Vice President of Conservation and Education

The Indianapolis Zoo is seeking an experienced and passionate individual to lead our Conservation and Education departments. This individual will be responsible for guaranteeing that all strategies and programs are forward thinking and align with the Zoo’s mission and core values.

This member of the executive team is responsible for all conservation and education activities at the Zoo. This includes field conservation support, the activities of the Global Center for Species Survival (GCSS), the integration of conservation messaging into all Zoo programming, and the sustainability practices of the organization. GCSS is a partnership between the Indianapolis Zoological Society (IZS) and the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). The GCSS team will aim to unite the strengths of the IZS in public education, communication, fundraising and conservation messaging with SSC’s efforts to drive effective conservation assessments, planning and action for animal, fungi and plant survival worldwide. The GCSS team is comprised of conservation, communication and education staff who support the SSC with time, tools, information and resources that expand the capacity and success of the partnership in saving species.

The successful candidate will possess strong credentials to effectively carry out their responsibilities. This role will require constant collaboration with other departments as well as entrepreneurial skills and abilities. This position oversees and has overall responsibility for generating gross sales and maximizing positive net revenues in all Education programs including summer camps, dolphin-in-waters, and all other programming. The Vice President will collaborate with other senior staff to develop and refine business strategies while ensuring compliance with all Zoo policies.

Required Experience includes:

• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in the field of conservation and/or environmental education.
• A graduate degree in an appropriate discipline such as Conservation Science, Environmental Policy, or a related field is required and a Ph.D. is preferred.
• Knowledge of global conservation issues.
• Experience with education and behavior change for a general audience.
• Strong familiarity with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and especially the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC).
• Ability to clearly communicate ideas verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross culturally with international teams.
• Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is very beneficial.
• Strong organizational, project, grant, and management skills.
• Demonstrated experience in setting, measuring, and achieving goals.
• Demonstrated experience in handling multiple complex tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and motivate a team of employees.
• Demonstrated ability to comfortably and effectively interact with people.
• Proven skills and ability to plan, organize, and compellingly present ideas and concepts to groups on complex topics.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft software products.

The Vice President of Conservation and Education directly supervises the Global Center for Species Survival team which currently includes eight (8) full-time Conservation Coordinators. This position will also indirectly supervise all Global Center for Species Survival interns and volunteers. In addition, this role directly supervises the Director of Education and indirectly supervises the staff in the Education Department including full-time, part-time, seasonal staff, interns, and volunteers. The Vice President of Conservation and Education reports directly to the President and CEO.

Essential Duties include:

• Support the Zoo’s mission to protect nature and inspire people to care for our world.
• Create and foster a culture of workplace safety and diversity.
• Provide direct supervision, manage and direct the Coordinators in the Global Center for Species Survival and the Director of Education.
• Develop an annual business plan for the Global Center for Species Survival and the Education department. This will involve direct collaboration with the SSC.
• Work directly with the SSC Chair’s Office team to strengthen the GCSS partnership with IZS and to support collaborative impact for species survival, innovation and sustainability in the partnership, working also to ensure effective integration between the GCSS, Education and wider IZS staff teams and culture.
• Work directly with the Finance Department in monitoring all departmental revenue and expense accounts and ensure staff compliance in adhering to all protocols.
• Work closely with the Institutional Advancement team in seeking and securing external funding in support of institutional goals.
• Serve as a member of the Zoo’s Executive Staff Committee.
• Attend all Board meetings.
• Ensure that operations, policies and procedures meet or exceed the current accreditation standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Association of Museums (AAM).
• Must have a valid/ active Indiana Driver’s License (or the ability to obtain one within 60 days of hire) with a record insurable through the Zoo’s insurance.

To apply:

• Interested candidates must include a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to be considered.
• Please note, the Zoo reserves the right to remove this job posting at any time.

Employment at the Indianapolis Zoo is contingent upon the successful completion of pre-employment testing including a background check, motor vehicle check (if applicable) and a drug test.