Conservation Director

~ The Wilderness Workshop’s mission is to protect and conserve the wilderness and natural resources of the Roaring Fork Watershed, the White River National Forest, and adjacent public lands.  ~

Wilderness Workshop (WW) is a non-profit organization that engages in research, education, legal advocacy and grassroots organizing to protect the ecological integrity of local landscapes and public lands. We focus on the monitoring and conservation of air and water quality, wildlife species and habitat, natural communities and lands of wilderness quality.

Position Overview

In fulfillment of WW’s mission, the Conservation Director (CD) develops, leads and implements WW conservation program in partnership with the Executive Director and other program staff. The CD is responsible for implementing WW’s forest, restoration, aquatic, responsible recreation, and wilderness programs. This program list may evolve over time or change depending on the skillset of the CD and the fluid nature of threats to our public lands. The CD collaborates with other staff to choose the specific conservation goals and projects undertaken by WW. The CD is responsible for ensuring policy consistency in WW’s Community Programs.

Responsibilities

• In collaboration with Executive Director and program staff (currently the Staff Attorney and the Community Organizer), develop, direct, implement, and coordinate WW’s conservation programs, strategies, campaigns, and actions.
• Participate in land management decisions and processes in support of WW’s conservation goals, including drafting NEPA comments, filing administrative appeals and driving public comments and advocacy.
• Empower and enable WW’s membership, grassroots, and grasstops to engage in advocacy in support of conservation program goals.
• Engage and educate members of congress, public land management agency staff, and other decision makers in support of WW’s conservation program goals.
  Communicate and advocate WW’s conservation goals and issues to members, the public, press, and important decision makers.
• Track national public lands issues that may affect WW’s work or are of outsized importance to public lands conservation; serve as a spokesperson on these issues.
• Direct Capital Watch, WW’s national conservation education and advocacy program.
• Assist with fundraising efforts as needed and work closely with WW’s Development Director and Executive Director to develop and plan community and fundraising events.
• Oversee WW’s Community Programs: Hike Series and Naturalist Nights.
• Direct WW’s Internship and Restoration Programs.
• Support the Community Organizer in running WW’s Latino Outreach Program, Defiende.
• Strategically partner with sister environmental organizations, recreational user-groups, outdoor brands, non-traditional allies, land management agencies, and elected officials to fulfill WW’s conservation program goals.
• Integrate and leverage WW’s conservation goals with parallel efforts in the local, state, and national conservation community.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Deep passion for and connection with wilderness and public lands.
• Undergraduate and/or graduate degree in applicable field.
• Minimum three to five years of relevant work experience in policy, advocacy or environmental fields.
• In-depth knowledge of western public lands history/policy, ecosystem protection, resource management, and conservation biology.
• Experience with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Excellent writing, public speaking & presentation skills.
• Ability to represent the organization in front of members of congress, agency staff, other decision makers, the press and public.
• Self-motivated and ability to work outside of a highly structured work environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to quickly interpret and respond to others emotions, opinions and statements.
• Ability to read a map and safely navigate challenging backcountry conditions.
• Computer literate.
• Experience with grassroots, non-profit environmental advocacy.
• Sense of humor.

Strongly preferred:

• Graduate degree or expertise in natural science, political science, public policy or law.
• Experience in a political office or running political or advocacy campaigns.
• In depth experience with NEPA including drafting comments, analyzing EAs and EISs, and filing administrative appeals.
• GIS mapping experience.
• Social media proficiency.

Compensation: Competitive salary dependent upon experience. Benefits package includes sabbatical policy, health insurance stipend, wellness days, and Simple IRA contributions.

Additional Information

Applicants should want to live in a small mountain town on the west slope of Colorado, engage in meaningful public lands conservation work at the local state and national level, wear flip-flops or ski-boots to work, and help direct and shape the future of public land conservation on the West Slope of Colorado. We’re a smaller, nimble organization that takes our mission to heart and our work very seriously. While we engage in national issues (think the Methane and Roadless Rules) our bread and butter is keeping the local backcountry wild – field trips required.

Our strong relationships with local land managers allow us to continue making real progress even with a hostile Congress and Trump administration. Our partnerships with state and national groups, plus a stable and growing donor base, allow us to punch above our weight in the fight to protect our public lands.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload a cover letter, C.V. / resume, 3 persuasive writing samples, and a list of 3 references. No phone inquires.