Location: Remote in southern Nevada

To apply: Please submit resume & cover letter via online application by March 19th at https://www.wilderness.org/careers-internships

General Description

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

with diverse partners to find common ground around enduring, science-based conservation solutions, combining long term investments in community-led conservation, deep public lands expertise, and commitment to advocacy efforts that share voice, power, and impact.

The Community Conservation Specialist will assist in developing and implementing the Mojave Desert priority landscape program which includes parts of southern California, southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and southeast Utah. The role includes building TWS’s leadership and relationships in the Mojave Desert landscape, developing coalitions of community and conservation partners, decision makers, individuals, and government leaders; advancing community-identified priorities; and coordinating with both internal TWS teams and external partners. The successful candidate will collaboratively develop and implement equitable strategies in the Mojave Desert that advance our efforts to protect U.S. lands and waters across the Mojave Desert landscape, to achieve net zero fossil fuel emissions from federal public lands, to ensure that all people the U.S. benefit equitably from public lands, to energize a critical mass of people reflecting America’s diversity take action to protect wilderness and public lands, and to secure full funding for the conservation, restoration, and protection of public lands at all levels. Through these strategies, the Community Conservation Specialist will help to improve the resilience of communities, lands, waters, and biodiversity to climate change through strategies that incorporate science, Traditional Knowledge, and long-term community partnerships in place-based plans and work.

This position 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 the Community Conservation Specialist will integrate these priorities throughout our conservation work. Across our team, we aspire to be campaign oriented, nimble, collaborative, innovative, transparent, and supportive of staff – our greatest asset.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

· Ensure TWS’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is part of all of our work in the landscape, including having equity embedded into the development and implementation of our landscape goals. This includes early and effective engagement with BIPOC partners and, when possible, elevating communities that have been historically marginalized.

· Build community support for TWS’s collective impact results, consistent with our Vision, Mission, Values, Priorities, and Theory of Change.

· Play various roles within coalitions depending on need, at times leading, facilitating, supporting, or contributing in other ways while demonstrating a belief that no task is too big or too small.

· Build and strengthen relationships with a wide variety of community and landscape partners including rural individuals, organizations, elected officials, sovereign Tribal Nations and indigenous organizations, federal/ state agency staff, businesses, public land user groups and others.

· Prepare written and visual materials such as fact sheets, news releases, and action alerts that demonstrate the importance of community-based conservation to the health, economic vitality, and quality of life for the people living in Mojave Desert communities.

· Represent TWS in public land management processes relevant to TWS Strategic Plan Results such as BLM Resource Management Plan Revisions, renewable energy siting and other processes as needed.

· Assist in building the landscape work to define the short- and long-term conservation goals and objectives using TWS’s results-based models.

· Travel as needed in support of mission-critical activities (expected to be irregular, but up to 3-4 days per month on average) to gain first-hand knowledge of public lands and develop relationships with partners and key stakeholders throughout the landscape

· Coordinate closely with and participate in cross-functional, multi-disciplinary TWS internal teams to develop and implement equitable landscape conservation strategies that deliver outcomes tied to TWS Strategic Plan Results. Cross-functional teams will include staff with expertise in science, communications, government relations, philanthropy, and conservation.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience & Competencies

· Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in advocacy, public policy, grassroots organizing, or conservation.

· Proven ability to provide long-term vision effectively moving community-led conservation forward, including how to build durable, inclusive, diverse, and equitable coalitions.

· Outstanding track record of working respectfully, transparently, and successfully in teams representing a rich mix of talent, backgrounds, and perspectives—across race, gender and other identities.

· Strong writing and interpersonal communication skills, including ability to develop strategic and organized communications.

· Excellent analytical and communication skills, ability to write and speak concisely and persuasively, proficiency in communicating with the public and media professionals.

· Must be able to manage projects and work effectively in a team environment, with the ability to aptly balance short- and long-term demands

· History of thinking creatively in terms of strategic planning, coalition building and problem solving.

· Track record of building relationships with decision makers and political savviness

· Solid experience participating in and coordinating campaigns in conservation, social justice or other political oriented fields.

· Familiarity with federal agency land use planning and public participation processes as well as basic legislative processes.

Desired Characteristics

· Existing knowledge and relationships with partners (agencies, NGO, decision makers, tribal) across the Mojave Desert and understanding of their work and priorities.

· Support for The Wilderness Society’s mission.

· Outstanding interpersonal skills.

· Enthusiastic and self-motivated.

· Enthusiastic about staying informed on national and landscape public lands issues

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; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. 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 this position 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.

TWS has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all staff reporting to a TWS office or engaging in in-person work meetings. There is an exception to the vaccine mandate for any staff who have an objection because of a medical or religious reason. We will do our best to devise reasonable accommodation that respects your objection while balancing the competing demands of your specific position.

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