Associate Director of Conservation

About this position

Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for an Associate Director of Conservation to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962 NCC and its supporters have protected 15 million hectares of ecologically significant land across Canada. NCC takes a collaborative, science-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With a national office in Toronto and seven regional offices across the country, NCC delivers results you can walk on.

Overview

The Associate Director of Conservation (ADOC) oversees day to day conservation operations for Ontario Region’s subregional land conservation program. This position will support and advise Program Directors on strategy regarding all aspects of subregional programs including land acquisition, land management, conservation planning, staff management and stewardship programming.  Subregions encompass Southwestern Ontario, Midwestern Ontario, Central Ontario East and West, Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario. The position will seek to maximize operational effectiveness through clarifying and improving processes, project and data management, risk assessment, and expense and revenue management. The position reports to the Senior Director of Conservation (SDOC) and coordinates closely with senior stewardship and science staff.

Job Responsibilities

Supervise the day-to-day activities of subregional Program Directors (currently 6) and oversee subregional program implementation.

Securement (25%)

• Provide oversight and advice on all aspects of securement projects including associated risk, priorities, agreements, expenses and funding.
• Coordinate and liaise with SDOC, legal counsel and others on Ontario-wide securement program.

Stewardship (25%)

• Provide oversight and advice on processes, risk management, agreements, funding and policies associated with stewardship work.
• Liaise with Ontario science and stewardship team.

Administration (20%)

• Provide guidance on and oversight of subregional business planning and budgeting.
• Track and allocate government funds in consultation with SDOC.
• Review and update internal processes, FAQs, templates, land data entry and management, approval steps and guidelines associated with regional conservation operations.

Planning (10%)

• Oversee the creation and implementation of planning documents (NACPs and PMPs) by subregional Program staff, liaise with science team and track progress relative to goals.

People Management (15%)

• Provide leadership for conservation staff in achievement of ambitious goals.
• Hire and supervise employees and contractors within area of responsibility.
• Establish and evaluate performance metrics for staff.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive, and positive work environment for conservation staff.

Other (5%)

• Participate in cross-regional collaboratives, national initiatives, and other duties as assigned.

Key Result Areas

• Land securement and stewardship projects are successfully completed across Ontario subregions to advance plan goals and accelerate conservation in the region.
• Multi-million dollar government grants are successfully delivered and tangible results achieved.
• Partnerships and support increase with government, landowners, corporations, Indigenous communities, NGOs and others.
• Program Directors are well-supported, motivated and working within internal processes and external conditions.

Education and Experience

• Possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in ecology, conservation biology or related discipline or equivalent.
• Proven ability and at least 6 years of experience in land acquisition negotiations and land management with a variety of landowners, partners, processes and outcomes in a rural setting.
• Proven ability and experience in managing people, able to provide strong leadership, development and coaching to direct reports.
• Flexibility, reliability, self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude with the ability to work independently and as a leader.
• Proven operational and project management acumen, able to effectively lead with a variety of resources to attain a multitude of deliverables planned, with project management skills, problem solving, planning and organizational skills, and attention to detail and timelines.
• Experience with all aspects of a not-for-profit conservation organization’s ethics, opportunities and challenges.
• A proven ability to interact comfortably with NCC’s partners, including donors, government representatives, NGO partners, and business people.
• A proven ability to work comfortably in many different venues, from the day-to-day office environment to corporate boardrooms and field conditions.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to make creative, sound decisions.
• Well-developed written, verbal, listening and overall communication skills.
• A proactive and far-seeing attitude, with a proven ability to anticipate and resolve problematic situations before they arise and/or to deal swiftly and effectively with them when they do.
• Previous success in fundraising activities and working with many kinds of landowners and donors.
• Must be prepared to travel and work flexible hours.

Competencies

• Ability to succeed in a fast-paced, diverse work environment to support subregional programs with unique geographical, socio-economic and political conditions.
• Strong analytical skills to work through complex and unusual conservation projects and challenging situations.
• Strong organizational skills to track, convey, manage and report on activities in many program areas.
• Strong leadership skills to provide guidance and advice to Program Directors.
• Ability to think strategically to guide priorities and maximize conservation impact over time.

Terms of Employment

• This is a full-time (37.5 hrs/week), permanent position
• The role must be based in Ontario with the ability to travel to regional offices in southern Ontario (Guelph, London, Lions Head, Norfolk, Napanee, Kingston, Peterborough).
• Office work may be done remotely from a home office.
• Salary Range:            C$101,010 - C$118,900 annually

To apply:

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your cover letter and resumé (in one document) through our Career Page

Application deadline: October 2, 2022, 11:59 p.m. ET

NCC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We value and incorporate diverse traditions, heritage, knowledge and experiences in our mission and in our workplaces. We celebrate the full participation of people from all walks of life as we work towards common goals. We strive for a conservation movement in which equity, diversity and inclusion are the norm. This is our continuous commitment: to promote healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet for everyone.