California Executive Director

The Nature Conservancy

full-time

Posted on: 8/14/2025

Origin: • 🇺🇸 United States • California

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💰 $310,000 - $350,000 per year

Lead

About the role

Lead the California program as the senior leader and conservation strategist for a large, complex business unit in The Nature Conservancy.
Hybrid position located preferably in Sacramento, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
Focus on fundraising, driving innovation, and people management; lead a team across conservation, science, policy, fundraising, finance and operations.
Collaborate with peers across the Pacific Division in a leadership team that shapes strategy, development, and execution of cross-boundary efforts within the division and globally, including financial and/or human resources.
California program has protected 1.4 million acres, 5,000 miles of streams, and 3.8 million acres of ocean habitat; aims to increase pace, scale, and effectiveness of conservation.
Serve as primary spokesperson for TNC in California to internal and external audiences, including donors, media, government agencies and staff.
Lead fundraising collaboration with global philanthropy team and executives to raise transformational gifts for TNC’s work.
Approximately five direct reports and 300 staff; budget of $100 million; six offices across the state.
Routine travel up to 40% across California, Pacific region, nationally and globally.

Bachelor's or Graduate degree (preferred) in business, law, natural resource management or other relevant field and 10-12 years of senior level experience with an international conservation organization, or equivalent combination.
Experience in leading and managing a large multi-disciplinary team, including managing senior level leaders.
Experience in evaluating and/or negotiating complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
Experience working with the politics, society and environmental community of California and the Pacific.
Experience communicating with and presenting to diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.
Experience in fundraising, including cultivation of major donors.
Multi-lingual skills and/or multi-cultural experience appreciated.
Proven experience to engage, motivate, lead, set objectives for a team of professionals.
Ability to foster an environment of creativity and professional growth in a complex, multi-cultural environment.
Excellent contacts throughout the state.
Experience dealing with challenges, identifying important issues and conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
Superb communication and presentation skills; ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC programs and priorities to diverse groups, including donors, partners, Board members and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity.