POSITION SPECIFICATION VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINNESOTA & UPPER MISSISSIPI RIVER Natinal Audubn Sciety St. Paul, MN Leadership Search Partners is a search firm fcused exclusively n the nnprfit sectr. Based in San Mate, the firm wrks with lcal, natinal, and internatinal nnprfits t help them hire exceptinal senir-level leaders. Managing Directr Sctt Staub, ACFRE is leading this search assignment. Inquiries may be made, in cnfidence, t Sctt Staub at sctt@leadershipsearch.cm.
TITLE: ORGANIZATION: LOCATION: REPORTS TO: Vice President & Executive Directr, Audubn Minnesta & Upper Mississippi River Natinal Audubn Sciety St. Paul, MN Rebeccah Sanders - Vice President, Great Lakes & Upper Mississippi Flyway and Senir Advisr t the Chief Cnservatin Officer MISSION Our missin is t cnserve and restre natural ecsystems, fcusing n birds, ther wildlife, and their habitats fr the benefit f humanity and the earth s bilgical diversity. ABOUT THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY Funded in 1905, the Natinal Audubn Sciety is ne f the mst venerable cnservatin rganizatins in the wrld. Audubn fllws birds t ecsystems, cnserving them fr wildlife, fr peple, and fr the earth s bilgical diversity. Tday, Audubn enjys a widely respected centrist brand, a pwerful legacy f cnservatin success, deep lyalty amng its supprters, and the clarity that springs frm wrking fr the benefit f birds and the places they need t survive and thrive. Audubn wrks t save birds thrugh cnservatin and advcacy firmly grunded in science. As leaders in applied bird cnservatin science, Audubn engages in research and analysis t supprt the develpment f its prgrams, t build its authrity as a science-led thught leader, and t infrm and evaluate the wrk f Audubn and its partners. Audubn s pwerful distributed netwrk has an unparalleled reach. N ther cnservatin rganizatin matches the size, reach, scale, influence, diversity, and creative energy f its chapters, nature centers, staff, vlunteer leaders, and US and internatinal partners. At its best, the netwrk has the knwledge and credibility t care fr birds, and the places they need, in cmmunities acrss the cuntry - and it unites t tackle big challenges facing birds that cannt be slved by any single part f the netwrk alne. By cnnecting the wrk f the Audubn netwrk - 463 Chapters, 41 nature centers and sanctuaries, 22 state ffices, mre than 650 staff members, 1 millin members and vlunteers, and U.S. and internatinal partners - alng each f the fur majr migratry flyways f the Americas, Audubn weaves a seamless web f cnservatin fr birds and ther migratry and nn-migratry species. By wrking tward cmmn flyway cnservatin gals, Audubn is having greater impact, and by crdinating resurces, physical assets and expertise, it is dramatically increasing its efficiency acrss the netwrk t address the mst pressing cnservatin issues f ur time. Audubn is fcused n five crss-cutting cnservatin strategies--climate, casts, wrking lands, water, and bird friendly cmmunities. The rganizatin has built a scientific fundatin fr each f its
strategies, established clear gals and is mbilizing its pwerful netwrk t achieve cnservatin wins at scale. Audubn als has a clear-eyed fcus n increasing diversity and prmting inclusin. Audubn is putting mre than $100 millin annually t wrk n cnservatin (cmpared with $73 millin just five years ag). This new rbust Audubn is a strategic, pragmatic, respnsive, integrated rganizatin that can tap peple s passin fr bird-centered cnservatin and translate it int actin. ABOUT AUDUBON MINNESOTA AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER Audubn Minnesta was established in 1979 as a state ffice f the Natinal Audubn Sciety. Thrugh cnservatin, advcacy, cmmunity invlvement, and with the partnership f the 13 Minnesta chapters with 26,000 members, Audubn Minnesta has had a majr impact n cnservatin and is regarded as a leader in cnservatin thrughut the Land f 10,000 Lakes. Over the past decade, Audubn Minnesta has established 300 Imprtant Bird Areas (IBA s) in 12 millin acres f public and private lands thrughut the state that are vital t birds and ther bidiversity. The VP fr AMN & UMR als executes Audubn s pririties in Iwa, which includes 88 Imprtant Bird Areas cvering 1.7 millin acres and ver 4,000 Audubn members in 9 chapters. The prgram has an annual budget f $1.4 millin and a staff f seven. Audubn is develping an Upper Mississippi River initiative as part f its natinal strategy t prtect and prvide clean water fr birds and peple. Audubn Minnesta is the lead ffice in the develpment and implementatin f this initiative, which spans the breadth f the Upper Mississippi River watershed. Crdinating clsely with Audubn s natinal plicy, science, and cnservatin teams, Audubn Great Lakes, and the Audubn Center at Riverlands, Audubn Minnesta stewards cllabrative n the grund cnservatin activities, plicy and netwrk bjectives, and partnership fr this wrk in Iwa, Illinis, Minnesta, Missuri, and Wiscnsin. In additin t this initiative, Audubn Minnesta plays an imprtant rle in plicy and cnservatin actins in the Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi Flyway, and natinal landscapes. Audubn Minnesta played a key rle in helping pass Minnesta s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment t the Minnesta Cnstitutin fr the prtectin, cnservatin, preservatin and enhancement f the state s air, water and land by increasing the state sales tax by three-eighths f ne percent frm July 1, 2009 t 2034. Audubn Minnesta cntinues t be a leader with ther grups in advcating fr cnservatin in Minnesta at the legislature and ther avenues.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY Audubn seeks a dynamic leader t serve as the Vice President and Executive Directr f Audubn Minnesta and Upper Mississippi River, leading the rganizatin t its next level f cnservatin and fiscal success. The leader will build n the rich histry f cnservatin and expand Audubn Minnesta s cntributins t cnservatin acrss Minnesta and thrughut the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi Flyway. The Vice President and Executive Directr will exercise brad leadership and management respnsibility in develping statewide cnservatin strategies, initiatives, and public prgramming. This will include wrking clsely with the Audubn reginal Advisry Bards f Directrs and staff, and Audubn s key natinal cnservatin leaders t cntinue t develp the state prgram in tandem with strategic reginal and natinal pririties, including Audubn Minnesta s evlving rle with the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi Flyway. The psitin will reprt directly t Rebeccah Sanders, Vice President, Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi Flyway and Senir Advisr t the Chief Cnservatin Officer. Key Respnsibilities Cnservatin Strategy Develpment Develp strategic gals and initiatives aligned with Audubn s verall cnservatin gals and strategies that result in the rganizatin s increased regin-wide capacity t achieve the cnservatin f pririty birds and their habitats. Pririties include: Imprtant Bird Areas (IBAs) prtectin thrughut the regin; Engaging in cmmunity science, cnservatin, and engagement; In cnjunctin with senir management, explre pprtunities and the feasibility f expanding Audubn leadership alng the Upper Mississippi Flyway. Organizatinal Leadership Prvide leadership, management, and mentring t staff while preserving pen cmmunicatin and recgnizing the value f the management team. Manage the day-t-day peratins f the ffice, including setting financial and prgrammatic gals, analyzing results, and taking crrective actins, in clse cllabratin with lcal and natinal staff; ensure that all Audubn financial standards, perating plicies, prgrammatic cmmitments, and legal requirements are met. Fcus resurces n the mst critical, high-leverage prjects and strategies, including plicy develpment and public engagement, fcused n ppulatin centers. Leverage the impact f Audubn physical assets t achieve state, reginal and natinal gals.
Fundraising and External Relatins Represent Audubn thrughut the regin and raise its prfile and visibility t funders, partners, plicymakers, and the public. Play a key rle in fundraising and ensure Audubn s ability t cultivate and slicit majr dnrs, fundatins, crpratins and gvernment agencies t significantly increase cntributins. Play an active rle in helping t prmte fundraising fr reginal pririty prjects acrss the Mississippi Flyway wrking with ther state directrs, the prgram managers and ther supprting staff. Cllabrate with ther Audubn state prgrams and natinal Develpment staff n dnr strategies under the One Audubn apprach t members and dnrs. Stakehlder Relatins Wrk clsely with the Audubn Advisry Bard f Directrs t supprt develpment and grwth t further the develpment f a strng reginal rganizatin thrugh fundraising, prgram develpment, and cnservatin advcacy. Wrk clsely with, supprt and prvide guidance t the Chapters in the regin t expand Audubn s capacity fr n-the-grund cnservatin and educatin at scale. Wrk t strengthen the reginal presence f Audubn, and supprt these rganizatins in their lcal effrts. Priritize engagement and activatin f the regin s diverse ppulatin cmmunities in the Audubn mvement, including chapter leadership, advisry bard participatin, staffing, vlunteers, prgram participatin, and partnerships acrss the regin. Wrk with gvernment departments and nn-gvernmental rganizatins t prmte and priritize bird science and habitat cnservatin.
Prfessinal Experience/Qualificatins Experience: Substantial and prgressively respnsible prfessinal experience, including 3+ years as an enterprise executive with accuntability ver multiple prgrams and/r regins. Experience in the field f cnservatin; knwledge f hw cnservatin wrk is advanced in the regin (Iwa, Minnesta and Missuri) and knwledge f key cnservatin leaders is strngly preferred. Demnstrated experience verseeing cmplex r multiple prjects thrugh t success, including meeting financial gals, prject deadlines, and crdinating the wrk f key staff and partners, in rganizatins f similar r greater size. Demnstrated success in fundraising; experience with majr dnrs, fundatins, crpratins, and gvernment funders. An array f experience in public plicy develpment and advcacy, campaigns, lbbying, and/r invlvement in the state legislature and/r in wrking with members f Cngress. Demnstrated cmmitment t creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive envirnment; ability t build and lead a diverse team f staff, bard members and supprters. Skills: Strng leadership skills, with an entrepreneurial spirit and strng business and management skills; demnstrated ability t inspire and mtivate staff, vlunteers, dnrs, and ptential partners a must. Demnstrated ability t succeed in a highly matrixed, cmplex rganizatin strng ability t influence and persuade thers required. Outstanding interpersnal skills, judgment, and a demnstrated ability t cllabrate and build calitins with a wide range f individuals and rganizatins at the lcal, reginal, and natinal levels. Excellent and persuasive cmmunicatin skills, bth written and verbal, including substantial public speaking experience, and the ability t effectively represent Audubn t its members, state and federal elected fficials, dnrs, and chapter leaders, as well as in traditinal and scial media. Tech-savvy, including prficiency with Micrsft Office applicatins, budgeting systems and dnr databases. Cmfrt with and interest in leveraging technlgy t maximize cnservatin impact and netwrk engagement. Knwledge f Salesfrce is strngly preferred. Knwledge: Knwledge f reginal plitical and demgraphic reality with brad cnnectins t partners and the philanthrpic cmmunity strngly desired. Knwledge and appreciatin f, as well as cnnectin t Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes area and its envirnment, cnservatin and plitical histry, and the rle f science in develping cnservatin strategies. Knwledge f funders and dnrs engaged in cnservatin philanthrpy in Minnesta preferred. Experience with Minnesta s Outdr Heritage Fund and Legacy Funds is strngly preferred.
Persnal Characteristics: Willingness and ability t travel rutinely thrughut the state and natinally, as required. A strng cmmitment t the missin, values, and prgrams f the Natinal Audubn Sciety. Educatin: Bachelr s degree required. COMPENSATION A cmpetitive cmpensatin and benefits package will be made available t the qualified candidate. TO APPLY Leadership Search Partners is cnducting this search n an exclusive basis n behalf f the Natinal Audubn Sciety. Interested candidates shuld apply via email by sending a letter utlining qualificatins, brief bi and resume as PDF r Wrd dcuments t Stacey Knner at Stacey@leadershipsearch.cm, with Audubn VP & ED in the subject line. Applicatins will be accepted thrugh Saturday, June 30, 2018. Inquiries may be made, in cnfidence, t Search Cnsultant Sctt Staub at Sctt@leadershipsearch.cm. EOE STATEMENT At Audubn, all emplyees are treated equally and are encuraged t achieve their fullest ptential. We respect the individuality f each member f ur cmmunity, and we are cmmitted t a wrkplace free f any kind f discriminatin based n race, clr, religin, sex, age, sexual rientatin, gender identity and expressin, disability, natinal r ethnic rigin, plitics, r veteran status. Audubn celebrates diversity as cre t ur institutinal values, ur missin, and ur visin f success. LEADERSHIP SEARCH PARTNERS is a search firm fcused exclusively n the nnprfit sectr. Based in the SF Bay Area, the firm wrks with lcal, natinal, and internatinal nnprfits t help them hire exceptinal senir-level leaders. www.leadershipsearch.cm