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Senior Specialist, Landscape Connectivity

Employer
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y)
Location
Montana or Idaho
Salary
$65,000 - $70,000 per year
Closing date
Apr 6, 2023

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Sector
Nonprofit
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Land Management
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Permanent

About the Organization

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization with a mission to connect and protect wildlife habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. We are the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region. We take a scientific and collaborative approach to conservation and highlight and focus on local issues that affect the region. Since 1993, Y2Y has worked with more than 460 partners to stitch together this landscape, including scientists, conservation groups, landowners, businesses, government agencies as well as Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Native American).

For more information, please visit y2y.net.

Position Description

Yellowstone to Yukon is seeking an enterprising professional to be our next Senior Specialist, Landscape Connectivity.  This position is responsible for helping to ensure key functional wildlife corridors connect core habitats within priority areas of the Y2Y landscape by advancing private land conservation, advocating for connectivity-related aspects of public land management and seeking and securing funding for connectivity-related projects at the local, state, provincial and federal levels.

This position supports our work to ensure functional wildlife corridors maintain, enhance and restore ecological connectivity among and between protected areas by taking a lead role in private land conservation and targeted public land conservation as well as a supporting role in the development of conservation-friendly infrastructure projects.  All of our work is highly collaborative and requires working from local to regional scales in support of Y2Y’s mission and vision, our theory of change, principles for engaging with Indigenous people and our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The location for this position is flexible but must be within the U.S. portion of the Y2Y landscape. Places within a short drive of an airport in Idaho or Montana are preferred. This individual will report to the Director of Landscape Connectivity and will support Y2Y’s private land conservation, transportation infrastructure mitigation and public land management and funding projects. 
 

Responsibilities

  • Work with colleagues and partners to help develop, fund and implement landscape connectivity and wildlife corridor projects that advance the Y2Y vision;
  • Serve as a member of the Landscape Connectivity Team, while working collaboratively with a diverse group of colleagues and partners in the U.S. and Canada;
  • Work closely with Y2Y communications staff and partners to support storytelling that inspires people to support Y2Y’s landscape connectivity work;
  • Take an active role in ensuring equitable experiences, strengthening inclusion, knowledge and promoting a culture of inclusivity and belonging that embraces the contributions of all team members;
  • Advance Y2Y’s connectivity work through private and public lands conservation;
  • Develop and advance private land conservation projects within Y2Y’s priority areas while identifying and helping to fill capacity gaps;
  • Carry out and refine Y2Y’s outreach and partnership strategy with land trusts in the region;
  • Serve as the primary point of contact and relationship manager with existing partners and seek new partnerships in private and public lands conservation throughout the Y2Y region;
  • Assess and pursue opportunities to build new partnerships with Indigenous land trusts, Tribes and First Nations in private land conservation and seek existing or create new opportunities to include Indigenous access and cultural uses of land in private land conservation agreements;
  • Stay current with relevant science to ensure Y2Y’s private land conservation priorities and strategies are consistent with the best available science;
  • Engage in a targeted and strategic way in public land use issues that have a direct impact on large landscape connectivity;
  • Track any major threats to large landscape connectivity and work with Y2Y colleagues and partners to defend against any catastrophic threats to existing or potential future large landscape connectivity;
  • Support and collaborate with colleagues leading advancement of conservation-friendly infrastructure projects;
  • Support fundraising as needed including: developing appropriate portions of proposals, reports and budgets; occasional meetings with donors and funders, helping landscape connectivity team to identify potential new opportunities;
  • Travel within the Y2Y region as required.

Candidate Profile

  • A minimum of 5-10 years of successful experience working on private land conservation, public land management and/or conservation-friendly infrastructure projects;
  • Experience in supporting projects that promote landscape connectivity, preferably in the Y2Y region, on public and/or private lands;
  • Knowledge and experience related to Indigenous rights and governance as well as Indigenous-led conservation;
  • Demonstrated ability to interpret complex science and knowledge and use it to support landscape connectivity;
  • Experience engaging with government agencies and elected officials at various levels of government, particularly agencies responsible for transportation infrastructure, natural resources management and/or wildlife conservation;
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modelling inclusive behaviours, and proactively managing bias;
  • Experience serving as a productive member of diverse and successful teams, coalitions and collaborations;
  • Strong evidence of effective written communication and some public speaking experience;
  • Ability and interest to travel with some regularity;
  • Degree in a related field or equivalent work experience

Terms of Employment

  • The location for this position is flexible but must be within the U.S. portion of the Y2Y landscape. Places within a short drive of an airport in Idaho or Montana are preferred.
  • Salary is commensurate with experience, ranging from $65,000-$70,000 and includes participation in Y2Y’s benefits and savings programs.

Additional Information & To Apply

At Y2Y we value diversity — in backgrounds and in experience, and we need people from all backgrounds to help achieve our mission of connecting and protecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. Y2Y’s team is empathetic, caring, and supportive. We are intentional about the team and culture that we are building, seeking team members that are not only strong in their own aptitudes but care deeply about supporting each other's growth.

Y2Y is an equal opportunity employer and committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace and in science, conservation, and society. We strongly encourage applications from members of groups that are underrepresented and/or excluded from these sectors, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone's responsibility.

To explore this opportunity further, please send a cover letter and resume with title formats as follows: “(Last Name) (First Name)” - Cover and “(Last Name) (First Name)” - Resume Subject: “Your Name” – Application for Y2Y Senior Specialist in Landscape Connectivity to careers@y2y.net.

We thank all applicants but only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please. Application review begins upon receipt and applicants may be contacted before the closing date.

Questions about the position can be directed to Scott Brennan, Y2Y’s Senior Director of Conservation Programs, at scott@y2y.net. Short, preliminary interviews may be held via conference call or Zoom.  

If you anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application or interview process you may contact, in confidence, Robyn Barton, HR Consultant at robyn@y2y.net

 

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