Program Director, Southern California

Position Summary:

Audubon seeks a motivated, dynamic individual to lead and manage Audubon’s Southern California Program, with a focus on California’s deserts and Salton Sea landscapes. The Program Director will work with Audubon California’s Senior Director of Conservation and Director of Policy to translate National Audubon’s Strategic Plan (Flight Plan) into on-the-ground community-based conservation to conserve birds and their habitats, protect public health, and to increase access to nature and the benefits of nature for communities in the region. Projects will include Salton Sea conservation, community outreach and education, advocacy, urban conservation initiatives, desert habitat conservation, responsible renewable energy development, and efforts to increase nature-based recreational opportunities. They will also collaborate with Audubon California staff in the region, including staff at the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles, Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Orange County, Kern River Preserve in Kern County, and Audubon’s Salton Sea team based in Palm Desert.

This person must be committed to building relationships with parties from a wide range of backgrounds, interests, political affiliations, and perspectives and to serving as a convenor to bring parties with disparate viewpoints together to solve shared problems. The position requires regular interaction and consensus building with community members, tribes, elected and agency officials, and partner organizations. It also requires skill with external communications, including speaking with the media. The Program Director will also be responsible for managing program staff, independent contractors, and the program budget.

This position is based in Southern California and will require frequent travel to areas that include Los Angeles, the Salton Sea region, and parts of the California desert. Travel to Sacramento and occasionally other U.S. states and Washington, D.C. should also be expected.

Compensation:

$101,000 - $115,000 / year

Additional Job Description

Essential Functions

• 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 prioritie