Background

Audubon is a national organization that operates 23 state offices and is affiliated with nearly 500 chapters across the country.  The state headquarters for Audubon Mississippi is currently located at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but we encourage candidates to apply who live in northern Mississippi and the greater Memphis metropolitan area.  There is some flexibility in location and the new director could also be based in Jackson.

Audubon Mississippi supports a staff of eleven, with a $1.2 million budget, a state board of directors, volunteer stewardship boards supporting the Strawberry Plains and Pascagoula River Audubon Centers, the Mississippi River Field Institute in Vicksburg, and 5 local chapters.  Audubon Mississippi is a program vital to Audubon’s Mississippi River Initiative which focuses programs within the Mississippi River basin on achieving success tied to bird and habitat, water quality, and hydrological conservation goals. 

The new director will assume responsibility for directing a state-wide program which includes:

• the well-established Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, with extensive conservation and education programs in the Coldwater River Watershed immediately south of Memphis.
• a growing Pascagoula River Audubon Center program that aims to launch a $3.5 million capital campaign for a new building and expand its education and conservation impact in one of most ecologically diverse river systems in the country
• the Mississippi River Field Institute which provides local and regional education programs from the downtown Vicksburg office and in partnership on the Tara Wildlife property outside of Vicksburg
• define the implementation plan for Audubon Mississippi’s Important Bird Areas program.

Audubon Mississippi’s strong base of grassroots support positions it to play an important role in public policy issues at the local, state and national level.

Audubon seeks a dynamic, motivated, and innovative State Executive Director and Vice President to position Audubon Mississippi to be a strong leader in bird and habitat conservation education, and advocacy across the region.   Audubon Mississippi recognizes the important part Audubon can play in restoring and protecting the health of local natural resources.  This is accomplished by

• protecting habitats, landscapes and ecosystems landscapes that support healthy populations of birds and other wildlife and clean waters. 
• helping to create a well-informed and engaged citizenry that participates in conservation action
• finding solutions to environmental challenges in order to enhance the enjoyment of nature and improve the quality of life for Mississippi residents.

The Executive Director will be the chief executive officer for Audubon in Mississippi and will exercise fundraising, management and leadership responsibility in overseeing statewide programs and initiatives.  This individual will be a visionary leader and a dynamic fund-raiser who will build on Audubon’s rich history while taking the State Program’s recent achievements to the next level.  The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of the Mississippi program, working in collaboration with other local, state, regional and national programs.  The Executive Director reports to the Vice President of Mississippi River Region, and will be jointly supervised by the Audubon Mississippi State Board of Directors.  The Executive Director and all employees of Audubon Mississippi are employees of National Audubon Society. 

Position Priorities

• Effectively and passionately articulate and implement Audubon’s goals and strategies in Mississippi and play a leadership role at the regional level.
• Raise the profile and visibility of Audubon Mississippi through building a strong support base of donors, volunteers and allies.  Continue to develop a dynamic and diverse state board and volunteer committees which can help support the state program’s growth.
• Lead Audubon Mississippi’s fund-raising through a strong and well-supported development staff, through board engagement, and personal efforts.
• Assume overall responsibility for financial management of the state program including setting financial goals, analyzing results and taking corrective actions.  Ensure that Audubon Mississippi meets all financial standards, operating policies, programmatic commitments and legal requirements.
• Develop and maintain opportunities to engage Audubon Chapters in implementing science, policy, and education activities focused on achieving Audubon Mississippi’s strategic vision for conservation.
• Lead and motivate the state program staff team to achieve Audubon Mississippi’s maximum potential.
• Position Audubon Mississippi as an influential conservation voice in the state and be recognized as a conservation leader by the executive and legislative branches.  Be an effective bipartisan advocate for Audubon legislative priorities in state and national arenas in coordination with other Audubon offices.

Qualifications and Experience

The Executive Director must be a strategic thinker, persuasive communicator, and excellent fund-raiser and be able to travel to and engage the diverse communities of Mississippi.  The successful candidate must be passionate about Audubon’s vision for education and conservation in Mississippi and possess the leadership qualities that will inspire others.  The position calls for an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with strong business, management and communication skills.

Audubon Mississippi is seeking:

• An engaging, energetic leader; an individual who can inspire and motivate staff, volunteers, donors, potential partners, and who will enthusiastically embrace the full array of duties required in this position:  fundraising, management, strategic planning, effective communications, and partnership building.
• A senior level manager, with at least ten years of progressively responsible experience with private, non-profit, or public sector organizations, including five years at management level with comparable staff and budget.  Ability to inspire trust, to organize people into teams and to motivate them to work well together.  Experience managing institutional growth and change is highly desirable, as is a successful track record in managing staff in multiple locations.
• An enthusiastic and skilled executive in marketing and fund-raising, ideally including campaign experience and work with major donors.
• An individual who possesses outstanding interpersonal skills, a sense of humor, humility and good judgment and an ability to work with a wide range of individuals, volunteers, donors, and organizations on the local, regional, and national level.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build coalitions with partners, including other environmental advocacy organizations, government, and for-profit businesses.
• A persuasive communicator who has an engaging intellect and who leads by example; an individual who demonstrates the highest level of personal and professional integrity and quality standards.
• Willingness and ability to travel routinely throughout the state and elsewhere as required.
  

The National Audubon Society's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity.

Audubon promotes a diverse workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the National Audubon Society to employ the man or woman best qualified for the job regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or marital status.