Vice President & Executive Director, Audubon Delta

Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon’s mission is engaging people in bird conservation on a hemispheric scale through science, policy, education and on-the-ground conservation action.  By mobilizing and aligning its network of Chapters, Centers, State and Important Bird Area programs in the four major migratory flyways in the Americas, the organization will bring the full power of Audubon to bear on protecting common and threatened bird species and the critical habitat they need to survive.  And as part of BirdLife International, Audubon will join people in over 100 in-country organizations all working to protect a network of Important Bird Areas around the world, leveraging the impact of actions they take at a local level.  What defines Audubon’s unique value is a powerful grassroots network of approximately 450 local chapters, 120 campus chapters, 17 state and regional offices, 34 Audubon Centers, Important Bird Area Programs in 50 states, and 700 staff across the country. 

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

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The National Audubon Society (NAS) seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and strategic Executive Director to build and lead our new regional office across the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (Audubon Delta). The Executive Director will lead a talented team to advance overall conservation objectives, strengthen and mobilize our bipartisan network, and deliver durable policy solutions across the region. The Executive Director will also serve as a Vice President of the National Audubon Society and work with their peers across the country to shape and deliver national objectives, initiatives, and processes.

The incoming Vice President and Executive Director must have demonstrated success in implementing innovative conservation, policy, engagement, and development strategies. Building on the success of the region’s well-respected conservation program, they must inspire collaboration among our conservation, legislative, and philanthropic partners to deepen our conservation impact and leadership across the delta and gulf region and inspire the region’s decision-makers, conservation partners, and philanthropic community to invest in Audubon’s conservation vision and strategic plan. Additionally, the chief executive for the delta region will oversee the Pascagoula River Audubon Center and Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Mississippi, the Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary in Louisiana and the Little Rock Audubon Center in Arkansas.

This is a high-profile position with the potential to grow National Audubon Society’s reach and effect change at the local, regional, and national levels. The Vice President and Executive Director will report to Audubon’s Vice President for the Mississippi Flyway.

Victory Search Group (VSG) has the privilege of leading the recruitment for the Vice President & Executive Director for Audubon Regional Southeast (Arkansas/Louisiana/Mississippi). VSG is a senior level retained executive search firm serving a select group of clients, including nonprofit organizations.  **Interested individuals should submit a resume and cover letter to nonprofit@victorysearchgroup.com.  

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management:

• Define a clear vision for the region that increases our conservation impact, distinguishes ARD from our conservation partners, leverages our current strengths, inspires donor investment and engagement of a bipartisan network.
• Deliver strategic and operational excellence through the leadership, management, and mentoring of a mature and diverse staff.
• Serve as a leader in infusing organizational decisions, policies, and programs with values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Focus resources on the most critical, high-leverage projects and strategies, including policy development and public engagement.
• Leverage the impact of Audubon centers to achieve state, regional, and national goals.
• Build upon the strong foundation of programs and initiatives that are resonant and relevant for the Delta and Gulf Region’s diverse population.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the office, including setting financial and programmatic goals, and analyzing results in collaboration with local and national staff.
• Ensure that all Audubon financial standards, operating policies, programmatic commitment, and legal/statutory requirements are met.

Conservation Strategic Execution:

• Craft and achieve strategic goals and initiatives that are integrated fully with the National Audubon Society’s conservation, network, and philanthropic priorities.
• Increase our region-wide capacity to achieve the conservation of priority birds and their habitats. Priorities include:
• Protecting the iconic waters and habitats of the Mississippi River Delta for the benefit of birds and communities.
• Promoting bird-friendly natural solutions and land management strategies for advantage of forest bird species and for carbon and water storage through our healthy forest program targeting conservation efforts on both public and private lands.
• Inspiring our bipartisan network and decision-makers throughout the region to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
• Creating durable policy solutions that address the most critical threats to birds at the local, state, and federal level.
• Engaging the diversity of communities that make-up the population of the delta region in building sustainable conservation strategies and resonant education programs.
• Crafting and executing conservation, policy, and engagement strategies and programming at our three regional Audubon centers that advance Audubon’s local, state, and federal conservation priorities.

Fundraising and External Relations:

• Partner with Audubon’s development team to cultivate existing and solicit new major donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies to significantly increase contributions.
• Represent Audubon Delta throughout the region to raise the profile and visibility of our priorities and impact with funders, partners, policy makers, and the public, resulting in deeper donor investment.
• Strengthen the financially sustainable business and development plans for the region with a focus on expanding new funding sources, inspiring new donors, and cultivating strategic partnerships with agencies and other NGOs.
• Support fundraising for national priority projects with Audubon’s leadership and development teams. Collaborate meaningfully with other Audubon state programs and national development staff on donor strategies.

Stakeholder Relations:

• Build and engage the a regional Board of Advisors to inspire their advocacy for conservation and programmatic priorities, individual philanthropy, and fundraising support.
• Support chapters in the region to expand Audubon’s capacity for on-the-ground conservation, policy change, and education at scale.
• Prioritize engagement and activation of the region’s diverse communities in the Audubon movement, including college chapters, chapter leadership, advisory boards, volunteers, and conservation partnerships across the region.
• Work with relevant governmental departments and non-governmental organizations to promote and prioritize bird science and habitat conservation.

Personal Knowledge & Characteristics:

• Experience in the field of conservation and role of science in developing conservation strategies; knowledge of the conservation landscape and partners in the southern United States is strongly preferred.
• Understanding of the region’s political landscape; connections to policymakers and the regional conservation advocacy community preferred.
• Knowledge of funders and donors engaged in conservation philanthropy in the Delta/Gulf region preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel routinely through the region and nationally, as required.
• A strong and demonstrated commitment to the mission, values, and programs of the National Audubon Society.

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree strongly preferred.
• 10+ years’ experience in organizational leadership, preferably connected to conservation or civic engagement, including 3+ years as an enterprise executive with accountability over multiple programs and/or regions.

Experience:

• Experience in the field of conservation; knowledge of how conservation work is advanced in the Delta region and knowledge of key conservation leaders and partners is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading the execution of complex projects through to success, including meeting financial goals, project deadlines, and coordinating the work of key staff and partners, in organizations of similar or greater size.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising; experience with major donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders.
• An array of experience in public policy development and advocacy, campaigns, lobbying, and/or involvement in the state legislature and/or working with members of Congress and Executive Branch leaders is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive environment; ability to build and lead a diverse team of staff, board members and supporters.

Skills:

• Strong leadership skills, with an entrepreneurial spirit, solid business acumen, and management operations skills; demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate staff, volunteers, donors, and potential partners a must.
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in a distributed network and a highly matrixed, complex organization – strong ability to influence and persuade others required.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, judgment, and a demonstrated ability to collaborate and build coalitions with a wide range of individuals and organizations at the local, regional and national levels.
• Excellent and persuasive communication skills, both written and verbal, including substantial public speaking experience, and the ability to effectively represent Audubon to its members, state and federal elected officials, donors and chapter leaders as well as in traditional, social and digital media.