Deputy Director of Policy and Management

We seek an individual with wildfire policy or management experience to serve as Deputy Director of Policy and Management for the Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative. With generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Collaborative is working to address the western US fire crisis by bringing together scientists and decision makers to co-create and implement a long-term research program that advances the predictive science of fire ecology and forest resilience. The Collaborative is led by the Forest Futures Lab at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

The Deputy Director will be responsible for developing and leading a stakeholder engagement and knowledge-transfer strategy. This strategy will successfully build a national community of practice with relevant stakeholders to understand their needs and to ensure the best science informs stewardship of western forests and fire. Stakeholders include: state and federal policy makers, state and federal agency employees, environmental advocacy groups, and boundary spanning organizations. The Deputy Director will also support the Director and lead scientists in setting the vision and strategy for the Collaborative’s administration and operations.

This position will report to the Collaborative Director Dr. Winslow Hansen and will supervise staff. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is the world’s premier think tank on ecosystem science. It is a uniquely collaborative and welcoming institution. For additional information on the Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative, visit westernfireforest.org. For additional information about Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, visit https://www.caryinstitute.org/.

Duration: This is a full time, exempt, fully benefited position. Salary is commensurate with experience ranging from $80,000 to $110,000 per year, plus a highly competitive benefits package. A start date in March, 2024 is preferred.

Location: The successful candidate could choose to work at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, the lead institution of the Collaborative. They could also choose to be based at one of the Collaborative’s hubs, including UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Colorado Boulder, or University of Washington. Remote work will be considered for exceptional candidates.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead the development of a stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer implementation strategy to guide:

a. how the Collaborative identifies, cultivates, and nurtures relationships with key stakeholders in fire management and policy at state and federal levels.

b. how scientific insights from the research program are shared with management and policy partners.

c. how we measure success of the stakeholder engagement strategy.

2. Lead the execution of the plan in collaboration with Collaborative scientists producing the insights.

3. Work with the Director, Cary Institute administration, and Collaborative scientists to develop the vision and strategy for the operations and administration of the Collaborative.

4. Regularly interface with decision makers to represent the Collaborative. This will include when decision makers ask for input from the Collaborative and by organizing conveningings that engage decision makers around topics relevant to research activities.

5. Lead the interactions with key boundary spanning organizations to coordinate stakeholder engagement activities in ways that maximize the impact of our research on decision making.

6. Contribute to building foundation and federal support for Collaborative efforts, specifically representing policy and stakeholder engagement.

7. Oversee day-to-day operations of staff.

Qualifications: Did you know most successful candidates do not meet all qualifications? If you have some of these skills, please consider applying. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree or Ph.D. preferred). Successful candidates must have proven experience in wildfire policy and/or management. Exceptional candidates will have 3 or more years of experience in nonprofit administration, policy, environmental advocacy, facilitation, environmental mediation, communications, and/or project management. The successful candidate will have excellent oral communication skills, including in one-on-one settings and meeting facilitation. They will also have demonstrated success in grant writing. We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader with the organizational skills to follow through and execute. Past experience leading teams is a plus. A background in environmental science or experience working with scientists is a plus.

Cary Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, familial status, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.