DEI Program Specialist

OFFICE LOCATION

Seattle, Washington, USA

WHO WE ARE

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program Specialist will be a member of the DEI team within the Washington Business Unit of The Nature Conservancy and will project manage the implementation of TNC Washington’s Organizational Excellence strategies and DEI efforts.

In this newly created position, the DEI Program Specialist will report to the Director of DEI and will support a more streamlined and integrated approach to DEI for the business unit. The DEI Program Specialist will contribute to the vision for DEI ensuring our actions and culture reflect our values, our Washington Equity Statement and our Statement of Commitment to Indigenous Peoples. They will be an advocate for colleagues who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, guide the learning and development of colleagues to increase our capacity and knowledge in diversity, equity, and inclusion and authentically communicate our progress.

The DEI Program Specialist will be a critical driver on the Organizational Excellence team comprising of staff from various functional areas within the business unit that is responsible for ensuring progress towards our Organizational Excellence strategies through implementation, evaluation and adaptation. For Washington, Organizational Excellence is a chapter-wide effort to ensure our staff have the capacity to make the greatest impact on climate change and biodiversity loss by investing in our organizational

health and learning, our people, strengthening our culture, and living into our values.  The role will support the implementation of strategies within Organizational Excellence, such as “Advancing the Success and Support for Staff of Color” and “Living our Values by Being Accountable to our Commitments”.

Job responsibilities include:

• Project manage assigned DEI efforts and activities including maintaining communication on DEI plans, progress, and resources, and supporting staff with onboarding and training (50%)
• Serve as team manager partnering with staff across various functions to implement TNC Washington’s Organizational Excellence plan (30%)
• Support the administrative coordination for the BIPOC Cohort, a resource group for staff who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (20%)

Location and Schedule:

• The preferred primary location for this position is Seattle, Washington, with other locations within reasonable travel distance to Seattle considered. Hybrid and/or flexible work arrangements are available.
• The position requires travel throughout Washington State (up to 25% of time) and working flexible hours as needed.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU

• Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice: You have a passion for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice work and an understanding of your own racial equity journey. You take this passion and knowledge to support people and organizations on their DEI journey. You are excited to build out a shared vision for DEI for The Nature Conservancy in Washington.
• Have a people-centered approach: When addressing complex problems, you start with the people first. You care about the well-being of staff and prioritize their needs and values. As you design solutions, you center the concerns of the individuals most impacted.
• Skilled at project management: You get things done in collaboration with a team. You can maintain an organized system to implement, track, and evaluate strategies and projects. You can adapt the workflow as needed.
• Be a systems-thinker: You can see how the larger pieces connect and move together to form a system.
• Lean into learning: You are open to learning new things. You give and receive feedback with intention. You approach opportunities and challenges with curiosity and creativity.
• Communicate authentically: You enjoy telling stories using quantitative and qualitative data. You can navigate discussions between staff and leadership and communicate key ideas and concerns with an understanding of power, privilege, and identity.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience generating reports and analysing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience managing and implementing multiple projects.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams.
• Experience communicating with all levels of staff and partners both in writing and verbally.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to equity and inclusion in both work and workplace, including acting in accordance with our Washington Equity Statement and Statement of Commitment to Indigenous Peoples.
• Demonstrated understanding of racial equity, decolonization, interrupting white supremacy culture and/or other DEI related topics, practices, and principles.
• Experience incorporating community voice, data, and needs into organizational plans, projects, and initiatives.
• Experience navigating and building relationships among diverse communities with varied perspectives, understandings, and lived experiences.
• Strong organizational skills, accuracy, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Experience implementing and measuring employee engagement plans/strategies. 
• Experience building networks or organizational capacity, facilitating informational sessions, increasing internal knowledge and capacity, and identifying key stakeholders.
• Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results.
• Experience with collaborative budget management and decision making is appreciated.
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experiences are appreciated.

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 on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.

AUTO SAFETY POLICY

This position requires a valid driver’s license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered “high risk drivers.” To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/careers/recruitment/ under the FAQ section.

Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee’s motor vehicle record.

SALARY INFORMATION

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the following ranges for annual base salary:

• Salary range in Seattle, WA: $72,000 – $82,000 annually
• Salary range in other Puget Sound region locations: $65,000 – $75,000 annually

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.

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 [email protected] with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.