Conservation Director

~ San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) empowers visitors and locals to explore, learn about, and protect the spectacular public lands of southwest Colorado.

Founded in 1988, SJMA is a nonprofit cooperating (or interpretive) association for the San Juan National Forest (SJNF), BLM Tres Rios Field Office and BLM Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. ~

Position Overview

The San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) is seeking a Conservation Director to develop and lead SJMA’s on-the-ground conservation program on public lands in southwest Colorado. This is a unique opportunity for the right individual to re-envision and lead a top-notch conservation program that engages volunteers to become effective stewards of public lands.

Job Summary:

The Conservation Director, under the supervision of the Executive Director, will lead SJMA’s conservation program on the San Juan National Forest and nearby public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This individual will have the opportunity to develop new programs and re-envision existing programs with the goal of strategically engaging volunteers to achieve tangible conservation outcomes.

Location: The position is based out of SJMA’s headquarters within the San Juan Public Lands Center in Durango, Colorado.

Hours: The position is classified as exempt “Regular Full-Time.” Hours scheduled will be forty (40) hours per week with occasional nights and weekends.

Key Responsibilities

• Re-envision, develop, and lead SJMA’s programs to achieve conservation outcomes on the San Juan National Forest and nearby BLM lands.
• Work with partner organizations and land management agencies to develop and implement on-the-ground stewardship projects that achieve SJMA’s strategic objectives.
• Serve as an effective spokesperson for SJMA’s Conservation Program.
• Work to broaden SJMA’s volunteer base by working with a diverse coalition of stakeholders.
• Oversee SJMA’s volunteer program, ensuring compliance with SJMA policies, proper record keeping, and data collection.
• Organize special events that promote SJMA and public lands stewardship.
• Prepare reports to federal agencies and foundations on volunteer hours and conservation projects, as requested by SJMA’s agency partners and funders.
• Under the supervision of the Executive Director, lead fundraising and marketing efforts to support SJMA’s conservation program, including assisting with SJMA’s annual fundraising event, grant writing, SJMA’s
• Christmas tree lot fundraiser, major donor solicitation, and corporate partnership requests.

Skills & Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess some combination of the following skills/qualifications:

• Passion for public lands
• Knowledge of federal land management laws, regulations, and practices
• 2-3 years’ experience managing volunteers
• Experience managing non-profit conservation programs
• Experience organizing and implementing restoration, trail maintenance or other stewardship projects
• Marketing and Fundraising experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Friendly and personable
• Great organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• Computer literacy, especially with ‘Word’ and ‘Excel’
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Reliable
• Knowledge of southwestern Colorado public lands

Educational Requirements:

• B.S. or B.A. degree required, graduate degree preferred.
• A valid Colorado Driver’s License is required as well as a good driving record. A personal vehicle will be used on occasion, with mileage reimbursement consistent with SJMA policy.

Compensation

• Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• Benefits include paid PTO, health insurance reimbursement program and the possibility for small annual pension match.

To Apply

• Those interested in the position are should click "Apply" below to email a resume and letter of interest demonstrating their qualifications for the position.
• The cover letter should succinctly describe the applicant’s interest and suitability for the position, and other pertinent facts that may not appear in the resume.
• No phone calls please. 

SJMA is an equal opportunity employer.