Chief Program Officer

Reports to
President & CEO 

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida (Conservancy) is a leading environmental conservation organization dedicated to protecting the water, land and wildlife which make this region such a special place. As the population in Southwest Florida grows, so do the demands placed on its unique, natural resources. For more than 60 years, the Conservancy has worked with community leaders, businesses, partner agencies and individuals to find a sensible balance between the demands of a growing population and the preservation of our natural treasures.

For more information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, please visit https://www.conservancy.org. 

Though the Conservancy has remained a dynamic, effective force for conservation, the challenges from rapid growth, loss of natural habitat, water quality issues, climate change impacts and invasive species are demanding new levels of conservation strategy engagement. This, paired with an environment of rising costs, equates to a need to raise significantly more philanthropic resources in the next 5 – 10 years to ensure success.

The major focus of this strategy for sustainability is an endowment initiative to ensure long-term institutional stability and program effectiveness. The Conservancy’s reputation in large part rests on the quality of the talented staff it retains and attracts. The CEO will be playing a leading role in this major fundraising initiative requiring a re-prioritization of key areas from program design, strategic planning and partnership management and engagement to donor legacy engagement, donor relations and transformative philanthropic gift discussions and ultimately, commitments. The Chief Program Officer (CPO) will enable this pivot to occur and further enhance the organization’s conservation design strategy for greater impact in support of the mission work. The Conservancy has created this new position to oversee all program areas to support the new level of complexity in the multiple programs it runs.
 
Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the CPO will directly supervise the Program Directors and the Education Managers to ensure their activities and those of program staff are carried out consistently within the mission and values of the Conservancy. This leader will be responsible for executing the strategic plan, coordination of inter-departmental goals and objectives, the overall growth and development of programs, budget development, monitoring and compliance. They must establish a close, collaborative work relationship with the CEO and the Board as well as the senior management team to affect the organization’s mission with dynamic leadership.

Reporting to the President & CEO, this position requires a proven leader with background and experience in conservation, environment science and/or education or a related field. This individual will have deep professional experience, including at least ten years or more in senior level management positions within a complex, highly matrixed organization with a proven track record of success. Candidates for the position must demonstrate strong leadership, strategic management and an ability to manage multiple projects and programs, as well as a commitment and passion for the Conservancy’s mission of providing excellent programmatic work. Qualified candidates will have demonstrated knowledge of best practices and benchmarks, an understanding of diverse programming operations and the ability to think strategically and work collaboratively to define the organization’s future strategies. Candidates should be skilled in assessing organizational structure, understand the revenue streams and be a data-driven decision maker. The ability to envision and implement new strategic goals is key.

Executive level achievement in the fields of conservation, environmental education, advocacy, policy, law and/or related fields is preferred but not required. Nonprofit management experience is desired. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required; a master’s degree is desired.

The salary range for this position is between $150,000 and $175,000 and will be commensurate with experience. The Conservancy offers a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to paid holidays, vacation, group health, vision and dental, as well as a generous 401k plan.