Department: Conservation
Reports to: Executive Director
Job Classification: Exempt, Full-time
Salary Range: Salary based on qualifications and location

Position: Conservation Strategist

Summary Description
This full-time position will lead the consolidation of Borderlands Restoration Network’s
conservation initiative to protect and enhance wildlife connectivity in the Sky Islands region of southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora. The Conservation Strategist will identify opportunities for enhancing wildlife corridors, assess future threats, and evaluate conservation potential while developing partnerships with landowners, governmental agencies, and conservation organizations. 

Timing: The position is open until filled, with the first round of applicant reviews scheduled for the end of February 2025. The anticipated start date is April 2025.

Salary and Benefits: Salary/contract is negotiable based on experience and location. Employee benefits include full health, disability, and life insurance, PTO and paid holidays, a monthly cell phone stipend, and an employee contribution retirement account.

Geographic Location
The successful candidate will work with multiple organizations to develop shared priorities and action plans, necessitating trips to project sites and potential new conservation lands in the Mexico-USA borderlands region. The successful applicant could be based in southern Arizona, USA, or northern Sonora, Mexico.

Background
This position will focus on developing a regional, binational conservation program to work toward protecting and enhancing wildlife connectivity between the states of Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico and New Mexico and Arizona in the USA. The principal focus of this effort will be the protection and enhancement of two well-documented wildlife corridors in the region. The West-central Corridor connects the Sierra Madre Occidental to the south, linking Cananea, Sonora with the Huachuca, Patagonia, and Santa Rita mountains to the north. The East Corridor stretches from the Sierra Madre Occidental (Sierra San Luis) through the Animas mountains and northward towards the Peloncillo and Chiricahua Mountain ranges. These are two critically important corridors for wildlife moving between the US and Mexican portions of the Sky Islands Bioregion, a biodiversity hotspot home to many endemics, threatened, and endangered species. Current, ongoing threats, including climate change, urban expansion, extractive industry, and infrastructure development (e.g., border wall, highway expansion, etc.) put biodiversity at increasing risk.

The successful candidate will work closely and in synergy with other conservation organizations actively engaged in the region.

 Objectives
The primary goal of this position is to develop a large-scale conservation and restoration strategy, building on the foundation of existing protected areas, conservation initiatives, and past regional plans, to increase connectivity and enhance habitat quality for the region’s biodiversity. Achieving this goal will require multiple actions, including but not limited to:

• Prioritizing areas and properties of greatest conservation value
• Developing a toolkit of options for landowners: including easements, fideicomiso agreements, government conservation programs, grant opportunities, voluntary conservation and restoration actions, improved land management practices, technical assistance, and more
• Building relationships with conservation organizations, community and regional governments, and landowners and land managers
• Communicating conservation and restoration values to diverse audiences

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Collaborative Leadership and Advocacy

• Collaborate with multiple organizations to develop a cohesive strategy for corridor conservation efforts
• Develop effective relationships with landowners, land managers and stakeholders
• Build relationships with partnering conservation organizations and individuals

2. Project Development

• Develop community support for new projects or acquisitions
• Prepare project proposals and communications, including maps, site photos, and site plans
• Identify sources and seek funding for conservation projects

3. Project Implementation

• Work with landowners, managers, and other collaborating organizations throughout the implementation of land protection activities
• Support the development of restoration and management plans, in collaboration with landowners, managers, and other partners

4. Additional Duties

• Assist with communicating and developing outreach materials
• Deliver presentations to diverse audiences
• Maintain strong working relationships with government officials, community leaders, and other decision-makers to ensure ongoing support
• Develop and execute a project tracking and evaluation plan for all components within the scope of this position

Requisite Education and Experience

1. Five years of experience working with nonprofit and private stakeholders toward voluntary land protection within the Mexico-USA borderlands region

2. Master’s degree in conservation biology or a closely related field or equivalent professional experience

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

1. Experience leading conservation efforts, including designing and implementing projects
2. Knowledge and proficiency with conservation planning tools/software
3. Proficiency with ESRI ArcMap or other GIS platforms
4. Demonstrated commitment to protecting and enhancing wildlife connectivity
5. Ability to form and leverage networks to achieve goals
6. Strong written and oral communication skills in both English and Spanish languages
7. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
8. Ability to work both collaboratively and independently
9. Possession of a current passport or the ability to obtain one
10. Knowledge of Sky Island species, habitats, and ecosystems

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

1. Grant writing experience

2. Knowledge of a range of conservation tools, including conservation and cultural respect easements, fideicomiso agreements, contractual agreements, government incentive programs, land repatriation, and voluntary conservation actions

3. Professional network in the Sky Islands region

4. Driver’s license and personal vehicle for reimbursed travel expenses

5. Sonoran cultural fluency

Borderlands Restoration Network is an equal opportunity employer that works in the culturally diverse, multinational borderlands. We invite and support strong voices from diverse groups of people to join us as board members, staff members, and volunteers. As an organization, we will consider all applicants without regard to race, ethnicity, economic circumstances, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.