Director, Conservation Social Science
Director, Conservation Social Science
National Audubon Society
United States
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Job Description
Position Summary
The Director, Conservation Social Science role at Audubon’s national science team is focused on building a conservation social science (i.e. human dimensions of conservation) research program at Audubon. These activities should contribute directly to advancing Audubon’s new strategic Flight Plan, including its habitat, climate, and community building milestones. This position reports to the Chief Scientist. Conservation social science services will support the broader organization and the Director will assess those needs and allocate resources. Thus, the Director must maintain positive collaborative relationships with many partners, including senior national conservation leaders and field conservation leaders as well as the equity, diversity, inclusion & belonging (EDIB) team. The Director may also engage with policy, marking & communications, technology, and community building staff.
A organization-wide conservation social science opportunities assessment completed in 2023 identified multiple areas in which conservation social science could advance Audubon’s mission, including directly advancing conservation actions, determining why conservation actions are succeeding or failing, and surfacing inequities in conservation practices, among others. The Director will partner with the Chief Scientist to advance the integration of social science into Audubon’s conservation activities by deploying strategies to address known barriers to adoption, for example by establishing a community of practice for social science to address barriers in capacity. The Director will also lead trainings and serve as an internal subject matter expert on social science best practices as required, particularly in the deployment of structured surveys.
Compensation
Salary range based on geo-differentials:
Essential Functions
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 identity, 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.
Accessibility Statement
The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
Position Summary
The Director, Conservation Social Science role at Audubon’s national science team is focused on building a conservation social science (i.e. human dimensions of conservation) research program at Audubon. These activities should contribute directly to advancing Audubon’s new strategic Flight Plan, including its habitat, climate, and community building milestones. This position reports to the Chief Scientist. Conservation social science services will support the broader organization and the Director will assess those needs and allocate resources. Thus, the Director must maintain positive collaborative relationships with many partners, including senior national conservation leaders and field conservation leaders as well as the equity, diversity, inclusion & belonging (EDIB) team. The Director may also engage with policy, marking & communications, technology, and community building staff.
A organization-wide conservation social science opportunities assessment completed in 2023 identified multiple areas in which conservation social science could advance Audubon’s mission, including directly advancing conservation actions, determining why conservation actions are succeeding or failing, and surfacing inequities in conservation practices, among others. The Director will partner with the Chief Scientist to advance the integration of social science into Audubon’s conservation activities by deploying strategies to address known barriers to adoption, for example by establishing a community of practice for social science to address barriers in capacity. The Director will also lead trainings and serve as an internal subject matter expert on social science best practices as required, particularly in the deployment of structured surveys.
Compensation
Salary range based on geo-differentials:
- $90,000-$105,000/year = National
- $100,000-$115,000/year = Alaska, CA (not San Francisco), Connecticut, D.C., Chicago, Oyster Bay, NY
- $110,000-$130,000/year = NYC (not Oyster Bay), San Francisco, Seattle
Essential Functions
- Strategically deploy conservation social science capacity in support of Flight Plan based on the organization-wide social science opportunities assessment completed in 2023.
- Advise and connect bird conservation activities with social science expertise and collaborators
- Conduct social science research, particularly in the realms of instrumental, diagnostic, and disruptive conservation social science inquiry.
- Establish and lead a community of practice for conservation social science at Audubon
- Partner with other social scientists across the organization, including political scientists and data scientists
- Conduct trainings and advise staff on conservation social science principles
- Liaise with the EDIB team and align conservation social science activities with EDIB conservation principles
- Publish peer reviewed science
- Help foster partnerships with scientists and staff in academic institutions, NGOs, state and federal agencies.
- Assist with fundraising through grant writing, collaborative research, and donors as needed
- Create and manage budgets associated with grants
- Assist with writing of content for reports, publications and presentations, and communicate content to diverse audiences through presentations, conferences, or meetings.
- Partner with Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.
- Other job-related duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in social science, ecology, environmental science, education, or related field. PhD preferred.
- 10+ years of related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.
- Knowledge of social science (e.g., psychology, sociology) concepts, principles, and methods as applied to wildlife or other natural resource management sufficient to identify research needs, provide technical support, connect initiatives with other social scientists, and conduct trainings.
- Experience communicating scientific results and methods to conservation professionals through trainings and web-based materials.
- Demonstrated skills in collaborating with others on teams to accomplish shared objectives.
- Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills that can be adapted to reach a wide range of individuals and used to build consensus. Ability to synthesize and communicate technical and complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Experience conducting and publishing conservation social science (or related research).
- Demonstrated experience ensuring social science results are applied to conservation planning, program development, and policy.
- Experience in management of complex projects involving multiple stakeholders or partners.
- Knowledge of bird conservation partnerships and initiatives.
- Familiarity with science co-production approaches.
- Experience with traditional ecological knowledge a plus.
- Experience in aiding conservation professional or stakeholders in identifying shared priorities or research needs.
- Research experience related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
- Experience building and analyzing volunteer surveys to inform program delivery.
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment, able to juggle a variety of tasks, and able to work independently to re-prioritize tasks.
- Experience working in or volunteering with a science organization strongly preferred.
- Basic proficiency in Geospatial Information Science (GIS) using Esri ArcGIS tools a plus.
- Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Interest in working to promote bird conservation across the US and Americas, and passion for the mission of the National Audubon Society.
- Travel expected 5-15% of the time.
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 identity, 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.
Accessibility Statement
The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
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Seniority level
Mid-Senior level -
Employment type
Full-time -
Job function
Research, Analyst, and Information Technology -
Industries
Veterinary Services, Non-profit Organizations, and Political Organizations
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