VP of Conservation Programs and Partnerships

JOB POSTING

Vice President of Conservation Programs and Partnerships

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants

Reports to: Chief Conservation Officer

Status: Full-time, salaried, benefitted position

Hours of work: Standard Monday-Friday workweek, 8am-5pm. Occasional need for weekend or after-hours work as related to events and other projects.

Date needed: June 2024

Posting expires: When position has been filled.

Position description:

The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for a Vice President of Conservation Programs and Partnerships to join the Conservation Programs and Partnerships team. Our conservation policy and advocacy, research, and species recovery programs are critical to deliver on our mission: Inspiring conservation of our marine environment. The conservation programs and partnerships team is passionate, strategic, and motivated by our shared vision for a regenerative and equitable future for all life on this planet. They are equal part knowledge-holders and knowledge-seekers, working in collaboration with local, national, and international partners to advance our conservation priorities-climate resilience, sustainable seas, and clean waters.

We are looking for a Vice President (VP) of Conservation Programs and Partnerships to lead this team, co-create the vision for growth of these programs, and create the enabling conditions for the team to thrive. The VP of Conservation Programs and Partnerships also identifies opportunities for new internal and external collaborations, pursues fundraising opportunities to support innovative programs and partners, and represents the organization on various internal and external committees. The position reports to the Chief Conservation Officer and has three direct reports (i.e., Senior Manager of Ocean Policy, Senior Manager of Conservation Research, and Species Recovery Program Manager), with an overall team of 11 staff.

We are seeking a strong and compassionate leader who understands the challenges and opportunities in ocean conservation, and someone who is passionate about building a more equitable, regenerative, and resilient future for all. The portfolio of projects led by the Conservation Programs and Partnerships team spans diverse initiatives from decades-long sea otter conservation research to influencing policy that can reduce plastic pollution to recovering endangered pinto abalone in Washington. These diverse programs are enabled, catalyzed, and enriched by our identity as an aquarium, and equity, access and justice are foundational and interwoven throughout. Launched in 2018, the Conservation Programs and Partnerships team is in an active state of growth, awaiting their next leader who can continue to expand our influence and impact into the future.

All positions at the Aquarium support our SALISH Values (Sustainable, Awe-Inspiring, Learning and Improving, Inclusive Community, Scientific Integrity, Honoring Place). As a part of our values, the Aquarium is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. We adopted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategic plan and Regenerative Plan. We envision a future in which ocean and coastal communities survive and thrive, where we can meet the needs of the present while building more resilient and equitable systems for the future.

As part of our inclusive community value, skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through 10 years of growing responsibility in conservation program and partnership development, implementation, and leadership, through a combination of relevant cultural, community, career and/or formal or information education.

Key functions:

Team management and collaboration

• Lead and support the Conservation Programs and Partnerships (CPP) team, ensuring a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment.
• Foster professional growth of team members through coaching and mentoring, providing feedback, training and professional development, accountability, team culture, and opportunities for internal advancement.
• Actively and effectively support internal collaboration to advance ex situ and in situ conservation activities across the suite of initiatives led and/or co-led by the Conservation Programs and Partnerships team.
• Establish the strategic vision for team and program development, growth, and evaluation, working in collaboration across the department.
• Provide leadership in strengthening internal communications with staff at all levels throughout the organization. Act as a change agent and ensure open, bi-directional communication between the department's staff and the organizational leadership.

Conservation program leadership, cultivation, and partnerships

• Seek and pursue opportunities to expand our role as a global conservation leader and increase our capacity for in situ and ex situ conservation programs.
• Co-create and implement conservation initiatives that integrate across disciplines (internally and externally), engage diverse voices and perspectives, and maximize conservation impact in support of our mission and conservation priorities.
• Embrace a collaborative approach in all initiatives, inclusive of partners across cultures and sectors (e.g., aquariums and zoos, government entities, NGOs, tourism operators, academic institutions), with a particular focus on Indigenous and local communities and emerging leaders.
• Provide support and guidance to the CPP team on program advancement, including effectively resourcing program expansion.
• Serve as a spokesperson (e.g., press, media, conferences, events, hearings), championing the Aquarium's work with partners and sharing lessons and successes.

Strategic thinking, planning & development

• Serve as an active and collaborative member of the executive team to establish the short- and long-term strategic plan for the Aquarium and to model cross-functional integration and collaborative ways of working.
• Elevate and align CPP team goals toward our objective of becoming a regenerative aquarium and global conservation leader, considering impacts and opportunities for interdepartmental collaboration while ensuring the optimal use of resources.
• Seek, identify and pursue funding opportunities to support the expansion and building of innovative programs, often in collaboration with the Philanthropy team and other departments.
• Prepare and manage departmental budgets, aligning three team budgets within the scope of the departmental budget, ensuring effective and responsible fiscal practices.
• Proactively adapt to meeting changing business requirements and emerging opportunities, facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace.
• Co-develop and implement field conservation, research, and species recovery programs in close collaboration with the Department of Animal Care, Department of Conservation Engagement and Learning, and Dive Program.
• Lead, advance, and integrate diversity, equity, access, inclusion, justice, and regenerative practices throughout team management, conservation initiatives, and organization-level decision-making.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required skills and experience:

The conservation movement has historically marginalized many communities. Our team actively seeks to dismantle this practice and to broaden participation in the marine conservation profession, making it more inclusive of the full diversity of our communities, more responsive to community needs and perspectives, and thus more effective in conserving biodiversity and ecosystems. Candidates passionate about anti-racism, social justice, environmental justice, Indigenous Knowledge, multilingualism, and other intersections will be an asset to our work.

The skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant professional, cultural and community experiences, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education.

• At least 10 years of cumulative experience, demonstrating continued growth and leadership in a Tribal enterprise, environmental nonprofit, government agency, aquarium, zoo, or similar organization.
• Clear, communicative leadership and management skills, with demonstrated experience supervising and mentoring staff at multiple levels, team development, career progression, and with leading interdisciplinary teams.
• Extensive knowledge of and practical experience with ocean conservation, including the challenges, opportunities, and emerging changes in the field. Familiar with state-level, U.S., and global conservation policy.
• Working knowledge of marine ecology and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Familiarity with marine conservation issues in the Salish Sea or Coral Triangle region. Preferably working knowledge of freshwater ecology.
• Understanding of the importance and complexities of Tribal treaty rights, Tribal sovereignty, and how Black, Indigenous, and global majority groups have approached conservation.
• Experience building multi-faceted, multicultural, interdisciplinary, and effective conservation initiatives across a complex organization in collaboration with a diverse array of local and international partners that meet the needs of communities.
• Skilled fundraiser across both public and private pathways, including government grants, conservation foundations and individual donors. Solid knowledge of local, national, and international funding landscape with experience cultivating relationships, developing proposals and reporting.
• Deep understanding of resource management in terms of time, effort, budget and funding, and evidence of strategic decision making in allocation and tracking of resources. Solutions-oriented approach in addressing opportunities that achieve near- and long-term goals of the department.
• Excellent verbal, writing and editing skills, including experience with public speaking, and acting as an institutional spokesperson with the press and media. Preference for multilingual speakers with comfort and practice communicating across cultural and language barriers.
• Strong ability to build and maintain positive, respectful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, including international experience. Ability to build bridges, use diplomacy, and approach others from an empathetic and curious perspective.

Working conditions:

• Most work is performed in a typical office setting in a private office/semi-private work area with frequent interruptions. Other work areas include outdoor environments with the need for some international and domestic travel.
• Some exposure to elements as employees are located in campus environment with multiple buildings, outdoor and semi-covered areas, for example moving between Aquarium buildings in all types of weather to participate in meetings.
• Must be flexible for occasional evening, early morning, or weekend hours in support of events and projects.
• Domestic and international travel for conferences, field projects, relationship-building, and other meetings up to 20% time annually.

Salary and benefits: $140,000 -$160,000, Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium's comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership. The Seattle Aquarium has a generous time-off policy, providing sick time, vacation, and 13 floating holidays each year.

How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don't feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.

Interested candidates should upload a resume to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at .

Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.

About the Seattle Aquarium:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world's one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.

Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we're among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we're working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at .

Timeline:

We anticipate the following recruiting schedulefor those candidates who are selected for consideration.The following dates are preliminary and subject to change.We will work with candidates to set interview dates.If hired, relocation assistance is not available.

• Priority given to applications received the first two weeks after posting
• Interviews completed by May 2024
• Start date: Late June 2024