Carnivore Advocate

~ The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a U.S. and international environmental action organization. ~

We use law, science, and the support of 3 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our staff has helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws and many implementing regulations.

Our cases enforcing and defending federal and state environmental laws have played a major role shaping current environmental policy throughout the country. Our staff of more than 600 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy and communications experts, and others, work out of offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bozeman, and Beijing.

Position Overview

NRDC is seeking a native carnivore advocate for its Wildlife Conservation Project. The position will be based in NRDC’s office in Bozeman, Montana. This position will be responsible for providing highly effective advocacy, collaboration, and policy analysis regarding the conservation and protection of wolves, grizzly bears, and other carnivores native to the Rocky Mountain West. This work will include reducing human-carnivore conflicts, reforming carnivore management practices, and protecting imperiled carnivore populations and their habitat.

This will be a three-year position, with the hope of it becoming permanent with continued funding.

Responsibilities

• Conducting creative and successful advocacy related to the conservation and protection of native carnivores throughout the western United States;
• Collaborating with agricultural producers, conservation partners, and state and federal wildlife management officials to implement on-the-ground non-lethal conflict prevention measures;
• Securing policy reforms related to trapping, poisoning, trophy hunting, and other aspects of carnivore management;
• Providing scientific, legal, technical, and other support for carnivore-related litigation;
• Attending meetings with and testifying before local, state, and federal lawmakers and wildlife managers;
• Drafting reports, fact sheets, formal comments, op-eds, blogs, and other advocacy documents;
• Researching, discussing, and developing strong substantive expertise in scientific, technical, and legal issues relevant to western carnivore conservation;
• Communicating effectively with media professionals about carnivore issues;
• Coordinating with and enhancing the advocacy efforts of other groups working to conserve carnivores in the West, including local and regional conservation organizations, state and federal government agencies, and Native American tribes; and
• Contributing to making NRDC’s carnivore advocacy more relevant to diverse communities and interest groups.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the personal and professional skills to advance NRDC’s objectives, including:

• JD or Master’s Degree in relevant field is strongly preferred;
• 1-3 years of relevant experience, including time in a wildlife advocacy, legal, scientific, state or federal agency, or policy position;
• Ability to work with local communities, lawmakers, state and federal wildlife managers, and a diverse range of organizations on complex issues;
• Field work experience, such as installing electric fences and placing field cameras;
• Excellent speaking, writing, research, and analytical skills, including the ability to translate complex scientific information into understandable policy and media-targeted documents;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Experience working with public officials, media, and members of the public in an advocacy context;
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team setting;
• Strong interest in carnivore conservation and enthusiasm for NRDC’s mission; and
• High degree of proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

To Apply

To please click "Apply on Company Website" and upload your resume, cover letter and two writing samples (max. 10 pages each) through our online portal. Please no phone calls, emails, faxes or in-person resume drop-offs. Please reference where you saw this posting. 

If you are having technical difficulty while applying, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-866-803-9663.

~ NRDC is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. We are equal opportunity employers and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a pleasant working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with experience.~