The Nature Conservancy · 10 hours ago
Southern High Plains Initiative Director
New Mexico, United States
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$98K/yr - $138K/yr
10+ years expThe Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization focused on protecting the lands and waters essential for life. As the Southern High Plains Initiative Director, you will lead a collaborative conservation initiative, managing multi-disciplinary teams to achieve significant grassland conservation outcomes while fostering partnerships and advocating for indigenous communities.
Environmental ConsultingNatural ResourcesNon ProfitWaterWildlife Conservation
Responsibilities
Lead the Southern High Plains Initiative (SHPI) to conserve critical grasslands using various conservation strategies
Build and lead teams to advance durable land protection and effective management of key grasslands
Work with fundraising staff to identify, cultivate, and steward donor relationships
Inform and deliver strategic communications and marketing
Design and implement strategies that elevate equity in all aspects of our work
Qualification
Required
BA/BS degree and 10 years' experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience
Familiarity with conservation issues in the Southern High Plains
Experience functioning effectively in a collaborative work environment and where implementation occurs with and through others in a decentralized and geographically dispersed organization
Experience thinking strategically within a complex system, develop practical applications of scientific concepts, and encourage innovation for conservation purposes
Experience making decisions in a complex environment, considering multiple perspectives and effectively evaluating risk and opportunity
Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation at the state or national level
Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation
Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines
Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions
Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance
Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies
Experience networking with high level conservation contacts
Experience negotiating in complex, multi-stakeholder situations
Experience negotiating
Experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans at the state or country level
Experience with financial management of a large program
Preferred
Multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated
10-12 years' experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience
Experience working with Tribal nations and indigenous people or communities
Experience negotiating and executing real estate transactions, like fee title acquisitions and conservation easements
Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes
Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives and experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives
Politically savvy
Benefits
Health care benefits
Flexible spending accounts
A 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match
Parental leave
Accrued paid time off
Life insurance
Disability coverage
Employee assistance program
Other life and work well-being benefits
Company
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a non-profit conservation organization that works to protect terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
The Nature Conservancy has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (26)
2024 (21)
2023 (13)
2022 (18)
2021 (13)
2020 (12)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$120.09MKey Investors
Global Affairs CanadaBezos Earth FundNFWF
2025-11-17Grant· $7.94M
2025-10-23Grant
2025-06-09Grant
Leadership Team
Jennifer Morris
Chief Executive Officer
Matt Merrifield
CTO
Recent News
2025-12-03
Company data provided by crunchbase