Program Director, Southern California at National Audubon Society in Oakland, California

Develop and implement strategies to achieve Audubon’s priorities in Southern California, including in Los Angeles, at the Salton Sea and in the California desert, and track progress against goals.

Represent Audubon California on issues related to its priorities in Southern California to decision-makers, communities, and partner organizations, including preparing and providing public presentations, testimony, and comments.

Co-identify conservation problems and solutions using a community-centered approach based on trusting relationships with key community members and partners, and incorporate their concerns and needs into proposed conservation solutions.

Manage, mentor and grow the Desert and Salton Sea Program staff, and other staff in Southern California, creating an enjoyable, safe, and equitable work environment where staff can thrive.

Connect local work with other Audubon programs, teams, and initiatives.

Work closely with and provide leadership to existing coalitions and seek opportunities to grow and expand Audubon’s partnerships.

Strategize with Audubon’s communications team on external communications to advance initiatives and elevate Audubon’s presence on issues in Southern California.

Collaborate with Audubon California’s Policy Director to advance policies that further Audubon goals in Southern California, including state and federal legislation, budget plays, and advocacy before agencies.

Collaborate with Audubon California’s Senior Conservation Director and Director of Geospatial Science to identify and fulfill bird conservation science needs at the Salton Sea and California desert and to share findings with other interested parties and the public.

Monitor and track proposals and planning, for example related to lithium development, at the Salton Sea.

Identify, apply for, and oversee institutional and government funding; work with the development team to build relationships with individual donors in the region.

Oversee external consultants and technical advisors, including developing contracts and managing their scope of work, deliverables, and performance.

Prepare and make verbal and written communications to externally interested parties and the media on Audubon’s desert and Salton Sea priorities.

Provide regular updates to California and National leadership on progress and outputs of our work in the desert and at the Salton Sea.

Support a culture of philanthropy, including public funding efforts.

Collaborate with colleagues across the Americas including through joint planning and execution of shared priorities.

Maintains and fosters culture of safety.

Bachelor’s degree in policy, political science, environmental management or other relevant field preferred.

At least ten years of experience working on issues related to conservation, especially in Southern California. An equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.

At least 3 years of supervisory and team leadership experience.

Project management, including tracking project progress, reporting on outcomes, and writing reports.

Familiarity with California conservation issues, including water supply challenges in Southern California, renewable energy development, urban greening, and increasing equitable access to nature.

Familiarity with appropriate state and federal agencies that interact regularly with Audubon priorities in the desert and at the Salton Sea, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Natural Resources Agency, California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and California Dept. of Water Resources.

Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.

Experience fostering inclusive and collaborative work environments is valued.

Strong diplomatic and consensus-building skills; a willingness to work across interests, political divisions, and backgrounds to find shared solutions.

Demonstrated ability to build relationships with a broad diversity of interested parties from different political and cultural perspectives and a commitment to reaching out to and including parties that may have been previously excluded from conservation-related planning and processes.

Experience with grassroots education, engagement, and activation on conservation or public health issues.

Demonstrated ability to contribute to fundraising, including identifying and applying for grants and engaging potential donors.

Bilingual (Spanish, English) strongly preferred.

Strong analytical and writing skills preferred.

A self-starter with the ability to work independently.

Knowledge of Southern California ecosystems and birds preferred, especially desert ecosystems and birds.

Willingness to occasionally work evenings and weekends as required.

Ability to travel throughout the region and California on a regular basis.

Must possess a valid driver's license, have access to personal transportation and be able to work independently from home office.

Comfortable working in an outdoor environment.