Land Conservation Director/Senior Attorney

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.  

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).  

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org 

POSITION SUMMARY  

The Land Conservation Director/Senior Attorney will lead a team of experienced land conservation advocates who focus on safeguarding our priceless public lands to preserve critical ecological and cultural values. This includes working defensively against the onslaught of attempts to sell off public lands, protecting bedrock conservation laws, elevating targeted campaigns in priority landscapes, and promoting durable, conservation focused solutions to meeting energy demands. The Director will play an important leadership role in NRDC’s lands work - joining the Lands Division Leadership team, collaborating with teams and leadership across NRDC, and engaging on external campaigns and coalitions. In addition to serving as a Senior Attorney and thought leader for Land Conservation advocacy, the Director will oversee the team’s day-to-day work, engage in fundraising, guide communications efforts, and help lead priority state and federal legislative and administrative advocacy campaigns. 

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions: 

• Manage the land conservation team, which consists of lawyers, scientists and policy advocates advancing critical land conservation efforts, including public lands defense and conservation focused solutions to meeting energy demands.  
• Develop and lead Land Conservation team strategies and goals, ensuring alignment with fundraising, institutional priorities, team members expertise and capacity, and key partnerships. 
• Represent NRDC and the Land Conservation team as an authoritative source both internally as well as externally in public forums, including administrative proceedings, legislative committee hearings, and media outlets.   
• Build and maintain relationships with partners, coalitions, decisionmakers, and other stakeholders to guide strategy, influence policy outcomes, and identify advocacy needs. 
• Oversee staff performance and provide mentoring, guidance, and on-going feedback to ensure that staff develop and reach performance goals that support division priorities, institutional DEI, professional development, and management needs.  
• Provide legal expertise and guidance to Nature Leadership and staff, including other NRDC departments, on priority strategies and related legal, technical and/or policy issues; and help develop and oversee litigation on priority public lands issues, in collaboration with NRDC’s Litigation Team.  

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned. 

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience:  

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required, with authoritative knowledge concerning land conservation. Law degree required.; litigation experience preferred. 
• 7+ years of experience of legal and/or policy advocacy, including 3 years of management experience. Experience leading state or federal campaigns, litigating and advocating for public lands preferred.   
• Experience successfully building and navigating diverse teams and/or coalitions, including developing consensus on policy issues and driving toward equitable, positive outcomes. 

Skills, Abilities, Competencies  

• An ability to foster and cultivate a positive, inclusive and equitable working environment with colleagues, leadership and external stakeholders.    
• Advanced interpersonal skills and the ability to provide leadership, guidance, feedback, and coaching in the context of employee engagement, team/coalition building, and project and people management.   
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.  
• An ability to effectively communicate and deploy written and verbal skills to advance complex concepts.   
• Excellent strategic judgment, integrity, professional discretion, and ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters. 
• Ability to travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, approximately 20% annually 
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles 

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS   

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within the described work environment. 

Frequently: Perform desk-based computer tasks 

Frequently: Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessary 

Frequently:  Attend planned meetings and collaborate with management and coworkers 

Frequently: Hand draw illustrations for advocacy materials 

Occasionally: Ability to attend events and activities in the office or offsite  

Work is sometimes performed primarily in office.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations.  Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters. 

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $162,000 to $180,000.  

Perks & Benefits 

Not only do we care about taking care of our planet, we care about taking care of you. When you join our team, we invest in your total well-being. Here is a small glimpse on how we plan to support you: 

• Time to Unplug & Recharge: Enjoy a generous time-off policy, highlighted by a company-wide year-end Rest & Recharge Week to reset for the new year. 

• Family – First: Generous family leave policy beyond federal requirements for all NRDCers 

• For your Future: Matching 403b whether you contribute or not 

• Hybrid Policy: The freedom to balance your time around your needs that means, 8 days per month in-office. In-office day requirements can be met with off-site work events such as retreats, conferences, and other work-related travel. 

• Well – being: Premium Comprehensive healthcare and mental health programs. 

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs. 

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422. 

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.