Nature United is a national organization that is reimagining conservation across Canada. We believe that nature—thriving and full of life—is the foundation of strong communities, a prosperous economy, and a future worth passing on to our grandchildren. We believe that reconciliation is at the heart of our progress as a nation. And we believe that Canada can be a global beacon for hope. We work to advance sustainable resource management by supporting Indigenous leadership and authority and to harness the power of nature to address the climate crisis by advancing natural climate solutions. Nature United is an affiliate of the global organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

As a conservation organization, we support the authority of Indigenous peoples to steward and manage their lands and waters by working in partnership with Indigenous Nations to strengthen governance, build on-the-ground stewardship capacity, support leaders, and catalyze local economies.

The Director of Conservation oversees all aspects of Nature United’s Conservation Program, reporting to the Executive Director, and is a key member of the Leadership Team. This role is pivotal in leading and developing a dedicated team to achieve ambitious conservation goals, and fostering cross-functional relationships that advance meaningful, inclusive conservation initiatives. This role is responsible for managing the Canadian conservation project portfolio, which spans across large and complex geographies and regions. They will lead and support a team of program leaders that are reimagining conservation through innovative approaches and partnerships to drive systems level impact. They will define conservation priorities in Canada aligned to global priorities and deliver on organizational goals. They will play a supporting role in communicating about our work and fundraising for our programs to internal and external audiences.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership and Planning:

• Leads the design and implementation of conservation initiatives to deliver on organizational goals.

• Provides overall strategic direction for the conservation team, and supports conservation programs in planning and strategy design for systems level impact.

• Partners with other team leaders on integrating conservation strategy with broader organizational strategies and external trends and drivers to deliver greater impact.

• Plays a lead role on the executive Leadership Team.

Team Management and Development:

• Leads and manages a large, diverse, and dispersed multi-disciplinary team across Canada.

• Builds and motivates teams to deliver ambitious outcomes by setting clear direction, fostering an inclusive, learning and adaptive management culture, and building strong integration across programs.

• Builds strategic, scientific, and technical capacity, disseminates best practices, and provides coaching and mentoring to develop and grow people.

• Direct communicator with proven ability to lean in to challenging conversations and apply accountability practices.

Champions Collaboration:

• Builds strong relationships across teams and champions cross-team collaboration and resource sharing.

• Builds partnerships within The Nature Conservancy, leveraging shared resources and best practices to deliver greater impact in Canada, and to build models that can be scaled globally.

• Acts as a thought leader in conservation, developing innovative strategies and frameworks. Partners with other teams, including Strategic Partnerships, to integrate policy, markets and innovative financing into systems level strategy design.

Business Management:

• Oversees budgeting and financial management of the Conservation program.

• Assesses and manages risks, ensuring compliance with organizational policies.

• Oversees complex and diverse projects, encompassing multiple programs and coordinating the work of other professionals.

• Develops and manages holistic programs, incorporating cross-disciplinary knowledge.

Inspires Others to Support our Work:

• Engages and influences key stakeholders to support conservation efforts, including supporting fundraising efforts. Positions Nature United as an organization that is reimagining conservation in Canada and globally.

• Translates complex strategies and concepts into clear and compelling narratives for internal and external audiences, including board, donors and partners.

This role is remote and can be based in any Canadian province or territory. It also requires the ability to travel across Canada and internationally, approximately 30% of the time, and to work flexible hours as required.

A background check will be performed on the successful candidate.

We’re Looking for You:

Are you looking for work you can believe in? Nature United is a workplace where we care about each other and know that what we do matters, and that our work makes a difference. We currently have a vacancy for Director of Conservation.

We are seeking a dynamic, values-based and visionary leader who is passionate about conservation. The ideal candidate will inspire and lead a multidisciplinary team, drive strategic initiatives, and build strong strategies and relationships to achieve transformational conservation impact. This leader will drive results to achieve Nature United’s 2030 Strategic Plan.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by supporting the work of our team. Join us as we impact conservation across Canada and more than 80 countries and territories around the world.

What You’ll Bring:

Desired, Additional Qualifications:

Salary Information:

The estimated pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of 192,000 – 205,000 CAD for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is Canada. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate’s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.