Regional Executive Director Northern Rockies, Prairies & Pacific Region

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. The National Wildlife Federation believes that in order to save wildlife and ourselves, we need to ensure that everyone in America has clean air and water, safe communities, easy and equitable access to the daily benefits of nature, and protection from the ravages of climate change. These basic needs, equally necessary and urgent for all people, are foundational to bringing the conservation movement and ethos into the 21st century.

Our organization operates from offices across the country, including our headquarters in Reston, Virginia; a National Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C.; and seven regional centers. The Federation also works with our 53 state and territory affiliates—autonomous, nonprofit organizations that take the lead in state and local conservation efforts and collaborate with the National Wildlife Federation to conduct grassroots activities on national issues. 

Through conservation policy oversight, program development, fundraising, collaboration and personnel management, the Regional Executive Director (RED) provides organizational leadership in the Northern Rockies, Prairies and Pacific Region. The RED collaborates with affiliate partners and other organizations within the region in support of the National Wildlife Federation's strategic plan (A Common Agenda for Wildlife) and our Equity and Justice Strategic Plan. The RED strategically engages NWF Board members and collaborates with regional center staff to help identify and cultivate potential new leaders for NWF. 

The RED reports to the Chief Program Officer and works collaboratively with other senior leaders to advance the strategic direction of the organization. This position may be based in Missoula, MT or Seattle, WA. Please Note: Due to COVID-19 all employees are working remotely until we make return to work decisions.  

About Our Region:

The Northern Rockies, Prairies & Pacific Region spans a large and diverse geographic landscape across the states of Alaska, Hawai’i, Oregon, Washington and California in the Pacific; Montana and Idaho in the Rockies; and North and South Dakota in the Great Plains. Our work is based out of two primary offices, in Missoula and Seattle, and a smaller office near Portland, Oregon.

Our regional team has proven its commitment to wildlife and people by advancing landscape-scale conservation through four decades of successful campaigns to protect grizzly bears, restore bison on public and Tribal lands, secure safe habitat for bighorn sheep, and fight for runs of wild salmon. Working closely with our affiliates, Tribal/Native/Indigenous entities and other conservation and community partners, our programs help expand Monarch migration pathways, restore beavers for riparian health, expand protection for Native Hawaiian seabirds, and connect children and families with nature, and more. Some of our conservation programs extend beyond our region, including work on western water, wildlife habitat connectivity, and youth and adult education. Details on these and other program priorities can be found on our regional website: https://www.nwf.org/Northern-Rockies-and-Pacific-Region.

Principal Duties of the Regional Executive Director:

The RED is accountable for developing and implementing programs and strategies that enable the National Wildlife Federation to achieve outcomes articulated in our Strategic and Equity and Justice Plans and serves as an important “face and voice” for the organization in the Northern Rockies, Prairies & Pacific Region. 

Additionally, the RED:

• Provides organizational leadership, program development, and targeted campaign management that effectively advances our mission and objectives;
• Fosters an inclusive, and collaborative workplace culture that supports staff in functioning as a highly integrated and effective team across a geographically diverse, highly matrixed organization;
• Achieves the organization’s regional philanthropic and fundraising goals by working with staff to engage current and potential funders, individuals, foundations, and corporations to support our work;
• Manages the Regional Center’s budget and stewards the organization’s financial resources;
• Builds and maintains authentic relationships with political, affiliate, business, education, indigenous, governmental and community leaders with a diverse and representative range of group identities;
• Demonstrates a personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity and justice within the organization and in external program delivery, partnerships, and communications;
• Advances the National Wildlife Federation's long-term conservation goals as well as our values of collaboration, empowerment, inclusivity, mindfulness, and mission-focused work.

Qualifications:

Strong candidates for this position will bring experience in organizational leadership, including demonstrated proficiency in personnel management, teambuilding and delegation; strategic planning and program implementation; conservation advocacy and policy advancement; developing and engaging partners from diverse communities; non-profit fundraising, and working with non-profit boards, government and Tribal agencies, and corporate entities. These proficiencies are typically consistent with approximately ten years of professional experience.

Conservation Policy, Advocacy and Implementation

• Familiar with fundamental conservation principles and practices, with educational background and/or professional expertise in conservation, environmental justice or a related field
• Comfortable leading and participating in advocacy campaigns and activities, including public speaking and press interviews as well as written communications
• Shows insights about diverse tools to achieve conservation goals, including advocacy, education/outreach, and direct work on the ground (implementation); able to help staff prioritize which tools are appropriate given different opportunities.
• Exhibits insights about how diverse program activities can be integrated for long-term conservation success

Fundraising and Fiscal Accountability:

• Demonstrates proficiency and success in cultivating donor relationships, soliciting gifts and stewarding ongoing support from new and existing major donors, in cooperation with philanthropy staff
• A track record of foundation and corporate fundraising success
• Familiar with successful approaches to expand support though events, digital format fundraising and one-on-one engagement

Desired Leadership Competencies:

Self-Awareness & Learning

• Exhibits a commitment to continuous learning and growth and models this approach with others
• Dedicated to deepening understanding of cultural and systemic racism and the intersectionality of multiple forms of social inequality
• Demonstrates awareness of positional power and privilege (both personally and professionally) and its attendant impacts
• Consistently brings a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions

 Authentic Relationships & Community Partnerships

• Maintains a sophisticated understanding of how group dynamics impact supervisory relationships, organizational culture, partnerships, campaigns and coalition work
• Demonstrates capacity to maintain relationships across difference and create greater psychological safety in the workplace
• Acknowledges when mistakes are made and harm is done; works to repair breaches in relationships
• Openly holds space, and invites others into conversations during sensitive engagements, exhibiting a responsible and respectful demeanor with colleagues and partners
• Demonstrates inclusive leadership through collaboration, active listening skills and authentic team building abilities
• Seeks to build authentic community partnerships, encouraging diverse approaches to advocacy

 Direct Communication

• Exhibits strong interpersonal skills rooted in teamwork, diplomacy, and respect
• Provides clear and direct communication with colleagues
• Strives to match intent and impact in all interactions
• Works proactively to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings toward restorative solutions; attends to conflicts as opportunities for learning and growth

Supervision & Power Sharing 

• Supports the leadership, success, and professional development of staff members, with a commitment to utilizing power to ensure equitable access and opportunities for staff of color and with other marginalized identities
• Consistently provides positive and developmental feedback to support growth of team members
• Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them
• Intentionally shares power through decision-making, clear definition of roles and responsibilities, effective delegation, and equitable access to resources

Innovation

• Actively seeks new solutions to persistent problems by engaging a diversity of perspectives and experiences
• Practices both/and thinking and the ability to accept ambiguity
• Demonstrates willingness to take risks, pilot new approaches, learn from failure, and continually improve efforts

Equity Analysis & Action:

• Motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized
• Committed to deepening an environmental justice approach in policy priorities, program development and partner engagement
• Demonstrates awareness of the attributes associated with a white dominant culture and takes actions to dismantle hierarchies of oppression within that culture
• Dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work

Travel:

Once safe travel resumes, extensive travel throughout the region and to national meetings will be required. Anticipate 5-8 days every month, 30-60 nights per year.

Compensation and Benefits:

The starting salary for this position is $130,000 annual salary, and is based upon a wage analysis across the organization. The National Wildlife Federation values work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere.  Our paid time-off includes 3 weeks of vacation leave, open 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:

Candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

The National Wildlife Federation is committed to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice 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, 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. 

If you have a disability and require an accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 703-438-6244.

The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and if you have 75% of the qualifications listed we encourage you to apply.  Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted through July 9th.

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

www.nwf.org