Tribal Nations Director

Position Overview

The Tribal Nations Director is responsible for the successful implementation of Washington Conservation Action’s (WCA) Tribal Nations Program and has an opportunity to direct the future of this emerging program. The Director is a values-driven programs leader who brings a keen equity lens, a proven track record in program development and implementation, deep knowledge of tribal sovereignty and experience working with Tribal Nations, and a collaborative approach to trustful relationship building. The Director will lead through visioning, strategizing, doing, learning, collaborating, and managing to ensure that WCA continues to strengthen its capacity to make transformative and equitable climate and environmental justice policy change in collaboration with tribal governments, tribal citizens, and tribal organizations. Reporting to our VP of Programs and serving as a critical thought partner to them and other leaders across the organization, this position manages a Tribal Nations Senior Manager.  The Tribal Nations Director serves on the Senior Management Team and works closely with other Directors in the organization. Collaborating across teams is essential to connect the dots between our programmatic work, our organization-wide strategic framework, and the ecological priorities of tribal nations. This work moves us towards a just environmental transition, centering the expertise of traditional ecological knowledge and racial equity. 

Washington Conservation Action is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and pushes for actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. For Washington to remain a national leader on environmental issues, we need environmental champions in elected office and to hold our leaders accountable. To keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant, we are committed to supporting Native candidates, candidates of color, and environmental leaders seeking election.

In January 2023, Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental Council unified under a shared brand—Washington Conservation Action. This evolution builds on our 50 years of work and history of bringing people together to solve Washington’s most critical environmental issues. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that ensure environmental progress and justice by centering and amplifying the voices of the most impacted communities. Washington Conservation Action is a 501(c4) organization. Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is our 501(c3) partner organization. Together, we advance a shared a vision for a Washington state where nature and people live in balance for the flourishing of all.

Washington Conservation Action is based in downtown Seattle . Our team of nearly 50 works in a flexible hybrid model, with most staff in the office two days a week for collaboration and celebration. All staff members have access to tools and systems to support hybrid work.  We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment. People of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work and are led by a CEO who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes Warm Springs, Oregon.

Join us! We are looking for a strategic and highly relational leader who is skilled at moving a justice-oriented agenda in collaboration with tribes, WCA staff, partners and colleagues to serve as Tribal Nations Director. 

Roles & Responsibilities

The Tribal Nations Director oversees all aspects of the Tribal Nations Program the goal of which is to shift how WCA and conservation efforts across the state work with Tribal Nations in Washington to recognize and uphold tribal sovereignty in our work. Core to achieving this goal, the Director will need to develop an understanding of WCA programs and priorities to collaborate internally. Externally, they will liaise with tribes to learn the environmental priorities of Tribal Nations in order to strengthen and build WCA’s capacity to advance an environmental justice agenda that is respectful of tribal sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. 

In close partnership with the VP of Programs, the Director will develop and implement an annual strategic vision for the Tribal Nations program and an operational plan that includes a budget and a work/staffing plan. The Director will manage the Tribal Nations team and lead in a way that exemplifies WCA’s organizational culture and values. These activities will include: 

Program Management 15%

• Lead on the design and implementation of strategies that integrate a deep understanding of Tribal sovereignty into the organization’s work. This includes supporting the ongoing education of WCA staff and environmental partners on best practices for respectfully engaging with Tribal Nations and upholding tribal sovereignty. 
• Elevate tribal expertise, protocols, and considerations into the organization’s work. Collaborate with Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) and Washington-based tribes to develop principles on nonprofit environmental organizations engagement and strategy with Washington Tribal Nations.
• With guidance from the VP of Programs and our Development team, propose, implement, and monitor the Tribal Nations program’s annual program budget, adjusting as needed to make best use of our resources.
• Serve on the Senior Management Team to provide strategic oversight of the organization.

Policy Management 30%

• Serve as a liaison between ATNI Washington member Tribal Nations and WCA staff to advance collaborative, issue-based advocacy goals, helping to build long-lasting relationships in key policy areas that are both strategically and philosophically valuable to WCA and respective Tribal Nations.
• Elevate tribal expertise and leadership in the systems and opportunities that shape our policy priorities, including elevating the role of tribal ecological knowledge and land management practices.
• Represent WCA’s positions to external audiences, communicating WCA/WCA Education Fund’s policy positions in meetings as needed with tribal lobbyists, tribal governments, and organized convenings of tribes. 

Cross-Team Collaboration 30%

• Develop tools and systems for improved coordination across WCA programs with respect to tribal relations with the goal of building sustainable and trusting relationships between the organization and tribes. This includes supporting team directors in the development of Tribal Coordination Plans for projects and campaigns.
• Collaborate with the Native Vote Field Director on building relationships with Tribal Nations, tribal government staff, and tribal organizations on behalf of the organization and on managing WCA staff’s efforts to use Salesforce to ensure effective communication about shared relationships.

Team Management & Organizational Culture 25%

• Be a leader in shaping WCA’s organizational culture in our recently unionized workplace, modeling a productive and collaborative leadership approach that centers anti-racist practice and supports colleagues to do their best work in accordance with the organization’s racial equity plan
• Act as a supervisor for the Tribal Nations Senior Manager including provide support, coaching, and direction to team staff, overseeing work planning and outcomes on an ongoing basis.
• In close partnership with the VP of Programs, support WCA’s process of implementing our newly adopted Collective Bargaining Agreement and its related policies and practices for the Tribal Nations team.

Qualifications & Attributes

• 5+ years of relevant experience that includes experience in successful program planning, implementation, and funding, including budget management and operationalizing strategies to achieve priorities and goals. 3+ years of leadership level experience is a plus but not required.
• Experience working collaboratively on complex initiatives and building trusting relationships effectively with Tribal Nations and across different communities and with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures. Creative and flexible with an orientation towards problem-solving; able to maintain a sense of hope and possibility that provides direction and inspiration for others, building momentum and moving initiatives forward despite ambiguity or obstacles.
• Deep operational understanding of Tribal sovereignty and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.
• Demonstrated application of racial equity frameworks and practices applicable in an environmental justice setting.
• Strong people management experience overseeing direct reports in a team setting, evaluating and supporting performance with a genuine desire to coach and mentor. Experience providing direct supervisor support to bargaining unit members will be helpful but is not required.
• Strong facilitation, public speaking, and written communication skills
• Technologically adept – comfort, familiarity and/or ability to learn and utilize a variety of computer applications (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google suite) as well as project management tools (e.g., Asana) and databases, especially Salesforce.

Compensation and Benefits 

This is a full time, exempt position with an annual salary range of $85K-90K. We also offer a generous benefits package including 100% employer paid medical, vision and dental insurance premiums , 401k plan and organizational match of up to 3% of your annual salary, a Flexible Spending Account, four weeks of  paid vacation to start and a separate pool of sick leave, 13 paid holidays per year, an unlimited ORCA transit pass, $1000 per year for professional development funds, and if you work for five consecutive years you are eligible for a two-month paid sabbatical. Staff at WCA are members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Local 7800, excluding supervisors and certain other categories. This position is supervisory and is not in the union.   

Location Information 

This position is hybrid with a minimum of 40% of time in the Seattle office, but we will consider an option for being fully remote for those located in Washington State, but outside of mass transit options to our Seattle office. This position can be remote for the right candidate. A hybrid remote agreement is required. Our teams have access to a variety of online tools and systems that support remote work and supervision. The position requires travel to other parts of Washington state and occasional travel elsewhere in the US. Travel is estimated to be 20% or less of the time and travel costs are paid for, or reimbursed by, the organization. 

Working Conditions 

This job requires frequent sitting. Must be able to conduct business in English, though fluency in other languages is welcomed. For remote and hybrid work, employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work during scheduled work hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform functions essential to the duties of the position. 

COVID-19 

The organization follows all requirements of local health authorities. We work in a hybrid work model with staff working from home in addition to in-office time for collaboration and celebration. We maintain strict safety protocols while in our office. All staff who come to the office must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by law.