Joint Venture Coordinator

Playa Lakes Joint Venture (“PLJV”) is seeking a dynamic leader with the drive and entrepreneurial spirit to develop collaborative conservation programs that advance the PLJV partnership. PLJV is a regional partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups and private industry dedicated to conserving bird habitat throughout portions of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Our mission is to conserve the playas, prairies and landscapes of the western Great Plains through partnerships for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. The Joint Venture facilitates cooperation among a broad coalition of partners on the national, regional, state and local levels. We provide regional planning, coordination, efficiency and implementation approaches that promote habitat conservation and bird population goals for the region. In addition, PLJV supports local conservation partnerships, state agencies and other partners by developing various biological and social decision support tools, communication products and messaging, as well as by providing information and guidance about how to use the tools to target and deliver the most effective habitat conservation.

The person in this position serves as the Coordinator for the PLJV partnership, and assumes principal responsibilities for initiating, facilitating, integrating, coordinating, communicating, and directing the work and activities of the partnership. Work and activities relate to several primary functional aspects of Joint Venture implementation and administration, including biological planning, conservation design, conservation delivery, research, monitoring and evaluation, social science, and communications and outreach. The Coordinator works collaboratively with the PLJV staff, Management Board, working groups, teams, and other partners to develop, initiate and link priority work assignments within these functional areas and provide the oversight and direction necessary for successful completion. The Coordinator represents the interests of PLJV and its partners in a variety of professional forums, and plays a key role in developing, maintaining and advancing a strategic, landscape oriented, partnership-driven approach to integrated migratory bird conservation in the geography of the PLJV.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Management Board to facilitate a fully engaged partnership that develops and executes large-scale conservation programs.
• Supports the Management Board by coordinating regular meetings, by serving as an intermediary for dialogue among Board members and agencies, and by coordinating development and implementation of priority projects, tracking accomplishments, and evaluating long-term results.
• Supervises and mentors staff directors and helps guide team leadership to achieve desired outcomes.
• Facilitates cooperation and dialogue among governmental and non-governmental entities, as well as among private citizens and landowners — dealing with a variety of perspectives and potentially conflicting interests.
• Clearly defines work assignments and priorities for staff, board, and partnership members, outlining objectives and goals to be accomplished, and timelines within which to complete them; reviews work at critical junctures/phases, suggests necessary modifications, and provides appropriate oversight.
• Identifies and assesses core competencies of programs, projects and teams.
• Stimulates technical and media support for Joint Venture activities and projects.
• Exercises patience, tact, understanding and respect in addressing and balancing a variety of perspectives and interests that influence the partnership's direction and priorities.
• Develops and manages budgets and funding allocations related to PLJV operations.  Seeks external funding through grants, partners and cooperative arrangements. Ensures that all PLJV obligations are met/exceeded.
• Acts as a public representative and spokesperson for conservation on behalf of the organization.

Desired Traits and Characteristics

• Leadership. Ability to effectively manage personnel to maximize the potential of PLJV (e.g. high emotional intelligence, fostering a positive work environment, encouraging career growth and training opportunities). Ability to plan and adapt in executing priorities.
• Vision. Ability to assess the conservation landscape and political climate to develop a strategic vision that generates maximum value for future conservation efforts. Willingness to build upon existing PLJV initiatives and programs that support this vision.
• Communication. Ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person across a broad range of organizations and agencies to convey PLJV’s mission, ongoing work, and availability to assist, and with staff to provide guidance and nurture growth as needed. Addresses conflicts with directness, kindness, and professionalism.
• Collaboration with Diverse Partnerships. Ability to capitalize on existing relationships and to develop and foster new ones within a politically, economically, and culturally diverse landscape.
• Energy. Strong work ethic and self-driven. Thrives in a partnership environment and is adept at identifying, developing, and maintaining effective advisory teams, working groups and larger partnerships.

Position Requirements 

• Master’s degree in a natural resources/natural science field, or a Bachelor's degree in another relevant discipline combined with 10+ years of relevant experience in a conservation context.
• Strong background in effective organizational development and in nurturing sustainable conservation partnerships, with more than five years of experience.
• Knowledge of theory, principles, and methods of migratory bird management and research, and their application in the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats, especially in the western High Plains.
• Knowledge of the theories and principles of landscape ecology, ecosystem management, communications, social science, and adaptive resource management, and their application to conservation planning at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
• Working knowledge of the USFWS Strategic Habitat Conservation approach and a basic understanding of a highly functioning JV as described in the Joint Venture “Matrix”.
• Direct experience leading and implementing strategic planning, as well as biological planning and landscape conservation design.
• Direct experience in supervising staff.
• Direct experience in writing successful grant proposals and cultivating donors.
• Excellent planning, management, and team building skills.

Supervisory Controls

Incumbent reports to the PLJV Management Board and is under the direct supervision of the Chairperson who manages an annual performance review and establishes annual performance objectives with the Executive Committee.

Travel Required

Travel requirements may be as much as 30% or greater to attend staff meetings, management board meetings, and other regional partnership meetings, as needed

Salary, Benefits, and Start Date

Starting salary is commensurate with education, experience, and location with an expected range of $105,000–$136,000 per year. PLJV offers a generous benefits package, including employer-paid health coverage (medical, dental and vision), HSA with annual contribution to defray medical deductibles, and a 7% match on salary toward our retirement plan. We anticipate this position will begin working mid-July or early August.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

People are essential to realizing our mission to conserve birds and wildlife across the western Great Plains. At PLJV we are committed to including all voices within our landscape in order to implement conservation work by collaborating with a wide variety of individual and community stakeholders and ensuring that our work is reflective of their values, beliefs, and ways of knowing. We commit to building more equity into our programs and services by improving our awareness and understanding of the unique perspectives of people, engaging in dialogue with communities of all backgrounds, and taking actions that support our combined interests in a meaningful way.

Job Location

The job location can be anywhere in the PLJV region that supports the corporate charter requirements and facilitates ease of travel to meet with regional partners.

To Apply

Playa Lakes Joint Venture is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks a diverse applicant pool. Please email your application documents as one complete PDF file to jobs@pljv.org. All applications should include a resume or CV, a cover letter (three pages max), three professional references, and any relevant authored materials, as appropriate. In the cover letter, please include salary requirements and desired location. The deadline for all applications is 5:00PM MST on May 10.

This job description may evolve over time, and is subject to periodic updating. The Coordinator may be assigned different and/or additional duties or responsibilities at the discretion of the Management Board.