Vice President, Conservation

The mission of the Wild Salmon Center is to identify, understand and protect the best wild salmon ecosystems of the Pacific Rim. The Center devises and implements practical strategies, based on the best science, to protect forever these extraordinary places and their biodiversity.

The Center is a $6M multi-national organization with a staff of 30 and operations in The Russian Far East, the Kamchatka peninsula, Alaska, the Olympic Peninsula, the Oregon Coast and the John Day and Umpqua Rivers. The home office is located in Portland, Oregon, in the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, with satellite offices in Port Angeles, Washington; and in Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia.

The Position: 

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Vice President for Conservation Programs is a key member of the Center's management team and is responsible for the overall operations of the Center's conservation programs, consistent with the Center's conservation mission and strategic plan. The VP for Conservation Programs will lead a team of four conservation directors. 

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned conservation professional with a demonstrated track record of success. Recognized as a leader in the conservation community, he or she will have significant experience managing multiple programs across diverse geographies and highly developed project management skills. The successful candidate will have superb interpersonal, communication, diplomacy and presentation skills, and will have a demonstrated ability to negotiate, influence, and collaborate with other key stakeholders in a matrix environment. 

Responsibilities: 

* As a member of the senior management team, participates in the strategic planning of the organization.
* Guides and supports the conservation directors to develop and successfully implement creative, adaptive work plans, in accordance with the Center's strategic plan.
* Ensures a sustainable path towards acquiring program resources to implement conservation programs by assisting the CEO, the VP for Strategic Initiatives and the Development department in the acquisition and maintenance of grants and donations. * Maintains financial oversight of conservation programs, ensuring they are within budget and that any potential budgetary overruns are identified early. Works with the CFO to develop cost saving strategies which ensure the avoidance of programmatic deficits while reaching outcomes and attaining programmatic goals.
* Continues to develop and enhance positive foundation, corporate, governmental, individual, and other donor relationships. Enhances Board relations and communicates actively and effectively with the Board of Directors.
* Represents the Center in policy, legislative and other public and private forums as the primary conservation spokesperson in conjunction with the CEO as chief representatives of the Center's mission. 

Key qualifications: 

* Demonstrated expertise in the development and implementation of environmental conservation programs.
* Strong understanding of North Pacific environmental and conservation issues.
* Demonstrated personnel and administrative management skills.
* Demonstrated strong organizational and analytic skills.
* Strong project management and planning skills. 
* Excellent communication skills.
* Demonstrated commitment to the public interest.
* Knowledge of Russian culture and Russian language proficiency preferred but not required.
* Masters or terminal professional degree preferred. 

Travel: This position requires domestic and international travel up to 15 - 25% of the time, often for several weeks at a time. 

Compensation: The compensation package includes a competitive salary and excellent fringe benefits package, including retirement plan match, medical and dental plan, flexible medical and dependent care spending accounts, life insurance and disability coverage. The salary offered will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

To Apply: Email cover letter and resume.