National Director, Leopold Conservation Award® Program

~ Sand County Foundation (SCF) is a non-profit conservation organization based on writings of the famous conservationist and writer, Aldo Leopold. We achieve long-term solutions to pressing environmental problems through ethics, science, and incentives for better land health on privately owned lands. ~

We believe long-term solutions to major environmental issues cannot be found through public lands acquisition and regulatory approaches alone. Over half a century SCF has consistently and effectively aided ranchers, farmers, and others enhance their ‘land community' by means that are affordable, sustainable, and consistent with private rights to property. 

Position Overview 

The National Director of the Leopold Conservation Award® (LCA) Program leads the Foundation's most publicly visible initiative.

That person is an ambassador for other Foundation initiatives and the organization as a whole. The National Director is responsible for all aspects of the LCA including full funding, expansion on a strategic basis to new states, sectors, and regions, and representation of all Foundation's purpose and initiatives to donors, partners, and others.

This positon reports to the Executive Vice President and supervises temporary employees as needed, as well as project consultants.

This position requires periodic travel to partners' offices, project sites, farms, conferences, and events sponsored by Sand County Foundation and other organizations. Work other than travel is done in an office environment at Sand County Foundation's Madison office.    

Responsibilities 

• Ensures the Leopold Conservation Award program is fully funded.
• Manages the careful expansion to new states, sectors, or regions.
• Manages all external communications with corporate, government, and individual stakeholders to meet program goals, project objectives, and raise influence and public profile of SCF.
• Facilitates and coordinates meetings necessary to the success of LCA commitment to the principles, mission, and objectives of SCF.
• Coordinated with Foundation's Vice President - External Relations maximizes exposure of award recipients and their conservation stories in conventional and social media.
• Serves as an ambassador for other Foundation initiatives and facilitate connections with appropriate SCF colleagues.
• Acts as the team leader for periodic national symposia among LCA award recipients.
• Assists other SCF staff teams from time to time as needed.
• Commitment to the principles, mission, and objectives of Sand County Foundation.  

Qualifications 

• Demonstrated capability and experience in initiating, strengthening, and expanding a network or association, preferably on a regional or national basis.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with other people and organizations.
• Competent understanding of agriculture with ability to communicate effectively in groups and one-on-one settings with farmers, ranchers, foresters, and others in natural resource industries.
• Proven fundraising success among corporate, foundation, and government sources.
• Effective in presentation to diverse audiences and possesses warm and gracious hosting skills.
• Experience in managing meetings and events of different types and at various locations.
• Effective and timely verbal and written communications.
• Demonstrated capability to create an annual program, as well as project, budgets.
• Leadership skills able to motivate and manage LCA program consultants while influencing collaboration among colleagues, partners and sponsors.
• Affinity to land and people living and working on their land.
• Bachelor's degree in related field and five years' relevant work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Organizational Competencies

Accountability for Outcomes: 

• Pushes for excellence. 
• Establishes challenging goals for self and others to drive performance in support of SCF's mission. 
• Rewards behavior that achieves these standards and is aligned with the organization's mission/values.
• Takes action to address performance problems in a timely and appropriate manner. 

Builds Organizational Capacity: 

• Builds or adapts organizational structures to accomplish mission.
• From SCF's strategic filter, determines who can contribute, involves the right people, and builds SCF strength. 

Collaboration & Teamwork: 

• Eager and willing to put the needs and goals of SCF before personal and programmatic needs.
• Works with others across organizational boundaries.
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, and allocates resources to help the whole of SCF achieve results.
• Communications Effectively expresses messages verbally and in writing, actively listens to others, fosters open exchange of issues, and is timely. 

Courage & Decisiveness: 

• Makes timely decisions and stands by them even under pressure and lacking complete information.
• Has the courage to modify decisions and admit why and how they were wrong. 

Flexibility & Innovation: 

• Flexible to changing circumstances.
• Takes innovative approaches towards work.
• Takes calculated risks and makes dependable decisions in the face of uncertainty.
• Influences for Achieves results by persuading, convincing, or influencing others.
• Adapts results approach to the individual or group.
• Generates enthusiasm and support from success stories and commitment. 

Open to Learning: 

• Versatile learner committed to self-improvement. Employs strengths effectively.
• Willingly shares knowledge.
• Seeks coaching on to improve.
• Learns from mistakes. 

Organizational Awareness: 

• Committed to express SCF principles.
• Understands the basics of SCF business.
• Knows how various positions within SCF relate to the big picture and work to contribute to overall strategy.
• Able and willing to speak to and represent all aspects and initiatives of the organization to any individual or group. 

To Apply 

Please click below: "Apply Now Online!" to email letters of interest and resumes. Be sure to indicate: "LCA Program Director."