Director, Climate Adaptation

DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Director, Climate Adaptation

SALARY: $127,000 - $143,000

FLSA: Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Center for Conservation Innovation

LOCATION: Headquarters, Washington, DC

REPORTS TO: VP, Conservation Research and Innovation

NUMBER OF DIRECT AND INDIERCT REPORT(S): 1 direct, 1 indirect

LAST REVISED: JUNE 2026

POSITION SUMMARY

The accelerating effects of climate change are among the greatest obstacles to protecting and restoring wildlife at risk of extinction. The Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI) at Defenders of Wildlife is seeking an interdisciplinary leader to serve as Director of Climate Adaptation and help advance science-based strategies that address these challenges.

Reporting to the Vice President of Conservation Research and Innovation, the Director is a leader within CCI responsible for guiding Defenders’ efforts to address the impacts of climate change on wildlife and ecosystems. The Director will manage a small team of scientists and policy analysts dedicated to aligning climate and biodiversity objectives to enhance the protection of at-risk species and their habitats across the United States. This includes applying climate science, social science, and policy analysis to develop innovative approaches to conservation planning and decision-making.

The Director will lead and collaborate on applied research initiatives focused on understanding climate change impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, nature-based solutions, wildlife-compatible energy development, ecosystem resilience, and species adaptation. Working closely with CCI’s Conservation Science and Technology teams, as well as legal, field, and policy staff across the organization, the Director will ensure that the latest climate science and policy strategies are effectively integrated into Defenders’ conservation, advocacy, and field-based efforts.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and an effective communicator with experience in leading interdisciplinary teams. They possess a strong background in climate adaptation and conservation, including expertise in ecological, social, or economic dimensions of conservation decision-making and have a demonstrated ability to bridge disciplines and engage diverse stakeholder groups. This individual is expected to think creatively, work collaboratively, and successfully advance innovative solutions to complex conservation challenges.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leads and develops a team of scientists and analysts:

• Oversees the planning, prioritization, and execution of the climate team’s portfolio of projects and initiatives, aligning work with organizational strategy.
• Supervises a small team of staff and occasional volunteers, providing strategic direction, mentorship, and accountability for successful project delivery.
• Ensures direction from Defenders’ leadership, including the VP, is shared with and contextualized for supervisees.

Leads climate science and policy analyses to improve wildlife conservation:

• Develops and oversees applied research and decision-support initiatives focused on climate vulnerability, socio-ecological systems, and conservation strategies that strengthen outcomes for imperiled species in the face of accelerating change.
• Helps position Defenders to address emerging climate and biodiversity challenges through strategic analysis and development of innovative conservation approaches, technologies, and partnerships.
• Guides interdisciplinary program teams in the strategic use of climate science, social science, and policy analysis.
• Advises on development of next-generation conservation policy frameworks that respond to accelerating threats and anticipate ecological change.

Advances conservation through partnerships and collaboration:

• Identifies opportunities for cross-programmatic collaboration across energy, human-wildlife co-existence, and biodiversity initiatives.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments to promote communication, coordination, and shared conservation outcomes.
• Cultivates and leads strategic partnerships with researchers, agencies, NGOs, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to develop and advance climate-informed conservation solutions.

Communicates and shares results and conservation implications:

• Translates complex data into actionable insights for policy, advocacy, and on-the-ground action.
• Supports and advises on strategic communications, translating complex scientific information for diverse audiences and contributing to advocacy, media engagement, public outreach, and policymaker education.
• Publishes project findings in peer-reviewed journals, reports, blogs, articles, and/or other media. Communicates findings at scientific conferences and other events.

Travel Requirements: up to 5% of the time.

Perform all other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced degree (MS/PhD) or equivalent (Master’s degree in relevant field or equivalent required)

Experience: At least 8 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years managing staff and leading complex interdisciplinary projects.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for All Defenders

https://defenders.org/knowledge-skills-and-abilities

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for Director of Climate Adaptation

1. Deep expertise in climate science as it relates to impacts on wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem processes across terrestrial, freshwater, and/or marine systems.
2. Knowledge of federal and state conservation policies relevant to climate adaptation and species recovery as well as the social, economic, and governance factors that influence conservation outcomes.
3. Demonstrated ability to develop and implement an applied research agenda, including by supervising scientists and analysts and leading collaborations with internal and external partners.
4. Ability to align research questions and workflows with broader organizational goals and needs.
5. Experience with climate modeling, downscaled projections, uncertainty analysis, and adaptation frameworks as well as scientific analysis methods such as population viability analysis, landscape prioritization, habitat connectivity analysis, climate vulnerability analyses, and socio-ecological systems analysis.
6. Skilled communicator able to convey complex scientific and policy information to diverse audiences, in writing, in presentations, and via compelling data visualizations and maps.
7. Demonstrated record of scientific leadership through peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy analyses, or other influential conservation products.
8. Experience using geospatial, statistical, and computational tools to inform conservation science and climate adaptation. Proficiency with GIS and R or Python strongly preferred; familiarity with remote sensing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence is desirable.
9. Interest and drive to pursue and develop innovative conservation ideas and tools. Enthusiasm for using data to catalyze and improve biodiversity conservation.

A list of our benefits can be found on our website's job page at https://defenders.org/about/jobs.