Director, Conservation Outreach and Education

This exciting position will play a major role in advancing the conservation mission, vision and impact of White Oak Conservation. The Director of Conservation Outreach and Education will develop innovative approaches that connect people and wildlife to inspire conservation action.

The Director serves as a senior leader for the organization, and as a key spokesperson, representing the organization regionally and internationally and in the greater conservation community.

The Director will create and deliver outreach and education strategies that will promote conservation awareness, conservation impact and relevance, and will engage and cultivate diverse conservation leaders while critically and objectively monitoring the effectiveness of the programs.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the position will lead the Outreach and Education Team at White Oak and will work across teams, locations, and organizations within The Walter Family conservation network, to engage the conservation community and develop conservation leaders.

The position will be based at White Oak Conservation (WO) in Yulee, FL, a 17,000-acre conservation park that houses numerous wildlife recovery and assurance programs, as well as the largest herd of Asian elephants outside of their natural range. The Walter Family Conservation oversees all the operations at WO and numerous other large properties in the US and Africa.

All candidates must possess proven skills in a broad range of disciplines and a track record of proven leadership in strategic planning that achieves conservation outreach and education program success. Superior communication and collaborative talents will be necessary to work across the vast network of the Walter Family conservation portfolio in N. America and abroad.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and delivery of outreach and education strategies and programs to improve understanding of the natural environment and to promote behavior compatible with conservation.
• Develop collaborative partnerships and coordinate programs to educate, mentor and nurture diverse conservation leaders to achieve meaningful, relevant wildlife conservation impact including the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program. Promote education opportunities for marginalized youth and local communities. 
• Coordinate and contribute to conservation communication for WO serving as a key spokesperson and representing the organization regionally and internationally to include messaging and interpretation for WO social and earned media, and guest communications.
• Provide support to The Walter Family community conservation initiatives overseas, including projects in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, establishing a library of relevant wildlife and environmental education materials for both teachers and students, and assisting in developing educational visits for school children and residents.
• Plan, facilitate and coordinate conservation partner meetings, classes, training and camps at WO. Provide opportunities for safe and engaging connections to WO programs for wildlife, recovery, animal health/science and stewardship.
• Oversee comprehensive risk management practices to ensure compliance, workplace and student/guest safety at WO in collaboration with WO Hospitality, Support Services and Shared Services to ensure managed program operations, safety and logistics.
• Collaborate with WO department directors to provide quality education and training programs onsite. Experience & Qualifications
• Advanced degree in conservation education or communications is desirable
• Proven leadership in strategic planning that achieves conservation outreach and education
• Superior communication and collaborative talents will be necessary to work across the vast network of the Walter Family conservation portfolio in N. America and abroad
• Proficiency in developing environmental education materials and curricula and evaluating their effectiveness
• Proven experience with the conservation outreach, education, and communications
• 10 years in leadership role(s) with regional or international conservation organization
• Knowledge of, or experience with, current social and behavior change science and applications
• Mentor/coaching experience
• Meeting facilitation and strategic planning skills
• Excellent knowledge of the full Microsoft Office suite and specifically Excel database entry, management and reporting
• Public presentation skills
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Flexible and adaptable;Highly collaborative and team-oriented
• Passion for White Oak’s mission and genuine appreciation for wildlife and conservation
• The ideal team player will: be resilient, show initiative, and demonstrate a healthy commitment to going above and beyond; focus on team success and define success collaboratively versus individually; work with colleagues in mind, be a good listener, and be willing to seek information and assistance when necessary.

Compensation

The Director of Outreach and Education is a full time, exempt position eligible to participate in White Oak’s full benefits package including group health insurance, 401K retirement program with company match, life insurance, short and long-term disability. Compensation will be based on the successful candidate’s background and experience. The annual salary range for the Director of Outreach and Education is $85,000 to $125,000 with annual bonus opportunities.

Location

The position will be based at the White Oak Conservation campus in Yulee, Florida and will include opportunities for remote work, with hybrid, flexible scheduling. Due to the focus of White Oak’s education and training programming the position will be responsible to be on site and available to work with the team for planning purposes, and for scheduled events, classes and conferences. Some travel will be required with the position, estimated up to 5-10% of the time.

About White Oak and The Walter Family Foundation

White Oak is a one-of-a-kind center in northeastern Florida established in 1982 for the conservation and propagation of endangered species. With the Walters support, White Oak has expanded to 17,000 acres dedicated to the conservation and care of assurance populations including elephants, rhinoceros, cheetahs, okapi, and dama gazelles. In the US White Oak partners with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on species recovery and release efforts for Florida panthers, grasshopper sparrows, whooping cranes and Mississippi sandhill cranes. White Oak has also rewilded mountain bongo, black rhinoceros, and roan antelope to Africa, and is working to restore other rare species to their native countries.

The Walter Family is eager to bring education and awareness to the next generation of conservationists through world class education and training programs, in person and remotely. Developing and training diverse conservation leaders is essential for future conservation impact and White Oak plays a key role, with partners, in coordinating and hosting the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program. In 2019 more than 1900 students visit White Oak and participated in conservation education programming and training.

Animal Conservation in Yulee, Florida (whiteoakwildlife.org)

The Walter Family (TWF) is determined to bring its resources and entrepreneurship to affect changes in the causes of social justice and conservation

Social Justice

Advancing equity by countering systemic obstacles to opportunity for marginalized young people. The Walter Family led projects include The Academy Group, Chicago Beyond, and One Goal.

Conservation

TWF Conservation saves rare species and wild places by protecting identified key animal populations, and their habitats around the world. Efforts include creating assurance populations, protecting rare species in their environments, restoring ecosystems, and protecting wilderness areas. TWF Conservation supports important places in North America and Africa. The approach is to provide wildlife security and management, to collaborate with local residents and host-country governments, and to invest in sustainable enterprises. With more than one million acres worldwide, TWF Conservation protects thousands of rare and native animals and plants. The Walter Family conservation projects include White Oak Conservation in Florida and others in Zimbabwe and Namibia. TWF Conservation

TWF CAUSES

The goal of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) program is to facilitate cross-organizational networking and mentoring for emerging wildlife conservation leaders while conducting training and guiding innovative conservation projects. An initiative that brings together emerging leaders in the wildlife conservation field for capacity building and intense training in campaign development skills, including implementation of a two-year group international wildlife issue campaign. Partners for EWCL include the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Wildlife Conservation Network, International Rhino Foundation, and the Houston Zoo. EWCL-Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (wildlifeleaders.org)

How to apply:

Guidelines for Applicants

To receive full consideration for this position the following materials will be received by 5pm Friday Oct 7th, 2022:

1) A letter of interest describing your qualifications for the Director of Outreach and Education position and your interest in White Oak Conservation;

2) A writing sample (eg. curriculum, report, blog, newsletter);

3) A description of your salary parameters;

4) A detailed and updated resumé and

5) three professional references.

Please email all the above listed to: White Oak Human Resources, [email protected]

Please note: References will not be contacted until a candidate has been notified. Background checks will subsequently be performed, with candidate permission.

White Oak Conservation is committed to creating an environment where diverse perspectives are welcome, and to nurturing a culture where everyone feels valued and appreciated. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law.