce and edit work appropriate for external audiences with little oversight.
• Proven success in cultivating and deepening relationships with people and institutions.
• Authentic, effective, and professional interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage across difference.
• Familiarity with Hispanic cultural heritage; fluency in Spanish is a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a multiple-task work environment, work independently with minimal supervision, set priorities and follow through to completion, with excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively with colleagues across geographies and time zones.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; post-graduate degree and/or relevant work experience desirable.

Experience:

• Previous experience in non-profit fundraising, including writing letters of inquiry, grant proposals, and/or grant reports.
• Financial management and budgeting experience.
• Ability to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate effectively and efficiently with both internal multi-disciplinary teams and external partners to achieve results.
• Experience managing simultaneous work streams and tracking deliverables, through various organization systems and work flow processes.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to establish priorities and manage activities independently.
• Demonstrated knowledge of diverse cultural and historical connections to the land, air, and water, and ability to share that knowledge in a culturally responsive way.

NWF and HECHO Values:

Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.  Your competencies should include:

• Being motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized;
• Consistently bringing a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions;
• Being committed to deepening an environmental justice approach in policy priorities, program development and partner engagement;
• Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them;
• Being dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work; and
• Passion for and commitment to NWF's and HECHO’s mission.

Travel Requirements:

This position requires in-person travel across the West and to D.C. and can anticipate 4-6 trips per year, 12-15 nights per year, in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidance. 

Location and Work Mode:

This position is based in the Denver area with expectation for location in the Denver office. The National Wildlife Federation is committed to a flexible and empowered work environment with an authentic community of care for all staff. In this position, the employee may work in the office or in a hybrid manner, to be decided jointly with their supervisor in the final stages of the interview process.

About 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 science-based 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.

Salary Range and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $85,000-$95,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

We are proud of our designation by Mogul as a Top 100 Workplace with the Best Benefits in 2021!  We value work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere with flexible scheduling.  We want you to be able to integrate work and personal life with attention to your self-care, so that your work schedule is not depleting.  We offer benefits so you feel restored and fueled through the day and week.

We offer these supports to help manage your mental, emotional, and physical health: 

• Paid time off: Vacation that starts off at three weeks accrual, unlimited wellbeing (this time can be used for physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, religious or financial wellbeing for yourself, a partner, or family member – including pets), 10 holidays, and 3 floating holidays
• We close down for a paid winter break between December 25 to January 1 to recognize end of-year stress, and time for reflection, rejuvenation, and spending time with family.
• Up to 16 weeks of fully paid Family and Medical Leave
• Low-cost health, dental, and vision insurance options – all outpatient mental health is covered at in-network rates
• Therapist available at no cost
• Pet insurance and discount perk program
• Annual wellbeing allowance

In addition to your salary, we offer the following supports to your personal finances:

• Retirement plan with immediate match and vesting
• Annual year end retirement contribution
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Adoption and Surrogacy assistance
• Pet adoption stipend
• Student Loan management

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

COVID Consideration:

The National Wildlife Federation closely follows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease and has implemented processes that promote the safety of our employees, candidates, and communities. Because the health of our employees and candidates is a top priority, we conduct our hiring process virtually via phone or video until further notice. We are currently starting our positions as remote, and are continuing to explore what our future of work will be moving forward. Proof of vaccination will be required to join the National Wildlife Federation.

Application:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please submit your resume, along with a letter responding to the following, as a PDF:

1. Why is HECHO’s mission of interest to you?
2. Describe a time when you designed and led a project to successful completion.
3. Describe a successful individual or institutional donor fundraising campaign with which you have been involved or provided a leadership role.

We strive 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 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.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules.  Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings.  Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence.  Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application or interview process by reaching us at hrhelp@nwf.org  or 703-438-6244.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.