Midwest Director of Conservation Equity and Organizational Inclusion at The Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia

Job Description:

OFFICE LOCATION

United States

This position must be based in any of the five Midwest Division states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Remote, hybrid and/or flexible work arrangements are available.

WHO WE ARE

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world's toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One of TNC's primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we'll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply - we'd love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, "you'll join for the mission, and you'll stay for the people."

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER

The Nature Conservancy strives to support an equitable and resilient future for communities, lands and waters. We are seeking a skilled, compassionate, collaborative, and effective leader to help advance our organizational values and commitment to equity, and, through that work, enable us to deepen our impact for people and nature.
In this newly created position, the Director of Conservation Equity and Organizational Inclusion for the Midwest Division of The Nature Conservancy (spanning Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) will work with Midwest leadership, as the primary subject matter expert advising fellow divisional leaders in the development of action plans for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in a multicultural workforce as well as providing strategies for equitable conservation.

Essential functions include:

• Serving as a member of the Midwest's Executive Team with shared authority for overall decision-making, leadership, and management with a focus on providing strategic leadership and guidance in equitable conservation and workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Convening and leading a team DEIJ dispersed throughout the Midwest and reporting to different parts of the organization to ensure and enable DEIJ principles and equity in conservation are becoming an integral part of TNC's work throughout the Midwest Division and broader North America Region.
• Advising Division leadership and strategy leaders to incorporate equity and justice goals into the division's overall strategic plan.
• Collaborating with leaders throughout the division to identify and optimize strategies and approaches to better impact and integrate communities and populations disproportionally affected by environmental issues.
• Providing guidance, assistance, and training division-wide to staff, project teams, and leadership to integrate equity considerations into project design and implementation.
• Helping create a culture of trust, inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing for all employees.
• Working collaboratively with all programs and departments within the Midwest to identify best practices and programs to remove barriers to DEIJ diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that affect staff retention and advancement.
• Providing resources for colleagues who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LQBTQ+, people with disabilities or mental illness, and other identities that are underrepresented in the division and/or TNC.
• Collaborating with organizational partners to create opportunities for professional development, mentoring and peer support.
• Collaborating with TNC's Global DEIJ Team, Employee Resource Groups, Global People Team, and HR colleagues on strategic initiatives, learning and development, personnel management, developing metrics and tracking methods, and providing data, reports and analysis.
• Lead a budget and make strategic decisions, manage organizational risk frequently based on analysis.

SUPPORT FOR THIS POSITION

We recognize the challenges that may be faced by DEIJ leaders, especially in historically white-led organizations, and are committed to supporting the person in this position in a variety of ways, based on their needs and recommendations. Specific commitments we have already made include:

• Direct supervisory relationship with the Midwest Director and a seat on the Midwest Board of Partners Executive Leadership Team, along with a structured connection to the Global DEIJ team, and participation in the DEIJ Practice Network.
• A dedicated DEIJ budget to support activities as approved by the Division Director and, where appropriate, the Board of Partners.
• Clear expectations that all staff actively contribute to DEIJ efforts as a core part of their work.
• Support for mentorship activities to be designed by the Director. As an adaptive organization, the Director will have the opportunity to reflect on the scope of the role and consider adjustments that will support success of these responsibilities.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU

As the ideal candidate, you bring relevant credentials along with leadership experience managing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in a complex, matrixed organization. With an undergraduate degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) and 7+ years of progressive, related experience, including organizational leadership, policy development, strategy definition, and leading large-scale change within the DEIJ field.

You are a self-starter and collaborative leader, who takes a hands-on approach while working closely and effectively with colleagues and both internal and external stakeholders. Forward looking and innovative, you have successfully managed complex change initiatives and engaged an organization at all levels to adopt more inclusive systems, processes, and culture. Data-driven and outcomes-oriented, you bring a practical, pragmatic approach to effecting true organizational change.

You demonstrate a human centered leadership style that is authentic, with empathy, and adaptable when engaging staff. You are inspired and motivated by our work for people and nature and deeply committed to the well-being, growth and success of our team.

Location and Schedule:

• This position must be based in any of the five Midwest Division states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Remote, hybrid and/or flexible work arrangements are available.
• The position requires travel throughout the Midwest Division states (up to 25% of time or more if remote) and working flexible hours as needed.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Bachelor's degree and 7 years DEIJ related work experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience leading and managing complex projects and initiatives, including organizational change initiatives.
• Experience in developing program-wide strategies and guidelines and planning for successful implementation.
• Experience working across teams and communicating with a wide range of people and cultures.
• Experience creating an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally competent work environment including retention, training, coaching and/or best practice development.
• Experience working with current trends and best practices in the diversity & inclusion discipline.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience working with people in various roles, such as executive leadership, board members, donors, volunteers, the public and/or all levels of staff.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience incorporating a DEIJ lens when communicating and making decisions and addressing personal, cultural and institutional bias.
• Track record of successful relationships with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and other underrepresented communities.
• Experience and/or training focused on multicultural/multigenerational communication and equitable conflict resolution.
• Experience responding to DEIJ-related questions, problems and data information requests from employees/management.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to work in a fast paced, stressful and highly visible environment.
• Proven ability to succeed through positive influence, persuasion and tact.

WHAT WE BRING

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We're proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.

AUTO SAFETY POLICY

This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC's Auto Safety Program.

Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/careers/recruitment/ under the FAQ section.

Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

SALARY INFORMATION

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $102,000 - $125,000 for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate's actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

APPLY NOW

To apply for job ID 55734, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/ by 11:59 PM EST on October 11, 2024. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC's value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we're registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we're unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.

PDN-9d294a2a-0d39-488b-b91d-1dbbb02485c8 Apply Now