The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

The Associate Director of Donor Engagement is a key member of the Donor Engagement Team (DET), which is responsible for leading a program that creates unique travel and event experiences that connect donors and prospects to TNC’s mission and global priorities, deepening their engagement with the organization and inspiring continued philanthropic support. Working closely with the Director of Donor Engagement, the Associate Director directs the team’s travel program, and is responsible for overseeing travel strategies and offerings, as well as the resources, tools, processes, and partnerships that support the delivery of highly strategic and consistently best in class engagement experiences.

The Associate Director of Donor Engagement will work towards defining and meeting the strategic priorities of the DET by developing and coordinating travel engagement strategies and related tactics and overseeing the key activities of the travel program and team. They will lead the team’s successful planning and execution of custom and series travel programming, working collaboratively across the DET, Donor Relations, and development to ensure program offerings align with and contribute to TNC’s global donor engagement and fundraising objectives. They will manage guidelines and track, analyze and report on travel program metrics to achieve desired results, improve workflow, and solve problems. The Associate Director will anticipate challenges, evaluate alternatives, project outcomes, and implement solutions – proactively communicating throughout and elevating situations to team leadership where appropriate. They may be asked to provide high level direction for bespoke donor trips and/or to report to senior leadership on travel program matters as needed.

The Associate Director will contribute to the development and/or improvement of travel program guidelines, procedures, and practices, including managing documentation. They maintain expert knowledge of the systems and resources utilized by the team and drive for continuous enhancement of those systems and tools. They will provide consult, guidance, recommendations, and broad training to teammates and colleagues, reinforcing consistency in and adherence to the organization’s travel and/or engagement policies, procedures and practices.

The Associate Director directly manages the travel team, providing them with consistent coaching, training, and support, as well as offering mentorship and guidance to other members of the DET and Donor Relations. They also play an important role in evaluating when to engage and how to foster strategic partnerships with key external travel vendors, making assessments and presenting recommendations to team leadership. The Associate Director works in close cooperation with any or all of the following: Conservancy staff, donors, Trustees, vendors, public agencies, financial institutions and legal and accounting professionals. The work environment may involve infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.

We’re looking for a strategic leader to direct and oversee the Donor Engagement Team’s comprehensive and multifaceted travel program and team. They will partner with team, department, and division leaders to set priorities for the program, proactively developing robust engagement strategies that support organization-wide fundraising objectives and guiding their successful implementation and execution.

The ideal candidate is a systems thinker who approaches their work holistically. They are equally comfortable operating on both a macro- and micro-level and can juggle and prioritize multiple bodies of work simultaneously. They have superior communications and relationship management skills and effectively and proactively manage up, down, and across. They are highly collaborative and thrive working cross-functionally, especially in a remote environment. They diplomatically solve problems and are comfortable navigating different types of organizational structures. They exemplify and promote effective leadership, hold themselves and others accountable, and provide their team and colleagues with the support and guidance needed to achieve results in ways that are inclusive, build trust, show respect, and leverage differences.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing and urgent mission of conservation by directing and shaping the work of our team!