Sr Director, Nature in the City

About Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England. Founded in 1896 by two women who fought for the protection of birds, Mass Audubon carries on their legacy by focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change. With the help of our 160,000 members and supporters, we protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programs for adults and children, and provide endless opportunities to experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries. Explore, find inspiration, and take action at massaudubon.org.

About Nature in the City
Mass Audubon’s Action Agenda maps a five-year blueprint for addressing the greatest conservation threats of our time – climate change, biodiversity loss, and the inequitable access to nature across our state. To address these issues in our most vulnerable communities, Mass Audubon has launched the Nature in the City Program, with a goal of increasing the number of healthy, vibrant green spaces – and access to them – for residents of under-resourced urban communities and communities of color. Through NITC program, we are collaborating with local partners to protect and, when feasible, activate twenty urban greenspaces over the next five years. This program aims to welcome people who have been historically underrepresented as collaborators in advancing environmental equity, fostering resilience to climate change impacts, and ensuring that we are closing the nature gap now and for future generations.

NITC is a partnership-based initiative that has already demonstrated measurable benefits to communities. For example, four new urban greenspaces have been established including Pawtucket Farm in Lowell, Massachusetts, where nearly 20 acres of greenspace will soon be open to city residents. NITC is a partner with the City of Boston and several community and city-wide nonprofit organizations to lead the Boston Tree Alliance – a program dedicated to increasing the tree canopy in environmental justice neighborhoods throughout the city. And we’re building strategic partnerships in New Bedford, Fall River, Chelsea, Saugus, Springfield, and Worcester to identify new opportunities to protect, restore, and activate green spaces in communities and neighborhoods that need it the most.

The SD works in the Conservation Division and will report to the Chief Conservation Officer. Success in this role will require collaboration with other departments across the organization to meet Nature in the City and Action Agenda goals. This position requires supervisory experience and oversees a small team of staff associated with the Boston Tree Alliance program.

About This Position
The Senior Director, Nature in the City Program (SD) is a strong, experienced, dynamic leader who will implement and grow the Nature in the City (NITC) program in communities across the Commonwealth. The SD is passionate about nature and the benefits it offers society – and has a proven track record of working with cross-disciplinary teams to accomplish positive and measurable conservation outcomes in urban settings. With strong skills in conservation project development and an exceptional ability to build authentic partnerships with local leaders, grassroots, and grasstops organizations, and government leaders towards a shared vision, the SD will build a resilient, meaningful, community-supported network of greenspaces that provide access to nature for millions of our most historically excluded residents of Massachusetts.

The SD will have significant management experience, cultural competency, political acumen, fundraising experience, initiative, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt and iterate to achieve success. Importantly, this position will draw on and gain support from the full extent of Mass Audubon’s staff, including policy and advocacy, land conservation and restoration, wildlife sanctuaries, education, and fundraising teams. This role will also be an important contributor in the implementation of Mass Audubon’s diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility strategy.

Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for the NITC program, advancing and iterating the program to achieve the vision of providing access to nature, including creating 20 new urban greenspaces in our most vulnerable communities.
• In collaboration with internal and external partners, explore, shape, and bring to life a set of potential urban greenspace opportunities. To the extent possible, manage greenspace projects through grounded, community driven processes to ensure relevant, meaningful outcomes that are responsive to community needs and aspirations.
• Lead an internal, cross-divisional team in support of NITC goals and build collaborations with regional and local staff to advance community-based outreach, relationship-building, and project development. In particular, coordinate all partnership development and building with Wildlife Sanctuaries and Programs Regional Directors, many of whom have preexisting relationships.
• Build partnerships at the neighborhood, city, regional, and state levels in support of program goals. Partners may include elected officials, non-profit and community organizations, city and state administrators, community development corporations, and other organizations.
• With guidance from the Philanthropy Department, identify and secure program and project funding from private and public sources.
• Develop and promote a compelling narrative around the benefits of nature in the urban environment and lift programmatic successes externally and internally through collaboration with Mass Audubon’s communications and marketing team.

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve as an ambassador for Mass Audubon in public presentations and professional communities to promote the work of NITC.
• Build internal awareness and a learning environment around urban conservation best practice and leading models in the United States and beyond.
• Establish and track performance through annual and multi-year work plans that include measurable goals and outcomes.
• Coordinate all projects with the Land Conservation team and Finance Department to ensure achievement of legal standards and practices in real estate contracts and transactions.
• Develop and manage program budgets including pre-existing grant deliverables.

Qualifications
At Mass Audubon, our highest priority is finding the best candidate for the job. Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• Degree in conservation or earth sciences, environmental justice, community development, or relevant field and a minimum of 8-10 years of related experience, including 3-5 years in a leadership/supervisory role.
• Proven ability to develop, implement, lead, and adapt a unique, urban-based program within a nonprofit context.
• Proven ability to develop and nurture a deep network of relationships in the government, nonprofit and community organization sectors, and to manage strong relationships with funders who support urban conservation, climate resilience, and environmental justice.
• Experience pursuing, assessing and evaluating project opportunities against a set of programmatic criteria. Experience managing land conservation or other land or nature-based conservation is a plus.
• Proven ability to develop, implement, and analyze plans and budgets as well as to meet deadlines and goals in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to facilitate complex, multi-dimensional projects while managing other duties and responsibilities.
• Experience in the recruitment, management, and development of diverse staff and the ability to organize, inspire, and support people with diverse skills and backgrounds to create a common program or shared result.
• Exceptional communication skills and strong public speaking skills.
• Proven ability and comfort with collaboration as a dominant working style.
• Strong computer and communication skills (written and oral).
• A valid driver’s license and the physical capacity to travel frequently and extensively within the state and region.

Compensation, Benefits and Perks
This position’s pay range is $128,880-$136,462 per year; actual salary will reflect level of experience and qualifications relative to position requirements.

Benefits eligible staff at Mass Audubon may elect to enroll in medical, dental, and vision plans. Mass Audubon also offers disability and life insurance plans, a retirement plan through MetLife, and Flexible Spending Account options. Mass Audubon employment also includes access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the Reciprocity Agreement through the Consortium of Non-Profit Arts/Cultural/Environmental Organizations of New England. Mass Audubon employees also enjoy 13 paid holidays (holidays may shift annually due to where days fall within calendar).

Work Schedule

Full time schedule of 40 hours, usually Monday through Friday, with occasional evening or weekend meetings. Two days are office-based, at least one of which would be at Mass Audubon’s headquarters in Lincoln, MA.

Other Requirements
Employees must successfully complete a CORI and SORI Background Check and a Motor Vehicle Record (if applicable) is required.

Mass Audubon’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice

Mass Audubon embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are dedicated to forming a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Mass Audubon’s mission is to “protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and for wildlife” by building a strong coalition of employees, volunteers, and community members. We recognize that the environmental movement and field of conservation have been affected by societal systems that have limited opportunity and access for many people. As a result, Mass Audubon is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We are engaged in an ongoing process of organizational assessment and change, designed to remove barriers and create a workplace where all forms of diversity are recognized and valued.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Mass Audubon is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. Mass Audubon prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Application Instructions
Please submit resume and cover letter with your ADP application via this link