Energy by Design Project Director, North America Region

~ Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters upon which all life depends. ~

Over the 60 years since our founding, we have grown to be the largest single conservation organization in the US and the world. 

The Conservancy uniquely embodies the concept of working locally and globally simultaneously, tapping local results to inform global strategies and policy. That scope, size, and track record positions us to be a transformative global leader in solving some of the world's toughest environmental challenges.

Energy by Design Project

The Energy by Design Project promotes the adoption of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, compensate) in federal and state energy policy and corporate practices. Over the next 3 years, their goal is to secure the inclusion of the mitigation hierarchy in: 

• Key federal and state energy siting policy processes; and
• Corporate practices of specific actors in the energy industry. 

The overall strategy is that together, this set of policies and corporate practices can catalyze much broader federal, state, and corporate adoption of the mitigation hierarchy by demonstrating clear conservation outcomes while enabling sound energy development, especially for zero & low carbon energy sources, across federal, state and corporate jurisdictions. 

Position Overview 

Project Director, Energy by Design - North America Region:

The Nature Conservancy seeks a dynamic, strategic Project Director for their Energy by Design project for the North America Region. The Project Director provides strategic leadership and support for the Conservancy's strategy work and leads the establishment of overall conservation priorities related to the energy sector in North America.

S/he will oversee all aspects of the Energy by Design Project, and bridge numerous demonstration projects across North America, and without direct authority over the staff working in the region.

S/he serves as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community; may play a leading role in donor identification, cultivation and stewardship for the program; disseminates best practices, provides training and analyses to best implement organizational measures of success; and develops key partnerships.

This position will report to the Director of Conservation Programs, North America Region. 

Location:  

The location of this position is negotiable, but must be located near a major airport and in a US city with a TNC office. Frequent domestic travel (minimum of 50%, at least initially); evening and weekend hours are required.  

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Director, Energy by Design will perform the following and other duties as assigned: 

• Establish the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within the energy sector.
• Lead the definition of conservation priorities related to energy siting in North America.
• Manage major public agency and elected official relationships, in partnership with TNC's US Government Relations department.
• Lead public and private fundraising programs for the project.
• Lead a large, decentralized team over which s/he has no direct authority.
• Build strategic, scientific and technical capacity in the field.
• Develop key partnerships with public and private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices.
• Engage key influential support for local, regional, and global conservation efforts.
• Negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies, major institutions, corporations, and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities.
• Develop and implement cutting edge conservation strategies in high profile projects and major philanthropic markets. 

Basic Qualifications 

• BA/BS degree and 10 years of experience in conservation and/or energy issues or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience with certain aspects of fundraising: identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
• Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals and coordinating the work of partners. 
• Experience working with current trends and practices in the energy sector in North America, particularly related to impacts on the environment.
• Experience in partnership development (partners, community, government, etc.), particularly in the energy and environmental sectors.
• Experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.

Preference will be given to candidates with the following capabilities:

Program Design, Strategy and Implementation

• Demonstrated ability to influence others, develop and implement energy and/or conservation policy and plans at the state and/or country level
• Willingness to fund raise on behalf of North America and global priorities
• Ability to deliver practical, adaptable products and services to partners, stakeholders, or customers
• Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental and/or energy affairs; politically savvy. 
• Excellent time management of diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results
• Demonstrated leadership, visionary qualities and able to work effectively with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization
• Proven interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills

Complex Problem Solving & Coordination

• Experience in negotiating complex agreements, sometimes in political environments
• Aptitude to develop and implement creative ideas to improve overall performance in conservation strategies related to the energy sector
• Ability to formulate, evaluate, and negotiate decisions for broad organizational policies and long-term positions
• Ability to anticipate, diagnose, and resolve complex problems and identify creative solutions
• Demonstrated capability in the design, implement, and direct complex and diverse projects, encompassing multiple programs; coordinate the work of other professionals, inside and outside the organization to incorporate cross-disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives
• Willingness to participate in the formulation and evaluation of broad, highly diversified policies and/or long-term programs and make decisions which typically have broad organizational impact
• Capacity to direct major projects of strategic importance to the Conservancy through management of multi-disciplinary teams over which s/he has no direct authority

Decision-Making

• Ability to frequently make independent, strategic decisions based on incomplete or ambiguous information 
• Ability to assesses decisions' potential impact on, and accept associated risks to, organization's public image, scientific credibility, and financial and legal standings

Financial and Supervisory

• Demonstrated broad leadership and management responsibility 
• Interest in recruiting, retaining, and managing high quality and effective multi-disciplinary staff with responsibility for performance management, training and career development
• Ability to establish clear directions and set stretch objectives
• Ability to develop long-term financial strategies and achieve strategic goals and objectives
• Interest in and ability to, identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors in support of program activities
• Demonstrated competence in overall financial management of a program, including setting financial goals, analyzing results, taking corrective actions, and ensuring programmatic commitments, financial standards, and legal requirements are met in compliance with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal) requirements

Communications and Interpersonal Contacts

• Create and communicate a compelling vision of program utilizing the Conservancy's core values
• Ability to build cooperative relationships and collaborates with diverse groups, including energy companies, land owners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, board members, and the general public, to recruit support for the Conservancy and publicize Conservancy efforts
• Ability to command attention, change tactics midstream as necessary, and manage group processes during presentations and discussions
• Be comfortable speaking with, and in front of, varied audiences on scientific topics and the Conservancy's mission; interact and provide input/guidance to senior managers
• Skilled at establishing excellent working relationships with outside partners, energy companies, state/local/federal agencies, land managers, private landowners and the academic community; ability to leverage constructive and effective relationships inside and outside the Conservancy
• Ability to work effectively in high-tension situations and maintain composure under pressure and diffuse high-tension situations comfortably
• Willingness to work, and communicate effectively with, a diverse group of people, including scientists, preserve staff, and others, providing and obtaining needed information
• Ability to motivate team members, set goals, and lead efforts without direct supervisory authority in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated competence in simplifying and explaining complex scientific data to general audiences.
• Ability to communicate clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English 

Compensation: The Nature Conservancy offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience.  

To Apply 

• Please click below: "Apply Here!" to submit your application materials to the Conservancy's Careers page.
• Note: CEA Recruiting is managing this search for The Nature Conservancy.  

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Conservancy actively promotes diversity in its workforce in all of the places where the Conservancy works by utilizing open recruitment processes and seeking broad applicant pools. Diversity refers to human differences, including those based on culture, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status or other status protected by law. Applicants from this entire range of difference are encouraged to apply.