Senior Representative, Northwest Program

POSITION SUMMARY

This professional-level position is responsible for implementing assigned Defenders’ strategic plan conservation goals and objectives in the Northwest, with a deep focus on positively influencing wildlife and human interactions, from conflict to coexistence, and fostering transformation in human attitudes and willingness to share the landscape with imperiled wildlife.  By promoting healthy native predator populations through human-predator coexistence and sound management policies in the Northwest, this position fulfills Defenders’ mission to protect all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. The Senior Representative will have a lead role in the organization’s advocacy on wolf recovery in Oregon and Washington. This is a full-time, nonsupervisory position with potential opportunities to manage contracts and volunteers.

 The Senior Representative will lead the growth and evolution of the human-wildlife coexistence program in the Northwest with a focus on apex predators.  Key strategies to achieve this goal involve community engagement through empowering and equipping communities with skills, strategies and tools to reduce conflicts, and proactively developing, evaluating, improving and implementing coexistence initiatives.  To do so, the Senior Representative will stay informed on the emerging and cutting edge science, seek to identify and trial new technologies and science-led practices, advocate for government funding, prioritization and appropriate application of these initiatives, and promote improved wildlife conservation policies overall, especially pertaining to areas of chronic conflict and movement corridors.  The Senior Representative will have a strong role in state-level policy planning for the species in both Washington and Oregon to help ensure robust recovery across the region.  Program strategies and objectives are achieved by collaborating with a variety of external partners, including state and federal agencies and officials, tribal governments, private landowners and individuals, and other conservation and community organizations requiring an ability to maintain productive working relationships with community leaders and decision makers, etc.  This position requires up-to-date knowledge of natural resource conservation issues, such as human-wildlife conflict prevention, state and federal endangered species policy, human dimensions of wildlife management, best available science related to species status, distribution and threats and other pertinent aspects of conservation biology. 

The Senior Representative serves both Washington and Oregon with travel throughout. The position will collaborate closely with the Northwest Director to develop strategy and set priorities, and along with other Northwest staff, to implement and communicate outcomes. The Senior Representative may also collaborate on and/or lead inter-department and external working groups related to coexistence and priority species for Defenders. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead on and advocate for Defenders’ primary positions related to wolf recovery and distribution across their former range in the Pacific Northwest.
• Identify and advocate for principles, goals, objectives, positions and management practices that promote the ecologically functional recovery of the species based on the best available science.
• Liaise with State wildlife agencies, fish and wildlife Commissions and governors’ offices to educate and inform decision-makers about the need and purpose of wolf recovery as a priority. Shape and advocate for various management directives required to affect recovery in reasonable time frames to achieve stated recovery goals and provide testimony in public for these as needed.
• Engage with specialized working groups in either state as the opportunity arises to achieve wolf recovery.
• Manage, implement, and expand coexistence priorities in the Pacific Northwest:
• Identify and implement targeted coexistence initiatives to increase social acceptance for gray wolves, grizzly bears, and other wildlife.
• Build partnerships with public and private landowners and tribes to improve and expand human-wildlife coexistence projects.
• Promote pilot projects to test innovative technologies and conservation strategies for priority species and habitats.
• Advocate for coexistence programs and funding at the local and state level through strategic engagement with wildlife and agricultural agencies, commissions, and legislatures.
• Provide support and information as needed to other Defenders’ staff, programs and departments (Communications, Marketing, Development, Legal, Government Relations) related to coexistence work;
• Work with other Northwest Program staff to mobilize a broader constituency for coexistence and wildlife conservation:
• Facilitate and promote the integration of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice principles into Defenders’ programmatic and outreach work in the Northwest.
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative relationships and partnerships with local conservation organizations, state and federal agencies and officials, Native American tribes, community organizations, and other stakeholders and foster local community leaders when the opportunity arises.
• Work closely with Defenders’ Communications and Marketing staff to develop relevant local messaging and storytelling (through alerts, blogs, videos, publications, etc.) to promote coexistence to a wide audience including rural and urban communities, current and prospective members, and decision makers.
• Work closely with Northwest Program outreach staff to engage and grow our regional base of members and supporters – including identifying how our programs can better include communities historically marginalized by the conservation movement.
• Work with Development staff to provide information to funders and help identify and develop potential sources of funding to support local coexistence work.
• Serve as a spokesperson for Defenders on wildlife coexistence in the Northwest; represent Defenders and Defenders’ interests to the public, the media, and key decision-makers, and in working groups, committees, and processes.
• Engage with other Northwest Program and other Field Conservation Program staff to develop and execute conservation campaigns for gray wolves, grizzly bears and other species as assigned.
• Supervise contractors and volunteers as necessary.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

 QUALIFICATIONSEducation: Bachelor’s (B.A./B.S.) degree or equivalent

Experience: 6 years of relevant experienceAn equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.