President

The Opportunity

The next President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) will
have a unique and exciting opportunity to advance the strategic
direction of our work as a wildlife hospital, rehabilitation
facility, public education resource, and professional training
center.

The next President will play a pivotal role in expanding WCV’s
impact by increasing facility capacity, adding staff, and securing
needed annual operating funds and longer-term capital campaign
funding. As the primary spokesperson for the organization, you will
engage with the public, government officials, other non-profits,
and the media to advocate for innovative wildlife conservation
policies. This role is not only an opportunity to lead a respected
organization in its mission but also to influence legislative and
regulatory decisions that shape the future of wildlife conservation
and environmental policies in the United States and worldwide.

If you are a relationship builder with proven leadership skills,
a passion for wildlife, and the desire to make a lasting impact,
the position of President at WCV is an exciting opportunity to
contribute to the conservation of wildlife, the protection of the
environment, and the building of a better and more sustainable
future.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia

Mission: A hospital for native wild animals,
teaching the world to care about, and care for, wildlife and the
environment.

Overview: WCV, located in Waynesboro, VA, was
co-founded in 1982 by Ed Clark and others to provide quality
healthcare, often on an emergency basis, to native Virginia
wildlife. Since then, it has become a leading teaching hospital for
veterinary students and professionals by offering veterinary
rotations to fourth-year veterinary students, and internships,
fellowships, and residencies to graduate veterinarians. In
conjunction with treating patients and training veterinarians,
technicians, and students, the Center collects data that enables us
to communicate information to the public, as well as legislative
and regulatory decision makers, about the trends and causes of
wildlife injuries and illnesses. In recent years the number of
patients treated has increased from 2,500 annually to more than
4,000. WCV has expanded its number of veterinarians, staff, and
volunteers to the extent possible. The necessary next step is to
expand the facilities. For more information, please see The Wildlife Center web
site.

Culture: WCV’s culture is mission-driven. Our
more than 30 full-time staff members, veterinary externs, wildlife
rehabilitation students, and volunteers have developed a culture of
trust, mutual support, and camaraderie. They enjoy working together
and often socialize together. Although they work in distinct
departments and often maintain challenging schedules, their shared
passion for saving wildlife creates a tight bond.

Job Responsibilities 

Position Overview:

The President of WCV sets the strategic direction and oversees
overall operations of the organization. The President works
collaboratively with the Board and the Center’s leadership team to
fulfill and advance WCV’s mission. The role requires a strong
emphasis on building relationships, advocating for wildlife
conservation, and expanding operational capacity. The President is
the outward face of the organization and is responsible for
communicating WCV’s work to the public, legislators, regulators,
and the conservation community at large. 

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a strategic vision that prioritizes
  building strong relationships with stakeholders, including donors,
  partners, volunteers, and community members.
• Collaborate with the Board of Directors and the leadership team
  to garner support for WCV’s mission, expansion goals, and overall
  strategy.
• Maintain WCV’s reputation as the world’s leading teaching
  hospital for wildlife medicine, premier wildlife rehabilitation
  facility, and public education center.

Capacity Building and Fundraising

• Develop and implement plans to increase WCV’s capacity to treat
  patients, conduct research, educate the public, and have a greater
  impact on the conservation of wildlife. This will include
  increasing staff and expanding facilities.
• Lead the Center’s fundraising initiatives, including personal
  involvement in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of
  donors, with a special focus on securing financial support for the
  expansion of facilities.

External Relations

• Execute well-designed outreach strategies to engage the public,
  legislators, regulators, opinion leaders, and donors in the
  importance of wildlife conservation and the Wildlife Center
  itself.
• Cultivate relationships with legislators, regulators, and
  government officials to advance and implement policies that support
  wildlife conservation, wildlife rehabilitation, and public
  education.
• Collaborate with educational institutions and community
  organizations to enhance public understanding of wildlife issues
  and support for WCV’s mission.

Internal Leadership:

• Maintain a culture of support, collaboration, and continuous
  learning within WCV’s staff.
• Work with the WCV leadership team and Board of Directors to
  ensure operational excellence and sound financial management.

Reporting:

This position reports to the Board of Directors, primarily
through the Board Chair. The President leads the organization’s
leadership team. The Senior Vice President and Director of
Development report to the President, and the leadership team
includes the Director of Veterinary Services and Director of
Strategic Advancement, who report to the Senior VP.

Compensation

Minimum starting salary is $170,000 annually. Benefits include
vacation, personal, and sick leave; a cafeteria plan for health and
other benefits; and a retirement plan with an employer match.

Qualifications

Requirements include a passion for WCV’s mission and solid
experience leading an organization at an executive level. The
following list provides a profile of the type of qualifications the
Board seeks:

• Proven success in building and maintaining relationships with
  diverse stakeholders.
• Strong advocacy and government relations experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated success and personal experience in fundraising,
  both in annual funds and capital campaigns.
• An upward trajectory of leadership within an organization.
• Budget development and management experience.
• Experience in cultivating and engaging Board members.
• Core values that include integrity, inclusiveness, and
  transparency.
• A bachelor’s or advanced degree plus experience in a relevant
  field, which may include biology, wildlife management,
  communications, environmental science, marketing, public
  administration, business, nonprofit management, or other relevant
  disciplines.

 

To Apply

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to: https://warrenwhitney.isolvedhire.com/jobs/.
For best consideration, please respond by Saturday, February 3,
2024.

The firm, Warren Whitney, has been engaged as our search
consultant. If you have questions about the position, please send
an email to Katherine Whitney at kwhitney@warrenwhitney.com.

The Board and search consultant understand that an expression of
interest may be exploratory in nature. Candidate information will
remain confidential until the final stages of the search.
References will be requested later in the process and will not be
contacted without expressed permission from the candidate.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an Equal Employment
Opportunity (EEO) Employer. It is a fundamental policy not to
discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender,
gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, partnership status,
domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, age, national
origin, alienage or citizenship status, veteran or military status,
disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver
status, unemployment status or any other characteristic prohibited
by federal, state and/or local laws.