JOB TITLE: Senior Manager, Federal Lands Campaign

CLASSIFICATION: Professional 4

SALARY: $76,000 - $79,000

FLSA: Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Landscape Conservation

LOCATION: Washington, DC

REPORTS TO: Director, Federal Lands Program

NUMBER OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT REPORT(S): none

LAST REVISED:  April 2022

POSITION SUMMARY

Defenders of Wildlife seeks a Senior Manager, Federal Lands Campaign to lead the implementation of a national campaign focused on the National Wildlife Refuge System, the only system of public lands management dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the habitats that they rely on. Working closely with diverse internal teams and external partners, the position offers the immediate opportunity to drive meaningful change in three critical areas:

• Defending refuges from threats, including industrial development and mining;
• Supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System by increasing the resources available for scientific and management priorities; and
• Expanding the System by creating new Refuges and increasing the size of existing Refuges.

Strong communication, organizational, and inter-personal skills and campaign experience are required. The Campaign Manager will lead the implementation of a campaign with integrated legislative, communications, marketing, and grassroots strategies with multiple external partners to achieve the goals outlined above.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the lead in implementing science-based, politically-savvy strategies to achieve well-defined goals that defend, support, and expand the National Refuge System and other campaigns as needed;
• Work closely with communications, government affairs, membership, and other departments within Defenders as well as numerous national and locally-based partners to execute strategies and tactics;
• Facilitate information sharing and coordination between coalition partners and allied groups and provide opportunities for complimentary tactics, strategies and messaging to achieve shared goals;
• Oversee and ensure effective execution of campaign strategy, including rapid response tactics and long-term strategies;
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously with competing timeframes;
• Distill complex issues into campaign materials for a variety of audiences, including fact sheets, reports, presentations, blogs, social media posts, etc.;
• Communicate verbally and in written format to diverse stakeholders; and
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s (B.A./B.S.) degree or equivalent

Experience: 6 years of relevant experience

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for All Defenders

KSAs for all Defenders will be linked back to the website

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for Professional 4

Administrative

1. Ability to accurately maintain electronic and physical records
2. Anticipate and meet the needs of internal and/or external stakeholders delivering excellent service

Communication

1. Ability to clearly and accurately communicate with internal and external stakeholders
2. Ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, accurately and concisely
3. Ability to convey effective messages to broad and diverse constituencies
4. Ability and willingness to effectively represent Defenders’ interests in external environments
5. Ability to exert influence and build consensus with internal and external stakeholders

Critical Thinking

1. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion
2. Strong research and data analysis skills, including ability to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to produce high quality work products in a consistent, efficient, accurate, and timely manner
3. Creative problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with willingness to experiment and innovate new methods.
4. Facilitate and promote the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies into Defenders’ work
5. Ability to independently exercise appropriate judgment in response to complex and/or fluid environments
6. Strategic thinker with the ability to take high-level strategy and translate into relatable points and action steps.

Project Management

1. Ability to work well under pressure and tight deadlines while balancing competing assignments
2. Ability to remain flexible and adaptable to shifting priorities while remaining responsive to urgent requests
3. Ability to take ownership of a project or process and to use problem solving skills to resolve issues
4. Ability to manage deadlines on multiple cross-functional projects in a dynamic environment
5. Demonstrated ability in managing competing interests on complex issues
6. Ability to independently initiate project and initiative ideas; managing projects and initiatives through to completion

Coalition and Community Engagement

1. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to form effective working relationships with diverse constituencies including federal/state agencies; elected officials and their staff; Defenders’ members and donors; private landowners; hunters and anglers; community leaders; religious, scientific, and academic communities; and /or the general public.
2. Ability to lead diverse stakeholders in collaborative activities, to anticipate policy issues impacting wildlife and make recommendations within Defenders, other organizations, and coalitions.
3. Networking skills to engage with leaders in the conservation community, federal and state agencies, NGOs, and other organizations.

Conservation Knowledge

1. Expert-level knowledge of Defenders’ legal, scientific, and/or political issues
2. Expert-level knowledge of national and regional social, political, and ecological landscapes

Leadership and Management

1. Ability to foster a team culture which models the tenets of the Commitment Statement
2. Ability to connect employees and their work to Defenders’ mission
3. Ability to set and maintain clear expectations, ensuring clarity of roles, accountabilities, and responsibilities
4. Ability to ensure that staff have the skills and support required to perform at the highest level
5. Working knowledge of Defenders’ business and people systems and processes

Visit www.defenders.org to apply.

All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their positions. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Defenders requires employees who engage in in-person work activities, including business travel or onsite work, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. An applicant (i) who is disabled or pregnant or who has a qualifying medical condition that contraindicates a COVID-19 vaccination or (ii) who objects to being vaccinated on the basis of a sincerely held religious belief, observance or practice may request an exemption from this vaccination policy. This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with applicable law. Any medical information concerning an applicant's disability will be treated as a confidential medical record in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

It is the policy of Defenders of Wildlife to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, sex national origin, ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, family/parental status, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic in all personnel actions.

Please be advised this position is union-eligible.