Apologies for duplicate postings.
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY POSITION OPENING Available Position: Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation Location: TBD, possibly Moss Point, MS, or Baton Rouge, LA Purpose of the Position: The Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation will work as part of a team to implement Audubon's conservation plan for the Gulf of Mexico. This person will play a leadership role in helping Audubon identify and prioritize sites for conservation along the coast, design and implement scientifically rigorous conservation plans, design and implement evaluation programs for measuring conservation progress, and assist in leading a team of IBA coordinators. The Director will lead the implementation of Audubon's IBA assessment tools in evaluating the status, threats, conservation opportunity, and response to conservation actions of Important Bird Areas in the Gulf region. This is an approach modeled after BirdLife International's IBA monitoring framework, which ensures a unified approach to understanding bird population status, major threats, extent and condition of the habitats, and facilitates the determination or evaluation of conservation actions at IBAs. In particular, the Director will determine the extent of damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to Important Bird Areas (IBA) and other priority sites and on bird populations along the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. This position will serve to coordinate and deliver IBA assessment, conservation and volunteer coordination, all essential aspects of the Important Bird Areas Program, which is Audubon's centerpiece conservation program. This is an integral part of the organization's mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. This person selected to fill this position will be a key player in Audubon's Gulf of Mexico conservation initiative. He/She will work in conjunction with the VP Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration and collaborate closely with staff on the state, regional and national level. He/She will also work closely with staff, chapters and partners across multiple disciplines, serving an integrative role to bring scientific information from the IBA program to the advocacy, policy and communication arenas. Essential Functions: Specifically this position will: * Be part of an integrated multidisciplinary team and work with VP Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration, national, state and regional staff to develop overall conservation strategy that stabilizes or increases regional populations of focal bird species and restores and protects coastal habitats essential to focal species with a major focus on Important Bird Areas' * Work with Audubon staff, partners, and volunteers to identify and prioritize IBAs in the Gulf region, implement the IBA Assessment protocol and complete monitoring of the status of these sites relative to oil spill threats; * Work with Audubon staff to implement Audubon's IBA assessment tools in evaluating status, threats, conservation opportunity, and response to conservation actions at IBAs in the Gulf and ensure that the assessment approach is aligned and integrates with BirdLife International's monitoring framework and other relevant state, federal, and conservation organization site assessment programs; * Play a leadership role in helping Audubon staff develop and implement conservation plans at priority sites and feed conservation needs into broader landscape and policy conservation agendas; * Work with Audubon staff to effectively deliver results to federal, state and other partners that play important roles in the conservation and protection of these sites and the landscapes in which they reside. * Achieving the above may involve convening and coordinating meetings and workshops, developing and testing field protocols, assisting in the development of the relevant data storage and reporting tools, and assisting in the recruiting and training of staff and volunteers. * Work with State IBA staff to make sure data are collected in scientifically credible manner (meeting national and BirdLife Standards), entered into appropriate databases, used in regional and national analyses, and presented in scientific and conservation reports, and other conservation products; Additional Functions: Participate, as a member of the national IBA staff, in the development and implementation of the U.S. Important Bird Areas Program. Work closely with national IBA staff to insure that work in the Gulf maintains and enhances the scientific rigor and credibility of the national and international IBA network. Measurement of Performance: Annual Performance Management Plan (PMP) developed collaboratively with National Director of Important Bird Area program and Vice President of Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration. Relationships: Internal: Director of the Important Bird Areas Program as immediate supervisor. Dotted line reporting to Vice President for Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration. Strong interrelationships with national and state level IBA Program, science, education, policy and field staff. External: Extensive contact with IBA program partners this includes: Audubon chapter members, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, donors, media, and volunteers. Equipment: Standard office equipment (i.e., phone, fax, copier, MS Windows operating system computer, etc.). Familiarity if not expertise with Microsoft Excel, Power Point Word and other desktop applications. Ability to use ArcView GIS software for map presentation and basic data analysis. Qualifications: Masters Degree or higher in conservation biology, wildlife management, ornithology, natural resources, or equivalent and at least three years work experience in the conservation profession or related field. Candidate should have a keen interest in and familiarity if not expertise with site-based conservation planning and implementation, bird conservation, avian monitoring, habitat characterization and threat assessment methodologies. The Director of Bird Conservation for the Gulf will have a keen knowledge of birds, bird conservation issues and partnerships throughout the U.S., will be skilled in basic bird monitoring techniques, habitat assessment techniques, and have an understanding of the threat and conservation action taxonomies as defined by the Conservation Measures Partnership and IUCN. Understanding how to use the tools of the Conservation Measures Partnership in developing conservation plans would be a plus. The candidate should have exceptional public speaking, public presentation, and writing skills. Additionally, an understanding and appreciation for working for a decentralized organization where excellent communication skills are essential. Ability to organize and coordinate large projects, and an attention to details are essential. Willingness to travel and work weekends and nights as required. Fundraising experience is beneficial. Contact: To apply send via e-mail a cover letter stating interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to: John Cecil; Director, Important Bird Areas Program National Audubon Society jce...@audubon.org<mailto:jce...@audubon.org>
