Atlantic Region Program Manager

LightHawk, a nonprofit environmental aviation organization operating in North and Central America, is seeking a Atlantic Region Program Manager to support our conservation efforts in LightHawk’s Atlantic Region, which stretches from the Atlantic coast to areas east of the Mississippi River, as well as Gulf of Mexico coastal areas.  

LightHawk is a nonprofit environmental aviation organization. As such, we are an unusual hybrid: our mission is environmental but our specialty is using aviation to catalyze positive change. Founded in 1979, we are the largest and oldest volunteer-based environmental aviation organization in North America. We have completed thousands of flight missions involving over 1000 donated flights each year for hundreds of Conservation Partner organizations.

LightHawk is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Colorado. Although our logistical headquarters is in Lander, Wyoming, we are a virtual organization and employ field staff throughout our areas of operation:

• Rockies: Rocky Mountain states and provinces and the Great Plains
• Pacific: states and provinces bordering the Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic: states and provinces east of the Mississippi River, plus Gulf of Mexico coastal areas
• Mesoamerica: Mexico and Central America

Position Overview:

Who Should Apply:

We are looking for an experienced conservation professional (3+ years) with a strong understanding of regional and national environmental issues, and connections within the environmental and funding communities. This is a challenging, but extremely rewarding position, which requires a high degree of self-motivation, teamwork, a sense of humor, and attention to details.

The right person for this job will have a “can-do” attitude, a professional and friendly presence in person and over the phone, a passion for getting the details right, and good follow-through on commitments.  If you are that person, you have already demonstrated the ability to work independently with minimum supervision, and set priorities when faced with multiple deadlines. You are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, including occasional work during evenings and weekends, as needed. You have the writing skills of an investigative journalist, and a passion for protecting our planet.

If you have these qualifications, also having a pilot’s license or related experience with flight operations and general aviation will be a strong plus.

Where is the Job Located?

This is a full-time, salaried position for applicants living within LightHawk's Atlantic Region region. This includes all states east of the Mississippi River; mid-Atlantic states are preferred.  It is a home-based position, so a home office is required. This position reports to LightHawk's Director of Programs..

The Rewards of this Job:

This job is not for everyone, but the right person will be rewarded with variety, some travel opportunities, and the chance to work with an extraordinary group of volunteer pilots, co-workers, and dedicated colleagues in the environmental field. Because we offer the potent tool of flight to our conservation partners, you will be promoting some of the most important conservation initiatives regionally and nationally with grateful partners.

Responsibilities:

Mission Support - coordinating, reporting and following up on flights   (~25% of time):

Coordinating flight missions from beginning to end is the heart of this job. You will screen flight requests, designate volunteer pilots to fly the missions, handle the on-the-ground logistical support, and conduct post-mission follow-up and reporting. You will also train and assist our conservation partner groups to make the best use of flights, including passenger selection, scheduling and communications, and pre- and post-flight briefings and materials.

Program Development and Partner Outreach (~20%):

You will serve as the primary representative to the regional environmental community. LightHawk’s development of strategic partnerships with leading conservation groups forms the basis for positive environmental outcomes. By creating strong partnerships and providing sustained flight support for select conservation groups, your work will benefit our strategic partners, who can rely on our assistance more consistently, our pilots, who become more engaged with issues in their area, and LightHawk itself as we approach donors and foundations for financial support. 

In cooperation with the Director of Programs and other senior staff, you will help develop regional strategies for conservation initiatives, reaching out to prospective conservation partner organizations, and pro-actively initiating opportunities for LightHawk to provide collaborative flight projects and campaigns. Your work will be with existing strategic partners, but you will also identify and cultivate relationships with potential strategic partners in the region.

Volunteer Pilot Support and Outreach  (~10%):

Every LightHawk mission is flown by a qualified pilot who donates his or her time, and in most cases, the airplane and fuel needed to conduct a flight. You will need to continually and enthusiastically “market” LightHawk to our volunteers, since you will be their primary point of contact with the organization. This requires that you maintain regular contact with the volunteer pilots in your region, respond to their inquiries, keep track of their availability and plans, and seek their help recruiting new volunteer pilots.

Fundraising and Communications  (~25%):

While others at LightHawk have responsibility for fundraising and preparing written communications, you will help us build on existing relationships and identify and cultivate new sources of funding. We will call on you to help review and develop funding proposals and reports, and to assist with regional donor events as needed. You will also contribute content for internal and external publications, and serve as a resource for reporters, filmmakers and others working on LightHawk-related stories.

Support and Training of Partners  (15%):

Your support will include advising partners (when appropriate) on passenger selection, scheduling and communications, and pre- and post-flight briefing and discussion approaches and materials. You will also provide support in developing technical missions such as those involving still photography or video, in developing effective media flights, in integrating flights with ground events, and in overall mission development.

PMs may contribute to the creation of documentation or other resources that support partner and flight guide training and effectiveness, such as geo-referenced photography and virtual flights. Because of the unique ability to work regionally with a number of organizations, you may also be in a position to contribute to partner groups’ knowledge of successful approaches to environmental problems.  Because LightHawk must report on each flight mission to our pilots, board, staff, and funders, you will train partners in our online mission reporting requirements and ensure that partners fulfill these requirements.  

Other projects as assigned (5%):  

From time to time, special projects such as new database development, photo archiving, strategic planning, or consulting will come up.  You must be flexible and ready to respond when needed on special projects

Qualifications:

• Residency in the Atlantic Region.
• A minimum of 3 years experience working with environmental issues and organizations in the region. We will give preference to those with the broadest geographical experience within the region.
• Demonstrated success in outreach work and program building.
• Project management experience, including complex event planning, and/or logistics management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (communications/publications experience a plus).
• Experience recruiting and working with volunteers.
• Experience with collaborations and/or coalitions.
• A strong interest in LightHawk’s mission and methods.
• Minimum of a B.A / B.S. degree, or equivalent experience.
• Exceptional interpersonal and “team player” skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, set priorities, meet deadlines, and work with high degree of accuracy.
• Because weather often dictates flight scheduling, you need to be flexible and willing to be on call or work weekends, as needed.
• Ability to travel for 2-4 days at a time, approximately 6 times per year.
• Computer competency, including use of word processing, email, spreadsheets and databases.
• Ability to work from a home-based office environment. You will need to supply your own personal computer, high-speed internet connection, phone/cell phone; however LightHawk does reimburse specified office expenses.

Compensation: This is a full-time salaried position. The starting pay range for this position is $38-40k annually, depending on both location and experience. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and long-term disability coverage, annual vacation and sick leave, 401K plan, and reasonable scheduling flexibility.

To Apply:

We expect to fill this position as soon as we find a suitable candidate. We will conduct one or more initial interviews for qualified candidates by phone, and will invite finalists to in-person interviews. Qualified applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least 3 references to: Sama Blackwell.

The email subject line should say: Atlantic Region Program Manager -- plus your last name. Due to the volume of interested applicants, we ask that you not telephone our offices about the position unless specifically invited to do so for an interview. 

LightHawk is an equal opportunity employer. For more information about LightHawk, including a downloadable copy of the annual report, visit: LightHawk.