Position Title: Associate Director
Position Summary: This is a full-time exempt staff position with the Western Slope Conservation Center, a fun and dynamic grassroots environmental organization that has been carrying out watershed stewardship, public lands advocacy, and education for the last 40 years in the North Fork of the Gunnison and Lower Gunnison watersheds.
The Associate Director will coordinate and supervise programs, staff, and contractors under the direction of the Executive Director. Responsibilities will include the implementation and improvement of organizational systems for grant acquisition and management, volunteer management, and communications and marketing. The Associate Director will provide supervision and support for all other program and administrative staff and contractors.
The Associate Director will work under the direct supervision of the ED and will collaborate with WSCC staff, board, and volunteers. Schedule will vary day-to-day and week-to-week, with a minimum of 40-hour weeks. Some nights and weekends will be required. The position will include traveling within the region, as well as opportunities for professional development and networking within professional conservation networks.
The Conservation Center offices are located in the picturesque agricultural mountain town of Paonia in the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The North Fork Valley is a rare gem of high quality rural living with unparalleled access to public lands and outdoor recreation including cross-country and backcountry skiing, rafting, gold-medal fishing, running, and biking. It also boasts the highest density of organic farms in the state of Colorado and the highest elevation viticultural area in the country.
Position Responsibilities
- Organizational Leadership: (10%) Represent organization publicly at public events, conferences, and media engagements; Provide supplemental leadership support for board of directors management; Facilitate effective communication between all levels of organization, including members, staff, and board
- Administrative Management: (30%) Provide key leadership in assessing and improving organizational systems; Implement new organizational systems as necessary; Manage day-to-day administrative needs
- Implement new data management systems for collecting, managing, and reporting on donations and contacts (Salesforce CRM or equivalent)
- Coordinate with Executive Director and Accountant to carry out day-to-day management of donation collection and contacts
- Grant Management and Development: (30%) Improve organizational systems for grant identification, acquisition, and management in alignment with the organization’s mission and goals; Lead and direct grant writing needs and draft grant applications for both programmatic and organizational grant applications; Coordinate grant reporting systems, data tracking and documentation, as well as effective report completion
- Program Development: (15%) Collaborate with Executive Director, Watershed Coordinator, contractors, and committee chairs to support strategic program management and leadership of Public Lands, Watershed, and Education programming.
- Supervise coordination of monthly program committee meetings, committee leadership management, and committee communication systems
- As necessary, provide direct support and coordination for program committee meetings and events.
- Communication & Outreach: (10%) Develop and improve communication systems for the organization, including traditional and social media platforms; Supervise daily implementation of communication systems at all levels of the organization in alignment with Development Committee priorities; as necessary, provide direct support for communication content development including emails, website, social media, press release, and other materials
- Volunteer Management: (5%) Support organizational volunteer recruitment and integrate volunteer management with data management systems and committee and program development
Desired Qualities
- Collaborative, outgoing, personable, and enthusiastic
- Excellent writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills
- Excellent organizational and office skills
- Ability to quickly master new software applications and platforms
- Proven experience with grant writing, management, and reporting
- Ability to work independently and self-directed as part of a high-functioning team
- Flexible and creative approach to accomplishing large workloads
- Strong professional commitment to public land advocacy, watershed stewardship, and environmental education
- Previous conservation organizing experience in Colorado and the Western US preferred
- Master of Science or Arts in environmental management, studies, or science, non-profit management, or related fields
- 3-5 years of professional experience in project and human resource management, preferably within the field of watershed stewardship, public lands organizing, environmental education, and/or non-profit management
- Ability to speak Spanish preferred
Compensation and benefits: This is a full-time exempt position requiring some evenings and weekends. Benefits include health stipend, paid holidays and accrued paid time off (PTO). Personal vehicle required, with travel reimbursed at federal rate. Additional non-financial benefits include the opportunity to live and work in a spectacular rural mountain location with a high quality of life and affordable living costs.
To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to [email protected]. Application deadline is Wednesday, March 1st