Director, Energy Program

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the nation’s oldest and largest national parks nonprofit advocate, has an exciting opportunity open to join our Conservation Programs team as the Director, Energy Program. This position will report to the VP of Conservation Programs.

The Director will lead a multi-departmental team in the development and execution of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Energy Program, implementing, refining, and developing campaign plans and new goals in a collaborative fashion with the team. The Director, with the team, works to strengthen, defend and enforce protections for national parks from energy development threats in their larger surrounding land and seascapes. This includes leading and prioritizing NPCA’s engagement on proposals related to federal onshore and offshore oil and gas siting and leasing, industrial scale onshore and offshore renewable energy siting (wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources), transmission, and hard rock mining siting and policy matters where parks are threatened. The position will also work closely with Regional Programs, Government Affairs, Legal, Communications, and Development staff to coordinate and execute energy development campaign strategies with attention to impacts to indigenous and frontline communities and culturally important sites.

Location: Remote (United States)

Grade: O

Salary: $95,000- $115,000, commensurate with skills, experience, and location.

Work Status: Full-time (32 hours per week); Exempt

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for this role including a four-day, 32-hour work week, paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and paid sabbaticals for staff after seven years of service. Learn more about our benefits at npca.org/jobs.

Essential Functions: % of Time

• • State and Regional Energy Coordination 30%
    • Leads, coordinates, and provides support and guidance to NPCA Regional Staff on NPCA’s relevant campaign work around the nexus of national parks and public land management, oil and gas or renewable energy development and hard rock or critical mineral mining.
    • Works closely with and collaborates to understand priorities and relationships led by NPCA’s place-based field staff to support local campaigns on energy threats, partnerships, tactics and communications as relevant.
    • Leads efforts to gather data and on-the-ground input on potential impacts to park natural and cultural resources from energy development and mining and develops strategies to permanently protect those resources.
    • Works internally to align NPCA departments and capacities around shared goals.
  • Policy and Analysis 50%
    • Monitors and coordinates engagement in issues regarding energy development policies and decisions and collaborates through the Energy team to establish priority focal areas.
    • Provides, supports and contributes to analyses of policies and related recommendations, in coordination with Government Affairs, and conducts research in collaboration with the Energy team and Regional Program staff, to advance advocacy efforts regarding siting of oil and gas energy development, hard rock and critical mineral mining, as well as renewable energy development, including restoration of previously degraded landscapes.
    • Coordinates the development of NPCA’s comments, position statements, factsheets, and contributes to or reviews written testimony and communications materials on the above relevant topics.
    • Assists NPCA’s Legal Team in helping develop and support energy-related litigation and associated communications.
    • Provides input and guidance on NPCA’s work to transition away from fossil fuel development in a way that is equitable and just for local communities.
  • Outreach and Fundraising 20%
    • Establishes relationships with relevant HQ and regional level staff at National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other federal land and water management agencies, energy and mining industry, and local grasstops and elected decisionmakers.
    • Works with conservation partners and coalitions, Indigenous partners, local and frontline or disproportionately impacted communities, and non-traditional allies to achieve conservation victories that are equitable, just, and inclusive.
    • Coordinates with Development staff to develop funding proposals and meets with donors or funders to cultivate relationships and present proposed projects.

Total 100%

Other: Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Leads in developing program priorities, budget, and participates in development of department goals, objectives, and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, departmental meetings, training programs, and attends other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. Some travel may be required for meetings or conferences. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position.

Minimum Work Schedule: 32-hour work week, Monday-Thursday

Minimum Scope of Position: Interacts with all NPCA departments, NPCA Board members, National Council Members, select Regional Council members, existing and prospective donors, other environmental and park groups, community and business leaders, the media, as well as staff or representatives holding state and federal elected offices, staff in relevant state agencies, and staff in NPS, BLM, and other relevant federal agencies. Researches and analyzes energy and environmental proposals.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits:

• • B.S. or advanced degree in relevant field; law degree advantageous but not required. Minimum of 6-7 years of experience, or relevant combination of lived experiences.
• Knowledge and understanding of federal public lands laws and policies, in particular the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), The National Park Service (NPS) Organic Act, NPS Management Policies and related NPS regulations and policies, Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), General Mining Act of 1872. Familiarity with related Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas leasing policies and procedures, U.S. Forest Service multiple use policies on energy development, and safety and leasing policies in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and the Office of Natural Resource Revenue related to royalties and mineral revenues and related policies is also greatly beneficial.
• Demonstrable experience and skills in working collaboratively internally across departments and functions within an organization, and externally among allies and key stakeholders.
• Background in nonprofit work and policy advocacy or understanding of how federal decisions are influenced and made, and substantial knowledge of federal legislative and administrative policy-making processes.
  • Ideally, experience in a leadership role in conservation advocacy, resource or land management, or park management, and related policy.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ideally including specific experience in developing effective technical or influential comment and related letters, white papers, oral or written testimony, or other advocacy materials, as well as public speaking, presentation, or media communication skills.
  • Skill and expertise in developing or advising on strategic approaches for regionally based or other national advocacy campaign work is highly desirable.
• Keen insight and sensitivity to the impacts of energy development on Indigenous or other disproportionately affected and frontline communities and culturally important sites, and experience in advocating for solutions to energy development pressures that advance the needs of these populations while protecting national parks.
• Demonstrated ability to work in collaborative teams to manage multiple projects simultaneously, organize tasks, to set and observe priorities, and to maintain schedules.
  • Experience in fundraising and funding proposal development strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to build relationships across political, philosophical, and interest boundaries.
• Proven ability to self-manage, self-motivate, and work independently.

Core Values: Live, honor and own the organization’s Core Values:

Commitment: We are passionate about NPCA and dedicated to achieving excellence through our work and mission. We seek to improve our performance by taking opportunities for professional and personal development and encouraging reasonable risk-taking and innovation.

Inclusion: We value diversity of thought, background, experience, and opinion. We create a culture of empowerment by welcoming and encouraging meaningful participation from all people and promoting an environment that embraces different perspectives.

Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable to each other, our members and partners, and our mission. We evaluate the impact of our work and strive for honesty and transparency across the organization. We operate ethically in the organization's best interests.

Respect: We collaborate in results-oriented teams based on trust and consideration for each other. We promote harmony between our work and our personal lives. We foster a healthy and positive workplace culture and work collaboratively with external partners.

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Typical office setting; cube, or remote shared workspace arrangement or home office.

Employer’s Rights: NPCA reserves the right to revise this position description at any time. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the NPCA and the employee and is subject to change by the NPCA as the needs of the NPCA and requirements of the job change. The above is in no way an exhaustive list of the requirements for the position.