Title: Director, State Environmental Resource Center

Supervisors: Vice President for Government Relations and External Affairs, Defenders of Wildlife and Director of Advocacy Programs, Natural Resources Defense Council 

Job Description: 

This leadership position will be responsible for managing the State Environmental Resource Center, a joint venture of Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Publicly launched in January, 2002, SERC serves as an environmental clearinghouse for the states by highlighting progressive state activity while exposing harmful anti-environmental trends. With the help of the website, SERC works to identify, track, collect and distribute information to a national network of state organizations, activists, policy-makers and elected officials and, when possible, build consensus around key legislation and core principles.

This senior management position will work closely with Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council. General management responsibilities include: hiring and supervising staff, administering an office, writing grant proposals, establishing strategic relationships with key partners such as conservation organizations and national associations, developing working relationships with key allies in the states and building the electronic and other infrastructure of an effective clearinghouse and choosing strategic advocacy priorities.

Duties:

1) Work closely with the senior management team of Defenders of Wildlife and Natural Resources Defense Council to manage this new project, including helping to shape its strategic development, priorities, information dissemination strategies, development of its Internet-based activities, and financial growth.

2) Provide input and help shape all major programmatic and substantive issues facing the project, including budgets, long-term planning/strategies, and assessment of priorities.

3) Develop and implement program strategies and work plans relating to the comprehensive monitoring and tracking of state environmental legislation and administrative programs and policies and the effective dissemination of this information to allies nationwide.

4) Form strategic partnerships with key institutions, including the Center for Policy Alternatives, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club, State Environmental Leadership Project and National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.

5) Develop effective working relationships with key allies in the states, including pro-environment state legislators and other elected and appointed public officials, opinion leaders and environmental advocates.

6) Play a lead role in writing foundation proposals and soliciting funding from foundations and other sources.

7) Develop and implement programs as part of Defenders’ and NRDC’s overall agenda while coordinating closely with the senior management of these organizations to ensure compatibility.

8) Develop and implement special projects, as directed by the Senior Management Team.

9) Hire, evaluate, supervise and promote professional development of staff.

10) Develop and oversee development of program strategies, policies, work plans, budgets, publications, educational materials and monthly reports; monitor and assess implementation; allocate staff resources to ensure that priority issues receive appropriate attention.

11) Represent the project in coalitions, public meeting, hearings, press events, and general communication with the media and public.

12) Administer contracts with authors and other consultants hired to assist with projects managed by the project.

13) Provide timely briefings on the status of project activities to the senior management team.

14) Initiate and maintain, in cooperation with the office manager, efficient and functional inter-office and communications systems.

15) Follow all other required administrative procedures, including timely approval and preparation of all administrative reports.

16) Exercise responsibility for other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1) Graduate degree(s) in natural resource science, economics, law, or policy and at least five years relevant, substantive experience with resource policy, preferably involving state legislation.

2) Strong entrepreneurial ability and interest in shaping and building a new program, including major emphasis on use of the Internet.

3) Strong management, planning, and administrative skills, including at least five years’ relevant experience supervising professional staff.

4) Experience developing, implementing, and managing legislative and advocacy campaigns.

5) Development and grant writing experience.

6) Ability to supervise, coordinate, train, evaluate, and motivate program staff and volunteers.

7) Interest in and commitment to promoting progressive environmental laws, policies and programs at the state level.

To Apply:

Send cover letter and resume by December 15, 2002 to:

State Environmental Resource Center Director Search 
Defenders of Wildlife
1101 Fourteenth St., NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005