Senior Manager, Audubon Delta Coastal Stewardship Program and Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary

Overview

The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas towards a future where birds thrive because Audubon is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. Audubon has more than 700 staff working across the hemisphere and more than 1.5 million active supporters.

North America has lost three billion birds since 1970, and more than 500 bird species are at risk of extinction across Latin America and the Caribbean. Birds act as early warning systems about the health of our environment, and they tell us that birds – and our planet – are in crisis. Together as one Audubon, we are working to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss. We do this by implementing on-the-ground conservation, partnering with local communities, influencing public and corporate policy, and building community. 

Audubon is committed to a culture of workplace excellence, where our talented and diverse staff are deeply engaged with a strong sense of belonging. The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon brings new creativity, effectiveness, and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director, Conservation, Senior Manager will be responsible for delivering Audubon’s Coastal Stewardship program across the central Gulf Coast region (Louisiana and Mississippi) and for managing Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary a 26,000-acre refuge owned by the National Audubon Society in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.

Coastal Stewardship Program
The coastal stewardship program includes monitoring and stewardship of coastal birds during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, engagement of volunteers and community leaders, and delivery of education and outreach activities and frameworks. The Senior Manager will be responsible for building a cohesive and sustainable team that is representative of the region, resourcing and managing the program’s budgets and associated grants, and collaborating across national and regional departments to ensure that the coastal stewardship program is fully integrated into Audubon’s local and national strategies and assets. This includes collaborating closely with the region’s centers and sanctuaries, finance and operations, and conservation and policy teams.

Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary
Established in 1924, Rainey Sanctuary is Audubon’s oldest and largest sanctuary. The property includes not only saltwater marshland and ponds, but beach and bay-shore. Accessible only by boat, the Rainey sanctuary provides habitat for over 200 species of birds including endangered piping plovers and more recently, whooping cranes. Coyotes, bobcats, otters, and muskrats also call Rainey home. The Senior Manager will be responsible for overseeing the sanctuary team, resourcing, and managing the sanctuary’s budgets and associated grants, integrating the sanctuary and costal stewardship work into a cohesive coastal program, and aligning sanctuary work with local and national strategies.

The position will be located remotely near Moss Point, MS or in New Orleans, LA. They will be responsible for managing a team of full-time, part-time, and seasonal staff.

Compensation:

$75,000 / year

Essential Functions

Leadership and Staff Management

• In collaboration with regional leadership, establish clear objectives and goals for coastal stewardship and Rainey sanctuary that include bird conservation, biological and social sciences, volunteer engagement, public education and outreach, policy, and financial outcomes for the region.
• Develop new strategies and programmatic elements to deepen the impact and raise the visibility of Rainey Sanctuary and Audubon Delta’s Coastal Stewardship program, including identifying opportunities for geographic expansion.
• In partnership with the development and regional conservation teams, raise funds from individuals, foundations, and government agencies, and manage budgets, reporting schedules, and donor/funder relationships to ensure a sustainable program and facilities model.
• Establish and deepen relationships with key stakeholders, including local and state agencies and decision makers and partner conservation and community organizations.

Financial Planning and Management

• Oversee all operational aspects of stewardship program and Rainey Sanctuary’s activities, budget, grant management, and reporting.
• Manage budgets and associated grants, including timely submission of reports and solicitations of new funds.
• Develop strong relationships with the funder and donor community to inspire continued and growing investment in Audubon’s work on the coast and beyond
• Work with finance and grant management staff to create and maintain accurate and complete grant records.

Program Development and Implementation

• In partnership with the regional conservation team, expand and deploy coordinated monitoring and stewardship protocols for protection of coastal birds, with aligned and accurate data collection and analysis.
• Establish and deploy strong stewardship practices, including volunteer recruitment, training, management, and recognition.
• Ensure deliverables in all supporting grants are being met and reported on time.
• Provide strategic oversight and manage coordination efforts for all aspects of the program across the region, from Audubon staff and leadership to partner organization.
• Cultivate and maintain productive working relationships with all partnering organizations, agencies, groups and individuals participating in the program, particularly landowners and land managers where the work is being performed.
• Integrate coastal stewardship programming and coastal bird conservation priorities into habitat restoration planning and delivery at Rainey and along the coast.
• Partner with Audubon staff to incorporate equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging into the Stewardship Program.

Outreach and Communications

• Serve as the public face of Rainey Sanctuary and the coastal stewardship program with media, community events, and donors/funders, building trust and raising visibility of Audubon’s work along the Gulf Coast
• Develop and implement an effective communication campaign in collaboration with communications team
• Collaborate with regional communications and conservation teams to develop appropriate presentations, volunteer engagement materials, and management of media requests
• In collaboration with communication, engagement, and center and sanctuary teams, develop interpretative content to connect coastal work with public, collaborators, and donors
• Define clear objectives and deliver strong engagement and support of volunteer stewards and monitors, with a particular emphasis on the engagement of Audubon members, chapters, college chapters, and BIPOC communities.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Education, Non‐profit Management, Environmental Studies, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years progressive program management experience with demonstrated success developing collaborative conservation strategies and working with diverse stakeholders.
• At least 3 years’ experience in a leadership role including managing personnel, overseeing budgets, maintaining grant records, completing reports, and initiating and managing contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with key stakeholders, such as community and agency personnel.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, while managing multiple tasks, meeting deadlines and operating in a dynamic, fast‐paced environment.
• Well established time management skills.
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing and fundraising.
• Strong organizational and relationship building skills, excellent attention to detail.
• 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 to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Self‐motivated and willing to work in a flexible, non‐structured environment.
• Must have a strong collaborative work ethic and ability to work independently.
• Willing to work evenings and weekends as the job demands.
• Must be available for overnight travel and have valid Driver’s License.

EEO Statement

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

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