DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMMING
Req #: | 174581 |
Department: | EARTHLAB |
Job Location: | Seattle Campus |
Posting Date: | 12/03/2019 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | Salary is commensurate with education and experience. |
Shift: | First Shift |
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for six consecutive years.
Earth Lab at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, invites applications for the position of part time, 75%FTE Director of Conservation Programming for the UW Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP@UW). The Director’s position is an exciting opportunity to lead an innovative program that aims to transform conservation practice and inclusiveness on a national scale through a two-summer, undergraduate experiential learning program that explores conservation in the Pacific Northwest.
DDCSP@UW explores biodiversity conservation through its intersections with concepts of environmental justice, defined as the nexus of species, nature and social justice. The program is interdisciplinary, recognizing that achieving species, nature and cultural conservation requires the use of a broad range of disciplines, knowledge and practices, and which take place in and across numerous sites. We explore conservation issues and on-the-ground conservation efforts throughout Western Washington, in partnership with researchers, community-based organizations, NGOs, local, state and federal agencies and Tribal nations. We seek to promote bio-cultural conservation and sustainable management of species, lands and waters, in both urban and rural contexts. Our ultimate goal is for our student-scholars to find a compelling path to future work in these conservation pathways.
DDCSP@UW is committed to shifting the demographic landscape at resource agencies and conservation institutions to more accurately reflect the multicultural and multiethnic society of today and tomorrow, and strongly encourages applications from candidates who will enrich that mission. (See http://uwconservationscholars.org/ and https://earthlab.uw.edu/members-and-affiliates/doris-duke-conservation-scholars/)
The Director of Conservation Programming at DDCSP@UW will work collaboratively with the DDCSP@UW team to deliver a transformative experience to 40 conservation scholars each summer.
Our program is unique in hosting cohorts of 20 scholars in Washington for both their first and second summer. We take our first-year scholars on an extensive field tour of conservation practices across a range of ecological and cultural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. The second summer, scholars return for a summer internship experience in support of a partner organization. Our summer programming culminates in a Conservation Summit in which scholars present their stories and internship accomplishments. The Director will collaborate with our core staff in refining our curriculum for the summer programming for both the first-year and second-year cohorts, management and delivery of the summer programming, as well as recruitment of the new cohort, internship RFPs, networking among conservation organizations, program reporting and budgeting.
The Director will need to work within and across multiple sectors of the conservation field (including local, state, federal and tribal agencies, community organizations, conservation NGOs, and academia) to help create robust summer field and internship experiences and to bolster networks for the scholars and alumni. The Director will need to draw upon knowledge and understanding of how power, privilege, agency and identity manifest in conservation to help deliver the conservation programming, and to support scholars to become leaders in the field. The Director should have strong collaborative, organizational, conflict management and systems-level thinking skills, and support the building of these critical skills in our scholars.
A successful candidate will be responsible for the following, with approximate time allocations listed in parenthesis:
Program Leadership
•Sustain a strong culture of equity, inclusion, well-being, and collaborative leadership across all DDCSP programming
•Maintain and extend relationships with an extensive network of local, regional, and national conservation practitioners and professionals to participate in first year and second year activities - including but not limited to contributing faculty, steering committee members, adjoining tribal nations, conservation agencies and NGOs
•Oversee recruitment and retention efforts, application review and interview process
•Mentor returning second year students in professional development, design of their conservation research projects and any products for internship partners, and facilitate their subsequent career steps
•Support and facilitate efforts to enhance the capacity of organizations to engage meaningfully with a more diverse conservation workforce
Program Design
•Collaborative improvement of and innovation in the design and delivery of the immersive eight-week field program in conservation for the first-year program
•Design second year conservation internship projects; including communicating project frameworks, objectives, and timelines with potential internship partner organizations/agencies
Program Operations
•Support staff professional development and maintain a generative work culture
•Manage program finances, budget construction and reconciliation, post-award monitoring and reporting
•Collaborate in grant-writing and/or fundraising
As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.
Qualifications
•A Master’s degree in a conservation-related field and a minimum of three years’ professional experience in the aforementioned field.
•Experience working with undergraduate students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds as a teacher, mentor, researcher, and/or supervisor, with a focus in conservation or environmental studies.
•Experience communicating and working within and/or across multiple sectors of the conservation field- including but not limited to academia, local, state, federal and tribal agencies or NGOs
•Experience managing budgets, writing reports, and grants
•Must be available to travel to program sites throughout the state. Travel will occur approximately five out of eight weeks from mid-June through August, and one trip may last up to two weeks.
•Professional level competency with social media, web conferencing, general MS Office applications (e.g., Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook) and the ability to learn new software applications as necessary
•Valid driver’s license
•Ability to lift up to 30 pounds
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except where there are legal requirements such as license/certification/registration.
Desired Requirements:
Applicants with any or all of the following areas of expertise are strongly encouraged to apply:
•Familiarity with the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program or other undergraduate experiential education programs serving students from diverse backgrounds
•Experience as conservation professional with demonstrated experience in the science and/or implementation of conservation in local and/or regional contexts
•Demonstrated experience with issues of social/environmental justice, especially within Tribal and/or other racially, ethnically or economically minoritized communities in the Pacific Northwest
DDCSP@UW is member group of EarthLab at the University of Washington. EarthLab is a new initiative at the University of Washington seeking to link and apply the amazing environmental research happening at the UW with decision makers working on solutions to environmental challenges. Stewarded by the College of the Environment, EarthLab supports application-focused interdisciplinary collaboration across and beyond the University of Washington. EarthLab focuses on addressing our world’s most pressing environmental challenges – catalyzing collaborations with partners across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.
The University of Washington (UW) is located in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, with a dynamic, multicultural community of 3.7 million people and a range of ecosystems from mountains to ocean. The UW serves a diverse population of 80,000 students, faculty and staff, including 25% first-generation college students, over 25% Pell Grant students, and faculty from over 70 countries.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
Please include in your Cover Letter - Letter of application that addresses your expertise and skills in relation to the position announcement. Also include in your cover letter a statement of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion that addresses past and/or potential contributions.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.