Director of Conservation
Lexington
- Organization: TNC - The Nature Conservancy
- Location: Lexington
- Grade: Senior level - Senior
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Occupational Groups:
- Environment
- Managerial positions
- Closing Date: 2025-08-31
What We Can Achieve Together:
Kentucky’s Director of Conservation oversees all aspects of Kentucky’s conservation programs, including strategic planning, protection, science, stewardship, and restoration. This role provides strategic leadership and works collaboratively with program leadership and conservation staff to establish overall priorities for freshwater, land, climate and community workstreams for Kentucky. This role also works closely with broader teams at The Nature Conservancy, including the Southern Division, the Appalachians Program, and Mississippi Basin Program. The Director of Conservation supervises six direct reports and is responsible for ensuring strategies are effectively implemented in alignment with The Nature Conservancy's 2030 Goals and Kentucky’s Strategic Plan. This position reports to the Kentucky State Director and serves as an essential partner to the State Director in advancing the overall goals and success of the Kentucky program.
In addition to leading strategic implementation of conservation programs, the Director of Conservation serves as the principle contact and relationship manager for key partners in Kentucky (e.g. Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish and Wildlife Services). The Director of Conservation is responsible for internal and external dissemination of best practices, providing training and analyses to implement organizational measures of success, and developing key partnerships with public and private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and communicate solutions, innovative scientific methods, analysis, tools and frameworks to address priority conservation needs. They will also assist with fundraising efforts, marketing and communications, and budget development and review processes. The Director of Conservation establishes the Kentucky Chapter as a major conservation partner and influencer in Kentucky and for regional teams (Appalachians, Mississippi Basin, Southern Division). The Director of Conservation negotiates complex and innovative solutions with internal and external partners to implement key projects and advance conservation strategies.
Serves on the Kentucky Leadership Team, where effective collaboration occurs with staff in development, operations, and government relations.
Serves on the Southern Division Conservation Cabinet where Directors of Conservation for the Southern U.S. Division share learnings and collaborate on implementation of the Division Conservation Portfolio.
Responsible for ensuring team compliance for conservation and legal SOPs and approval processes.
Tracks and reports conservation outcomes to 2030 goals (HUB) and Kentucky’s Strategic Plan.
Builds a highly effective conservation team including: recruitment, retention and management of high quality and effective multi-disciplinary staff with responsibility for performance management, training and career development
Responsible for developing and managing conservation budgets
Responsible for evaluating and prioritizing public funding opportunities and working with the conservation team to develop and submit funding proposals and fulfill funding obligations, if awarded.
Frequent travel within Kentucky and occasional travel out-of-state or internationally, evening and weekend hours. May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. Lexington, Kentucky is the preferred location.
We’re Looking for You:
The Nature Conservancy has a well-earned reputation as an organization that gets stuff done. The Kentucky program embodies that ethos and delivers results that matter to Kentucky and contribute to the larger organization’s goals. The Director of Conservation is an essential member of our team, and we are looking for an ambitious, smart, dedicated, thoughtful, creative and kind person to join us as we enter the second half of a critical decade for conservation. Ultimately, success in this role comes down to being a strong and empathetic leader, a clear and compelling communicator, and a patient and creative project manager. If you are looking for a role that will challenge you with complex problems and reward you with big wins, a role where you act with considerable independence but as part of a much larger and supportive team, and a role that grounds you in local work but connects you to a global mission, Kentucky’s Director of Conservation is for you! We encourage you to apply.
What You’ll Bring:
BA/BS degree and 7 years of experience in conservation or a closely related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
Experience managing multiple and complex projects, including managing budgets and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners.
Fundraising experience, including explaining conservation work to donors and assisting development staff in donor cultivation
Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies.
Experience negotiating workable solutions to challenging conservation issues.
Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means.
Salary Information:
The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $105,000 – $125,000. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.
Who We Are:
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.
Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”
What We Bring:
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including 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. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.