Executive Director

OUR MISSION

PROTECT, UNITE & RESTORE

Wild Arizona’s mission is to protect, unite, and restore wild lands and waters across Arizona and beyond, for the enrichment and health of all beings, and to ensure Arizona’s native plants and animals a lasting home in wild nature.

OUR APPROACH

KNOW IT, LOVE IT, PROTECT IT

We cultivate stewardship; organize and amplify multi-community voices of support for legislation and special designations; and advocate for conservation policy. Connected habitat sustains treasured webs of life in the wild, including and especially springs and rivers, and the broad pathways that people and wildlife can travel freely. The many beings that inhabit the Grand Canyon State, human included, thrive when we protect and heal our wild lands and waters.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Title: Executive Director

Reports To: Wild Arizona Board of Directors

Classification:Full-time, salaried, exempt

Location: Remote within Arizona; limited travel within Arizona and Western New Mexico

Salary Range: $80,000 – 90,000 doe annual, plus health insurance benefits

Wild Arizona seeks a collaborative and visionary Executive Director to lead the organization in advancing its mission, strategy, and impact. The Executive Director is responsible for overall organizational leadership, including fundraising, fiscal and operational management, staff leadership, program development, and conservation policy advocacy.

A key near-term priority for the Executive Director will be to develop and launch a sustainable funding strategy for Wild Arizona’s conservation and policy program, which currently has limited staffing and funding. The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the current conservation policy funding landscape and the ability to secure resources, build partnerships, or leverage existing relationships to grow this program.

Wild Arizona has a robust Stewardship program with an excellent reputation, to which the majority of organizational resources are currently devoted. 

Wild Arizona is committed to fostering a workplace grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to applying a trauma-informed, healing-focused approach in our programs and employment practices, consistent with our mission and applicable law.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership aligned with Wild Arizona’s mission and values
• Lead fundraising efforts, including individual giving, grants, agreements and partnerships
• Oversee organizational finances, budgeting, and financial sustainability
• Develop strategy, funding and staffing structure for the conservation and policy programs
• Support and strengthen Wild AZ’s stewardship program. Stewardship Program Director and Field Operations Director roles are currently in place managing day to day operations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners across conservation, government, tribal, civic, and philanthropic sectors
• Serve as a public spokesperson and representative of Wild Arizona, inspiring and organizing protection and restoration of wild lands across Arizona and beyond
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to achieve Wild Arizona’s strategic fiscal, organizational, and program goals

Qualifications & Experience

• Demonstrated leadership experience in fundraising, financial management skills, and in meeting financial and budgetary challenges
• Demonstrated  organizational leadership skills
• Ability to build effective partnerships across diverse communities and stakeholders
• Understanding of state and federal conservation and policy landscapes
• Commitment to Wild Arizona’s mission and values.

A full job description is available. https://www.wildarizona.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Wild-Arizona-Executive-Director-Job-Description-2026-2.pdf