To apply for this position please submit your resume, cover letter and writing sample through our online application system by October 17th.

The location for this position is Washington, DC.

ABOUT THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY

The Wilderness Society focuses on making America’s system of public lands part of the solution to the most pressing conservation challenges of today: climate change, unprecedented species extinction and inequitable access to nature’s benefits.

Since 1935, The Wilderness Society has been uniting people to protect America’s wild places. The Wilderness Society has led the charge to protect 111 million acres of wilderness since its founding and has directly contributed to the passage of almost every major conservation law while fighting hard against attempts to undermine them.

The Wilderness Society envisions a future where people and wild nature flourish together, meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing planet.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Wilderness Society (TWS) seeks a highly skilled individual to join our team in Washington, DC in a dual role coordinating our legislative advocacy operations and supporting The Wilderness Society President’s internal communications and external advocacy.

This position will oversee the efficient operations of TWS’ legislative advocacy work, ensure effective coordination of the Government Relations team internally and across the organization, and support priority campaigns by managing special projects, developing written advocacy materials, and directly engaging congressional offices. Additionally, the position will work closely with TWS’ President to draft internal communications to staff, develop messages to TWS board members, coordinate policy briefings, and help prepare the President for meetings with Members of Congress, the Administration, and other decision makers. This role will involve a wide range of responsibilities, including a mix of writing, administrative and coordination work, project management, and direct engagement and communication with congressional staff.

The Government Relations Specialist and Communications Specialist to the President plays an important role in supporting an inclusive organizational culture that is grounded in trust and accountability to shared goals and outcomes. TWS has made diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic priorities for the organization and this position will integrate these priorities throughout their work. For example, this individual will be expected to provide leadership in developing organization-wide and external communications that pro-actively build a stronger and more equitable organizational culture, create inclusive processes that bring all voices to the table, and support campaigns that more equitably share the benefits of public lands. Across our team, we aspire to be campaign oriented, nimble, collaborative, innovative, transparent, and supportive of staff – our greatest asset.

PRIORITY RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Effectively manage the core operations of the Government Relations team, including managing legislative tracking systems, compiling weekly team updates, tracking and overseeing the budget, and facilitating regular team meetings and collaborative projects.

· Draft key internal messages for the President and/or Executive Director for staff and TWS’ Governing Council (board) that advance TWS’ strategic goals, including our commitments to equity and the community of TWS.

· Coordinate, draft, and communicate TWS’ legislative views and vote recommendations for Capitol Hill.

· Develop and author additional talking points, communications materials, correspondence, and other advocacy materials for the President and other senior staff, partnering with policy and communications staff.

· As needed, support TWS’s direct engagement of Congress by directly engaging and educating congressional staff through emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings, and providing administrative and advocacy support for constituent lobby days

· Ensure effective coordination of the Government Relations team and the President’s Office with regional, external affairs, philanthropy, and other program staff.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience and Competencies

· Minimum 3 or more years of experience working in government, advocacy/campaigns, communications, fund-raising or related fields.

· Track record working successfully in teams representing a rich mix of talent, backgrounds, and perspectives—across race and gender.

· Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to translate complex issues succinctly and clearly for general audiences.

· Ability to communicate in the voice of leadership to staff, influential board members, partners and supporters.

· Careful attention to detail, and proven ability to manage projects and balance multiple assignments and priorities.

· Track record of taking initiative, proactively solving problems, developing ideas, and seeing them through to implementation.

· Solid understanding of federal policy and political processes preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to adverse weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position of Senior Representative and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of experience, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.

The Wilderness Society offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance; sick and vacation leave; a sabbatical program; and a retirement plan. TWS is an equal opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair treatment of our employees and constituents across culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, veteran status or sexual orientation.

As an organization, we aspire to being inclusive in the work that we do, and in the kind of organization we are. Internally this means working as a team that listens to different points of view, recognizes the contributions of every employee and empowers each employee to bring their whole selves to work every day. Externally this means ensuring that public lands are inclusive and welcoming, so that our shared wildlands can help people and nature to thrive. We are committed to equity throughout our work, which we define as our commitment to realizing the promise of our public lands and ensuring that all can share in their universal benefits.

To learn more about our commitment, please see http://wilderness.org/our-commitment-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-wilderness-society