The Nature Conservancy

Director of Science, Land Program

The Nature Conservancy

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Remote

Location: California • United States

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Salary

💰 $128,000 - $275,000 per year

Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • Develop innovative scientific ideas and products to advance the Conservancy’s mission, including by leveraging the platform provided by TNC California’s conservation estate.
  • Maintain, strengthen, and leverage a network of external scientific collaborators in academia, government, for-profit and non-profit sectors to deliver the science needed to advance the Conservancy’s conservation strategies.
  • Foster partnerships with a high degree of professionalism, interpersonal skills and awareness of partner differences.
  • Work collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams, and support program objectives by working in a matrixed organization environment.
  • Support development of clear strategic theories of change, and the internal systems to adaptively manage implementation and refinement of those plans.
  • Persuasively represent TNC externally as a terrestrial conservation science expert.
  • Deliver tools, biodiversity data, field services and training for staff and partners.
  • Provide guidance and support for research, project development, and monitoring, including research conducted by partners, contractors, and grantees.
  • Design and implement field surveys, experiments, and assessments.
  • Draft project reports, manuscripts for scientific publication, and other science products, and oversee product development for direct reports.
  • Develop and manage grants or contracts and write requests for proposals.
  • Co-develop budgets and track spending.
  • Work across geographic and ecosystem boundaries in California and collaborate with the science community to enhance the conservation practices of others to further TNC California’s reputation as a global leader in conservation science.
  • Manage science staff and have responsibility for performance management and professional development.
  • Work collaboratively to develop strategies internally and externally.
  • Persuasively convey verbally and in writing the mission of TNC to diverse groups including senior leaders, donors, board members, business leaders, and elected officials.
  • Ability to travel 25-50% of the time, varying seasonally, in the US and/or internationally and may work in variable weather conditions at remote locations, hazardous terrain and/or under physically demanding circumstances.

Requirements

  • PhD in science-related field and 8 years related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Supervisory experience, including motivating, coaching, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
  • Experience conducting original research and publishing in peer reviewed scientific journals.
  • Excellent writing and communication skills.
  • Experience building relationships and collaborating successfully with a broad array of people.
  • Experience fundraising and/or writing grants and research proposals.
  • Experience designing, organizing and directing multiple complex projects of strategic importance and leading multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Experience synthesizing and integrating research findings and lessons learned into conservation strategy.
  • Experience communicating and presenting effectively to senior management.
  • Ability to network extensively in scientific communities and maintain strong relationships.
  • Experience working on socio-ecological, political, and conservation issues in California.
  • Experience with systematic conservation planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
  • Experience leading and participating in coalitions that have successfully led to multi-benefit outcomes.
  • Demonstrated leadership and visionary qualities and ability to work effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically-dispersed organization.
Benefits
  • Health care benefits
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match
  • Parental leave
  • Accrued paid time off
  • Life insurance
  • Disability coverage
  • Employee assistance program
  • Other life and work well-being benefits
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
PhD in science-related fieldoriginal researchpublishing in peer reviewed scientific journalsgrant writingproject managementsystematic conservation planningmonitoringevaluationfield surveysdata analysis
Soft Skills
interpersonal skillscollaborationleadershipcoachingcommunicationnetworkingrelationship buildingstrategic thinkingperformance managementprofessional development