Audubon is a national organization that operates 23 state offices and is affiliated with nearly 500 chapters across the country.  The state program’s headquarters and all eight staff members for Audubon Alaska are in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska and location of regional offices for many key government agencies. Audubon Alaska has an annual budget of about $1.2 million and a 12-member board. There are about 2,100 Audubon members in Alaska, and chapters located in Anchorage, Cordova, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Kodiak. 

Audubon first established an office in Alaska in 1977 in recognition of the national and international importance of Alaska’s wildlife and wildlands. In Alaska, Audubon has played key roles in passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, creation of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, protection of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Teshekpuk Lake from oil drilling, and many other issues. Audubon Alaska is regarded as a highly credible organization and is best known for applying science in support of land and wildlife conservation and management decisions across the state. Most recently, Audubon Alaska’s science has helped redefine conservation priorities in the Tongass National Forest and shape a promising new collaborative approach to conservation in the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Important Bird Area and WatchList projects help focus Audubon Alaska on conservation of internationally significant fish and wildlife habitats on public—mostly federal lands. Because Audubon Alaska’s program is national and international in scope, Audubon Alaska staff work closely with Audubon’s public policy staff in Washington, DC, with staff from other state and national organizations, and with colleagues in Russia and other countries with which Alaska shares interests and concerns.

Audubon seeks a dynamic, motivated, and innovative State Executive Director and Vice President to maintain and enhance Audubon Alaska as a strong leader in conservation science and policy advocacy. The Executive Director should understand and appreciate both science and policy advocacy and ensure that Audubon’s program in both areas are tightly linked.

The Executive Director is the chief executive officer for Audubon in Alaska and will exercise fund-raising, management and leadership responsibility in overseeing programs and initiatives related to Alaska. This individual will be a visionary leader and a dynamic fund-raiser who will build on Audubon’s rich history and enhance its contributions to conservation in Alaska. The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of the Alaska program, working in collaboration with the larger Audubon organization at all levels and with other organizations. In keeping with the broad programmatic scope, the Executive Director will also interface with high level national policy makers and funders. The Executive Director will report to the national organization’s Vice President of State Programs in the Western Region, and will be jointly supervised by the Alaska state board. The Executive Director and all employees of Audubon Alaska are employees of National Audubon Society. 

In the next 1-2 years, the Executive Director will provide strong leadership to help Audubon and the larger conservation community to interpret what has been learned about the Arctic marine environment through Audubon science and translate those finding into substantive gains for conservation. The same is true in the Tongass National Forest. The Executive Director also must identify emerging issues and areas of concern, and position Audubon to secure funding and advocate solutions.

• Effectively and passionately articulate and implement Audubon’s goals and strategies in Alaska.
• Lead Audubon Alaska in its efforts to secure substantive conservation gains in the Arctic (e.g., Teshekpuk Lake and Beaufort and Chukchi seas) and in Southeast Alaska (Tongass National Forest), while identifying emerging issues and places where Audubon can and should play leadership roles.
• Raise the profile and visibility of Audubon Alaska by building a strong support base of donors, partners, and cooperators. Continue to develop a dynamic and diverse state board, which can help guide and support its growth.
• Lead Audubon Alaska’s fund-raising through a strong and well-supported development team, including staff and board members, and personal efforts.
• Assume overall responsibility for fiscal management of the state program, including setting financial goals, analyzing results, and taking corrective actions. Ensure that Audubon Alaska meets all financial standards, operating policies, programmatic commitments, and legal requirements.
• Lead and manage the state office staff to fulfill Audubon Alaska’s strategic plan.
• Position Audubon Alaska as a leading conservation voice in the state and be recognized as a conservation leader by federal and state executive and legislative branches and by the news media.
• Ensure that Audubon is science-based and works closely with scientists and resource managers in government agencies, academic institutions, and in the private sector, including with industry and Alaska Native corporations.
• Develop and maintain opportunities to engage Audubon Chapters in implementing science, policy, and education activities focused on achieving Audubon Alaska’s strategic plan.

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 Alaska. The successful candidate must be passionate about Audubon’s vision for conservation in Alaska,  possess leadership qualities that will inspire others, and appreciate the importance of sound science in support of policy objectives. The position calls for an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with strong business, management, and communication skills.

Audubon Alaska 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, partnership building, and policy advocacy.
• A senior manager, with at least ten years of progressively responsible experience with private, non-profit, or public-sector organizations, including five years at a management level with comparable staff and budget. Ability to inspire trust, to organize people into teams and 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 local, regional, and national levels.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build coalitions with partners, including other environmental 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 (e.g., Washington, DC, and West Coast) as required.
• Ability to analyze complex environmental and natural resource issues and identify positive, science-based solutions that can be advocated successfully by Audubon Alaska.
• Knowledge and appreciation of Alaska and its environment, of its history and public land law, and of the role of science in developing conservation strategies are strongly preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a science discipline (e.g., biology), natural resources management, or public policy. An advanced degree or equivalent experience is strongly preferred.

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 (handicap) or marital status.