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Managing Director

About Conservation Nation

Conservation Nation is a nonprofit based in Washington D.C. dedicated to helping create a thriving planet for people and wildlife sustained by an inclusive and growing network of conservationists. We have a tight focus on diversifying the conservation movement by lifting longstanding systemic barriers that have kept the wildlife conservation field too small and too homogeneous for too long. We do this by giving an equitable leg up through funding and support to wildlife conservationists from underrepresented communities and by educating and inspiring the next diverse generation of wildlife champions and leaders.

Conservation Nation has an annual operating budget of $3M and 8 dedicated and talented staff.

The CEO of Conservation Nation, Lynn Mento, will be moving to part-time in January 2025. She will become a co-CEO with her partner at Conservation Nation, Tricia Reilly, who also works part-time. They will be focused on building relationships and partnerships, strategic planning, and ideas for mission amplification.

About the Managing Director Position

Conservation Nation is seeking a Managing Director to oversee day-to-day operations, manage and support the staff, ensure successful program implementation, and work with the co-CEOs and team to build and execute successful relationships, partnerships and fundraising. This new,  full-time position is for hire for December 2024/January 2025 and reports to the two collaborative and supportive part-time co-CEOs.

The ideal candidate:

  • Has experience in wildlife conservation and/or environmental education
  • Has managed a team and led operations
  • Believes in the mission to lift barriers for a more diverse and inclusive corps of conservationists to tackle the challenges facing the planet
  • Has successful experience raising awareness and engagement with storytelling, marketing, communications, social media, and the organization’s website
  • Understands the financial workings of a nonprofit organization
  • Is optimistic, enthusiastic, creative, open to suggestions and ideas
  • Is low on ego – loves to collaborate, believes in the power of partnerships, wants all boats to rise, believes in ego-less teamwork
  • Is local to or willing to relocate to the Washington D.C. area

Job Responsibilities: 

The Managing Director will be charged with ensuring the following responsibilities are met in collaboration with an experienced, creative, and supportive staff. Candidates are encouraged to identify the areas where their expertise best aligns and where they may have room for growth.

Operations and Human Resources

  • Manage day-to-day operations, programs, fundraising, communications and the organization’s resources
  • Implement strategic and financial plans by working with senior stakeholders
  • Organize, motivate, and mentor team leaders to strategically grow the organization’s impact, programs, and fundraising, and to effectively fulfill its important mission
  • Assure that the organization makes consistent and timely progress in achieving its mission, goals, and targeted programmatic impact
  • Oversee HR processes such as hiring, separation, ongoing staff development, performance management, and compensation and benefits
  • Identify and address organizational, operational problems and design solutions with guidance from the CEOs
  • Oversee the annual audit and 990, including preparation of schedules, compliance, and response to management letter

Program oversight:

  • Help achieve our education goals of broad expansion and impact growth, with guidance on optimal resource allocations
  • Help achieve our conservationist support goals of optimal support at various stages of career paths, including the development of new programs, based on new funding

Culture: 

  • Work with the CEOs to foster an enthusiastic, imaginative, collaborative working environment, encourage professional development, recognize positive contributions, promote the values of collaboration and partnership, and champion accountability amongst staff
  • Provide thoughtful leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering
  • Model the organization’s commitment to valuing unique perspectives, identities, cultures, lived experiences, and expertise of all those in our global network, community partnerships, and team

Development/Fundraising:

  • Develop and manage fundraising work, including grants, individual gifts, sponsorships, and endowments
  • Help raise funds needed to support the education programs, the conservationist support programs, and general operating expenses
  • Joint partnership with the CEOs in various fundraising opportunities
  • Ensure maintenance and optimal use of donor and prospect files for individual, foundation, and corporate donors
  • Lead development of an appeals strategy, informed by CEOs’ insights
  • Oversee gift processing and acknowledgement, coordinate with team on tailored communications for Advisory Council, Board, and Major Donor contributions
  • Collaborate with the CEOs to engage the board and advisory council in fundraising
  • Coordinate consultants, as needed
  • Assist as needed in the preparation of grant and contract proposal submissions, budgets and reports

Marketing/communications/storytelling:

  • Ensure strong marketing, communications and storytelling to support growth
  • Guide optimized use of our social media channels and our website to drive significant growth in interest and engagement
  • Encourage regular and frequent content development and distribution
  • Oversee creation of communication pieces for donor engagement, including brochures and the annual report

Qualifications
Please know that Conservation Nation recognizes that not every candidate will bring all of the knowledge, skills and experiences listed below, and welcomes candidates with a variety of experiences.

  • Passion for the mission of Conservation Nation
  • Experience in wildlife conservation and/or environmental education
  • Minimum five years of experience serving in a leadership position
  • Record of strong operational leadership and the ability to ensure effective and efficient policies and procedures across an organization
  • A record of leading trust-based relationships with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders
  • Strong and transparent communication skills with the ability to connect with, engage, and build trust with a variety of individuals and organizations

Compensation and Benefits
The compensation band for this position is $120K – $135K with bonus potential and a generous benefits package.

How to Apply
Conservation Nation has retained the executive search firm LeaderFit to partner with them on this search. Interested candidates should upload a resume and brief cover letter here.

  

Who are you?

Are you someone who is passionate about finding support for wildlife conservation and social equity? Do you enjoy grant writing, researching, and uncovering potential sources of funds, and creatively partnering with other team members to grow program revenue and impact? Are you someone who knows how to tell a story, develop relationships, and appeal to donors? Do you love working in start-up mode, building as you go, and managing multiple priorities each day? Are you excited and passionate about building a community of support for a cause you care about?

If this is you and the opportunity sounds intriguing, we want you to learn more about us. Read on!

Who are we?

Conservation Nation is a nonprofit working to diversify the conservation movement by funding and supporting wildlife conservationists from underrepresented communities while educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. By investing in current and future leaders from underrepresented communities through education, career development, and funding, we are creating opportunities to bring more voices and more solutions to urgent biodiversity challenges for a safer and healthier planet for all.

We’re a small, fast, and nimble team of about eight people based in Washington, D.C., and the bulk of the team is in the area. We value collaboration, optimism, belonging, respect, and adaptability. We offer healthcare insurance, 401k matching, and unlimited paid time off because we respect your ability to get the work done, drive the mission forward, and take care of yourself and your family. Our targeted budget range for this role is $60,000 – $70,000. We work remotely but meet in-person at least monthly. We have an amazing group of supporters in our Board, Advisory Council, and major donors, and we have some fascinating projects underway.

We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, access to facilities and programs and general treatment during employment.

What will you do?

You will be an anchor in our fundraising work supporting the organization’s leaders. You will work closely with them with your focus on researching and uncovering foundations and potential major donors, drafting and submitting grant proposals, providing insights and guidance on the potential donors and the pitch, preparing pitch decks, following up on submitted grants, managing a grants calendar, maintaining donor information, acknowledging donor contributions, organizing small donor events, and documenting a grant’s impact for reports. You will have the chance to further define the responsibilities with us when you arrive.

What else could we possibly need from you?

2 or more years of successful grant writing experience with both foundations and government grants.

Experience with Canva, Salesforce, and Power Point a plus.

Demonstrated skills in donor research, identification, stewardship, and grants management; attention to detail; and appropriate follow-up.

Enjoy working in a small, fun, fast-paced start-up environment with multiple opportunities and new ideas to be quickly evaluated and juggled.

An affinity for and confidence in working with both potential and current donors, senior leaders on the team, the Board, and the Advisory Council.

Ability to make in-person meetings within the D.C. area, likely on a weekly basis.

We practice our belief that diverse voices bring phenomenal value to our work.

Should you need an accommodation, we welcome a discussion about how we can help you be successful in your role. 

Please share your work story with us by submitting your cover letter and resume to [email protected] even if your background is not a perfect match.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Development Manager

Who are you?

Are you someone who is passionate about finding support for wildlife conservation and social equity? Do you enjoy grant writing, researching, and uncovering potential sources of funds, and creatively partnering with other team members to grow program revenue and impact? Are you someone who knows how to tell a story, develop relationships, and appeal to donors? Do you love working in start-up mode, building as you go, and managing multiple priorities each day? Are you excited and passionate about building a community of support for a cause you care about?

If this is you and the opportunity sounds intriguing, we want you to learn more about us. Read on!

Who are we?

Conservation Nation is a nonprofit working to diversify the conservation movement by funding and supporting wildlife conservationists from underrepresented communities while educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. By investing in current and future leaders from underrepresented communities through education, career development, and funding, we are creating opportunities to bring more voices and more solutions to urgent biodiversity challenges for a safer and healthier planet for all.

We’re a small, fast, and nimble team of about eight people based in Washington, D.C., and the bulk of the team is in the area. We value collaboration, optimism, belonging, respect, and adaptability. We offer healthcare insurance, 401k matching, and unlimited paid time off because we respect your ability to get the work done, drive the mission forward, and take care of yourself and your family. Our targeted budget range for this role is $60,000 – $70,000. We work remotely but meet in-person at least monthly. We have an amazing group of supporters in our Board, Advisory Council, and major donors, and we have some fascinating projects underway.

We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, access to facilities and programs and general treatment during employment.

What will you do?

You will be an anchor in our fundraising work supporting the organization’s leaders. You will work closely with them with your focus on researching and uncovering foundations and potential major donors, drafting and submitting grant proposals, providing insights and guidance on the potential donors and the pitch, preparing pitch decks, following up on submitted grants, managing a grants calendar, maintaining donor information, acknowledging donor contributions, organizing small donor events, and documenting a grant’s impact for reports. You will have the chance to further define the responsibilities with us when you arrive.

What else could we possibly need from you?

2 or more years of successful grant writing experience with both foundations and government grants.

Experience with Canva, Salesforce, and Power Point a plus.

Demonstrated skills in donor research, identification, stewardship, and grants management; attention to detail; and appropriate follow-up.

Enjoy working in a small, fun, fast-paced start-up environment with multiple opportunities and new ideas to be quickly evaluated and juggled.

An affinity for and confidence in working with both potential and current donors, senior leaders on the team, the Board, and the Advisory Council.

Ability to make in-person meetings within the D.C. area, likely on a weekly basis.

We practice our belief that diverse voices bring phenomenal value to our work.

Should you need an accommodation, we welcome a discussion about how we can help you be successful in your role. 

Please share your work story with us by submitting your cover letter and resume to [email protected] even if your background is not a perfect match.

We look forward to hearing from you!

We practice our belief that diverse voices bring phenomenal value to our work.

Should you need an accommodation, we welcome a discussion about how we can help you be successful in your role. 

Please share your work story with us by submitting your cover letter and resume to [email protected] even if your background is not a perfect match.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Grant Writer

Who are you?

Are you someone who is passionate about finding support for wildlife conservation, planet preservation, and social equity? Do you enjoy grant writing, researching, and uncovering potential sources of funds, and creatively partnering with other team members to grow program revenue and impact? Are you someone who knows how to tell a story, develop relationships, and appeal to donors? Do you love working in start-up mode, building as you go, and managing multiple priorities each day?  Are you excited and passionate about building a community of support for a cause you care about?

If this is you and the opportunity sounds intriguing, we want you to learn more about us. Read on!

Who are we?

Conservation Nation is a new nonprofit dedicated to saving threatened wildlife by diversifying the conservation movement through supporting conservationists from underrepresented communities and educating and inspiring the next inclusive generation of wildlife champions. We’re a small, fast, and nimble team of about eight people based in Washington, D.C., and the bulk of the team is in the area. We value collaboration, optimism, belonging, respect, and adaptability. We offer healthcare insurance, 401k matching, and unlimited paid time off because we respect your ability to get the work done, drive forward the mission, and take care of yourself and your family. We work remotely but meet in person monthly and more often as COVID restrictions have been lifted. We have an amazing group of supporters on our Board, Advisory Council, and major donors, and we have some fascinating projects underway.

What will you do?

You will be an anchor in our fundraising work supporting the CEO, our partnership head, and the director of education. You will work closely with those three women with your focus on researching and uncovering foundations and potential major donors, drafting and submitting grant proposals, providing insights and guidance on the potential donors and the pitch, preparing pitch decks, following up on submitted grants, managing a grant calendar, maintaining donor information, organizing small donor events, and documenting a grant’s impact for reports. You will have the chance to further define the responsibilities with us when you arrive.

What else could we possibly need from you?

3-5 years of successful grant writing experience with both foundations and government grants. Experience with Canva, Salesforce, and PowerPoint a plus.

Demonstrated skills in donor research, identification, and grant management; attention to detail; and appropriate follow-up.

Enjoy working in a small, fun, fast-paced start-up environment with multiple opportunities and new ideas to be quickly evaluated and juggled.

An affinity for and confidence in working with both potential and current donors, senior leaders on the team, the Board, and the Advisory Council.

Ability to make in-person meetings within the D.C. area, likely on a weekly basis.

We practice our belief that diverse voices bring phenomenal value to our work. 

Should you need an accommodation, we welcome a discussion about how we can help you be successful in your role.

Please share your work story with us by submitting your cover letter and resume to [email protected] even if your background is not a perfect match.

We look forward to hearing from you!