Associate Director, Southeast Conservation

Southeast Conservation Associate Director

CLASSIFICATION: Associate Director II
DEPARTMENT: Conservation
WAGE CATEGORY: Exempt, Full-time
REPORTS TO: Southeast Conservation Director
LOCATION: Atlanta, GA (metro area), Flexible GA

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

About American Rivers

American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers℠.

The beauty of rivers is that they connect all people and communities – including within our organization. The life experiences, knowledge, innovation, and talent that different people bring to our work provide perspectives, experiences, and competencies that are critical to our effectiveness in protecting wild rivers, restoring damaged rivers, and conserving clean water for people and nature.

Job Description

The Associate Director will work as part of a collaborative team to meet American Rivers’ conservation goals in the Southeast Region, with a focus on river restoration, climate adaptation, and community engagement across Georgia and South Carolina. This position will lead the organization’s work on dam removal in Georgia and South Carolina.

This work includes working with communities to identify and pursue potential dam removal projects and building the policy and funding infrastructure within the states. The Associate Director has responsibility for supporting project and programmatic fundraising in collaboration with other staff across the organization.

Principal Responsibilities

• Contributes to organizational and regional priorities as a member of the Southeast Regional staff.
• Leads the priority restoration efforts in Georgia and South Carolina.
• Leads community engagement with racially, culturally, and economically diverse individuals and communities in an equitable and meaningful way.
• Leads American Rivers’ engagement with the South Carolina and Georgia Aquatic Connectivity Teams.
• Provides technical assistance for projects and program-building assistance to complete high-priority projects.
• Facilitates meetings and nurtures relationships.
• Identifies, tracks, and collaboratively pursues funding sources for projects.
• Executes contracts, requests expenditures, and processes invoices.
• Assists in the selection and management of consultants and coordinates partners engaged in restoration projects.
• Identifies ecosystem-scale restoration projects in Georgia and South Carolina to help meet the organization’s goal of removing 30,000 dams by 2050.
• Represents American Rivers at technical meetings, conferences, press events, and other public events as needed.
• Composes, edits, and prepares high-quality, time-sensitive written communication.
• Manages time and expenses.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three to five years of experience in a relevant field or a Bachelor’s degree or professional certification in a relevant field.
• Strong passion for protecting and restoring the rivers of the Southeast and their watersheds.
• Experience and strengths in project management, verbal and written communication, critical thinking, judgment, and dependability.
• Self-starter able to work independently and manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Demonstrates initiative and creativity, and continually strives to improve program operations.
• Consistent exercise of professional discretion and independent judgment.
• Excellent personal organization and time management skills.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork in rivers, including paddling, wading, hiking, extended standing, transporting gear, and lifting and carrying 40 lbs.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $70,000–$75,000 annually, depending upon qualifications and experience. Full-time employee benefits include:

• Health, dental, and life insurance
• Retirement plan with a 3% match
• Training budget
• Sick leave
• 11 paid holidays
• Four weeks of paid vacation
• Paid sabbaticals every seven years
• TIAA-CREF Social Choice, including green impact investment options

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Community and Opportunity

Our community’s core values motivate us to Lead with Collaboration, Equity, and Trust, Deliver Results, and Ensure Staff and Volunteers Thrive. American Rivers offers staff professional development and training opportunities, engages in equitable hiring and retention practices, participates in transparency reports, provides “no meetings” weeks, Summer Fridays, and hosts Accessibility, Leadership, Parents and Caregivers, and affinity groups and committees led by staff and board members.

American Rivers is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request reasonable accommodation, please contact the Human Resources department at 202-243-7050 or [email protected]. Please note that one week’s advance notice is preferred.

Applicants must be legally allowed to work as an employee in the United States.
American Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates of all personal and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.