Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a Director, Conservation Planning & Stewardship to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.
NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, we have brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. NCC takes a collaborative, science-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With a national office in Toronto and seven regional offices across the country, NCC delivers results you can walk on.
Position Summary:
This position provides strategic guidance in Ontario in the areas of conservation planning and land management at regional, landscape and property scales. The role is responsible for ensuring that NCC’s conservation operations in Ontario are strategically aligned with NCC’s mission and informed by the best available information. The Director is principally responsible for providing leadership within Ontario on the interpretation and application of NCC’s conservation direction with specific focus on the planning, visitor use, land stewardship, and science and research frameworks. They work closely with Program Directors to develop effective conservation strategies to achieve landscape resiliency. The Director also acts as the regional Conservation Agreement Supervisor, responsible for overseeing compliance with CA restrictions. The Director is responsible for program business planning, budgeting and supervising the Ontario-level stewardship team, including GIS staff. The role is also a public face in Ontario of NCC’s evidence-based conservation approach, communicating with and engaging external partners, supporters, donors and the public.
Job Responsibilities:
- Support the application of the Stewardship Framework and related PPSGs in Ontario, including strategies to support landscape level stewardship, asset and risk management on NCC title lands. Act as Conservation Agreement (CA) Supervisor ensuring compliance or otherwise with restrictions is properly documented, support staff to maintain good relationships with CA landowners, and support plans and activities to advance land relationships with Indigenous communities.
- Provide leadership and advice to subregional staff to guide land management decisions. This includes translating big picture, academic science and other evidence into practical, tangible action steps to support biodiversity on the ground, often with very tight turnaround times. This also involves thinking at both macro and micro scales simultaneously and examining every opportunity through the lens of improving landscape scale resiliency.
- Supervise and provide expertise to 5 Regional-level conservation and GIS staff, who in turn disseminate that via processes, advice and support to all regional stewardship team members.
- Oversee the Ontario team’s Health & Safety supports, conservation volunteers, visitor use management and intern program and ensure they align with organizational standards.
Speak publicly to a wide variety of audiences, including partners and donors, about NCC’s conservation planning and land management to build awareness, facilitate collaboration and raise funds. Provide science and public relations review of communications materials, often with short turnaround times, prompt responses to public inquiries on a wide range of conservation-related questions including radio and TV interviews. - Develop and maintain constructive working partnerships with public agencies, private organizations, community groups, scientists and others in order to build consensus and support for shared conservation goals. Participate in external committees to provide expertise in practical and tangible conservation action which will result in improvements, where needed, to biodiversity, including via supporting other land trusts in conservation planning and stewardship techniques. Provide oversight and review of research permits pertaining to NCC’s lands in Ontario, according to organizational direction and standards.
Key Results:
The position is responsible for ensuring conservation planning at various scales provides clear, meaningful guidance to achieve quantitative goals that support resilient landscapes for nature and people to thrive. The role provides leadership in the latest land and water management techniques and technologies, including data management and metrics, and sharing knowledge and experience with the conservation team. This role successfully engages external experts and partners to guide and collaborate in addressing stewardship challenges such as habitat loss and invasive species that directly threaten biodiversity targets. This role also provides guidance on stewardship and securement with regards to risk and asset management, community relations and reputational risk.
Skills and Aptitudes:
- Demonstrated leadership skills to guide staff in diverse landscapes and communities to achieve balanced, practical and impactful plans that deliver conservation on the ground
- Strong communications skills and the ability to create positive and productive working relationships with staff and diverse groups of stakeholders
- Creativity and analytical skills including the ability to adapt and problem solve to achieve success under challenging and diverse rules and processes
- Advanced project management and reporting skills, including financial budgeting, tracking and reporting related to biological data and stewardship implementation
- Experienced in team building, with inclusive, leadership skills that support and accommodate diverse values and capacities, including in a remote work environment
Education and Experience:
- University degree in biology, ecology, or related field, graduate degree preferred.
- Knowledge of GIS and GIS-related applications.
- Superior working knowledge of Ontario’s landscapes, communities and conservation issues, with demonstrated field skills.
- At least 5 years’ experience leading teams in a conservation-related field.
- Significant knowledge of implementing land conservation activities, with direct experience in field-level stewardship
- Demonstrated leadership skills coordinating species and habitat projects and achieving results
- Knowledge of relevant provincial and federal regulations and permit requirements.
- Experience working with rural communities, agricultural groups and conservation organizations.
- Transferable project management skills
How to Apply
NCC is an equal opportunity employer. If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your cover letter, resume and salary expectations through our Career Centre.
Application Deadline
November 19, 2024 | 11:59pm EST, 9:59pm Mountain Time, 8:59pm Pacific Time, 10:50pm CST, 00:59 am +1 AST
NCC hires based on merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We strive for bold conservation achievements in which equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are the norm. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. NCC implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify.
Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. For a confidential inquiry, contact us by email at hr@natureconservancy.ca to make any required arrangements. If you have questions regarding accessible employment at NCC, please email us at hr@natureconservancy.ca
