Job Opening: Senior Program Manager (WA)

Reporting to the Director of Bird Conservation, the Senior Program Manager, Puget Sound will develop and implement a strategy designed to protect, enhance and/or restore a suite of priority places identified in Audubon’s Puget Sound Conservation Blueprint. To achieve results at scale, the Senior Program Manager will develop partnerships that advance place-based actions and policies that build upon the strengths of local Audubon chapters and meaningfully integrate the concerns of historically marginalized communities. The Senior Program Manager will coordinate with state and national policy staff, senior state leaders, and Audubon chapters and members to ensure the success of conservation and policy initiatives critical to ensuring resilience and recovery across Puget Sound.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about bird conservation, experienced working in partnership with individuals and organizations that bring different ways of knowing, stewarding, and engaging with nature, and will have demonstrated expertise designing and executing collaborative conservation strategies.

• Working closely with the Director of Bird Conservation and in collaboration with senior leaders in the state office, develop a Puget Sound conservation strategy that builds upon the conservation blueprint, Audubon’s existing strengths and draws upon existing ecosystem recovery strategies and programs to identify priority places and approaches.
• Lead implementation of Audubon’s Puget Sound conservation strategy at priority sites, collaborating with partners and chapters to achieve multi-benefit outcomes at priority places.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Audubon chapters and partners, including but not Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, conservation NGOs, local governments, local land trusts.
• Collaborate with Audubon chapters to build and strengthen relationships with Tribes and BIPOC communities such that the priorities and concerns of historically marginalized communities are meaningfully integrated into Audubon’s work.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local decision-makers, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as spokesperson for Audubon Washington in regional forums.
• In partnership with Audubon Washington conservation and policy staff, identify and implement key policy strategies to reduce threats to declining bird species, stabilize target populations, and increase available habitat.
• Coordinate with state and national policy staff, as well as Audubon chapters and members, to ensure the success of state and federal policy initiatives critical to ensuring resilience and recovery across the Puget Sound.
• In collaboration with Audubon Washington and national staff, seek opportunities to raise the profile and disseminate information about coastal and marine birds and the Puget Sound program to a broad audience through printed, spoken, and electronic media.
• Provide marketing and communications staff with news stories and other content concerning Audubon’s and other partners’ conservation projects.
• Host workshops, lectures, or trainings with agencies, tribes, NGOs, Audubon chapters, and landowners. Maintain regular communication with chapters.
• With Director of Bird Conservation and development team, identify and secure program funding for the Puget Sound program from individuals, foundations and government agencies.
• Develop and write grants to fund projects.
• Manage program and grant budgets and work with finance staff to ensure necessary budget reporting and to ensure the program remains within budgetary requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in conservation biology, ecology, natural resources or similar experience required, Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years progressive program management experience to include demonstrated success developing collaborative conservation strategies and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in avian or estuarine conservation, conservation planning, Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Planning, Hydraulic Code, and State Environmental Policy Act desired.
• Experience engaging and elevating voices, ideas, needs, and concerns of communities of color and other people historically marginalized in America and the conservation movement.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills that can be adapted to reach a wide range of individuals and used to build consensus. Ability to synthesize and communicate technical and complex information for a non-technical audience.
• Experience working with multigenerational audiences and diverse cultural communities.
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing and fundraising.
• Self-starter with a strong collaborative work ethic and ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing complex or multiple projects through to success, including meeting financial goals, project deadlines, and coordinating the work of key staff and partners.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, and an ability to quickly learn new software programs for office operations.
• Experience working with and leading volunteers.
• Willingness to travel on occasion and to work some weekends and evenings when necessary.
• An ability to communicate Audubon’s mission, goals, and programs effectively and with the highest professional standards.
• Valid driver’s license is necessary and ability to provide own transportation.
• Interest, understanding and commitment to the conservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitat.
• Commitment to Audubon’s mission.