Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Conservation Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Conservation Director leads strategic planning, program development, and operational oversight for conservation initiatives focused on wildlife protection, habitat restoration, and biodiversity recovery. This senior role combines scientific expertise, program and financial management, stakeholder engagement, policy and advocacy, and fundraising to deliver measurable conservation outcomes across landscapes, seascapes, or species-specific programs. The ideal candidate demonstrates proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams, excellence in conservation science and monitoring, strong grant and donor management experience, and an ability to translate research into effective field action and policy.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Conservation Scientist or Program Manager with multi-year field project oversight.
Regional or State Wildlife Biologist with experience leading teams and budgets.
Nonprofit Program Director or Head of Field Operations for environmental organizations.

Advancement To:

Executive Director / CEO of a conservation nonprofit.
Regional Director for a national or international conservation organization.
Chief Conservation Officer or VP of Conservation Programs in large NGOs.

Lateral Moves:

Director of Biodiversity & Protected Areas.
Director of Marine Conservation or Habitat Restoration.
Director of Conservation Policy and Advocacy.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the development and implementation of a multi-year, evidence-based conservation strategy focused on species recovery, habitat restoration, landscape connectivity, and biodiversity conservation that aligns with organizational goals and donor priorities.
Oversee the design, execution, and adaptive management of a portfolio of field programs, ensuring projects meet scientific objectives, timelines, budgets, and measurable conservation outcomes such as population increases, habitat acreage restored, or threat reduction.
Serve as the senior scientific and programmatic authority, providing technical oversight for research design, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, population viability analyses, and the integration of best-available science into management actions.
Manage and coach a multidisciplinary team of conservation biologists, field technicians, GIS specialists, community outreach coordinators, and contract consultants, including hiring, performance management, professional development, and succession planning.
Prepare, manage, and report on complex budgets and grants (federal, state, philanthropic, corporate), ensuring fiscal compliance, timely deliverables, cost controls, and transparent reporting to funders and stakeholders.
Lead fundraising efforts by identifying funding opportunities, cultivating and stewarding major donors, preparing high-quality grant proposals and reports, delivering compelling donor briefings, and coordinating campaigns to diversify revenue streams.
Build and maintain strategic partnerships with government agencies, Indigenous communities, local stakeholders, research institutions, landowners, and private sector partners to secure access, co-management agreements, and collaborative conservation outcomes.
Represent the organization externally as the lead spokesperson on scientific findings, program results, and policy positions—preparing and delivering presentations to boards, funders, media, scientific conferences, and community forums.
Oversee regulatory compliance and permitting processes related to field work, endangered species protections, habitat modification, and research activities; liaise with regulatory agencies to ensure legal and ethical project implementation.
Design and implement robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems to track ecological indicators, program performance, and socio-economic impacts; lead data synthesis and adaptive management cycles to refine interventions.
Direct large-scale habitat restoration, invasive species control, reintroduction, translocation, or corridor establishment projects, including planning, contractor oversight, procurement, and field logistics management.
Ensure high standards for field safety and risk management, developing safety protocols, emergency response plans, and staff training programs for remote and hazardous field conditions.
Integrate GIS, remote sensing, and spatial planning into conservation project design and reporting; supervise mapping products, spatial analyses, and use of decision-support tools for site prioritization and monitoring.
Lead policy engagement and advocacy activities aimed at improving wildlife protections, land-use planning, and funding for conservation at local, regional, or national levels; coordinate technical input to policy processes and regulatory reviews.
Drive communications and outreach strategies that translate scientific evidence into accessible public messaging, education programs, and community-science initiatives to build local support and stewardship.
Serve as a key liaison to the Board of Directors: prepare conservation program briefings, contribute to strategic planning, and inform organizational governance decisions with programmatic and financial insights.
Foster inclusive, community-centered conservation approaches by partnering with Indigenous peoples and local communities to co-develop culturally appropriate management plans, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and capacity-building programs.
Oversee procurement, asset management, and logistical planning for vehicles, field equipment, laboratories, and supply chains to ensure efficient and cost-effective program delivery.
Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and deliverables for conservation programs; prepare comprehensive internal and external reports summarizing ecological results, lessons learned, and recommendations for scale-up.
Lead hiring and vendor selection processes for consultants, research partners, and contractors; negotiate scopes of work, contracts, and deliverables to ensure alignment with conservation goals and budgets.
Coordinate emergency response for wildlife crises (disease outbreaks, mass-mortality events, oil spills) by mobilizing teams, coordinating with authorities, and executing contingency plans to mitigate impacts.
Promote innovation and technology adoption—such as acoustic monitoring, camera traps, eDNA, drones, and machine learning—to improve detection, monitoring efficiency, and decision-making across programs.
Ensure integration of social science, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and sustainable livelihoods approaches into conservation programming to create durable conservation outcomes that benefit people and wildlife.

Secondary Functions

Support organizational strategic planning by contributing conservation expertise to cross-functional initiatives and fundraising priorities.
Provide thought leadership and mentorship across the organization, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, ethical conduct, and continuous learning.
Participate in external working groups, conservation coalitions, and technical advisory panels to share best practices and coordinate landscape-scale actions.
Contribute to proposal development and technical annexes for multi-partner grants, including budgeting, timelines, and monitoring frameworks.
Coordinate periodic program audits, evaluations, and donor-led site visits; implement corrective actions and lessons learned to improve program effectiveness.
Maintain an updated library of relevant scientific literature, policy developments, and technical methods to inform project design and reporting.
Facilitate staff training workshops on topics such as species identification, survey methodology, grant compliance, and community engagement.
Lead periodic risk assessments (financial, operational, reputational) for conservation portfolios and implement mitigation measures to protect program continuity.
Manage relationships with academic partners and supervise student internships, theses, and collaborative research projects that support program goals.
Assist with translation of technical reports into accessible materials for community stakeholders, funders, and the media.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Conservation strategy development and implementation — proven track record in designing multi-site, multi-year conservation programs aimed at species recovery and habitat restoration.
Biodiversity monitoring and population assessment — expertise in field survey design, standardized protocols, statistical analysis, and interpreting ecological indicators.
Grant writing, grant management, and donor reporting — experience securing, managing, and reporting on federal, state, and philanthropic funding with strong proposal-writing skills.
GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis — proficiency in ArcGIS/QGIS, spatial data management, habitat suitability modeling, and producing maps for planning and reporting.
Project and portfolio management — competency in managing complex projects with multiple partners, timelines, budgets, and deliverables (e.g., PMP/PRINCE2 familiarity a plus).
Financial oversight and budgeting — demonstrated ability to prepare multi-year budgets, forecast costs, manage grants, and ensure financial compliance and audit readiness.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) frameworks — ability to design KPIs, M&E plans, and adaptive management processes that link interventions to outcomes and impact.
Human-wildlife conflict mitigation and community-based conservation techniques — practical experience implementing solutions that reduce conflict and support coexistence.
Regulatory permitting and compliance — knowledge of environmental permitting processes, wildlife protection laws (e.g., endangered species acts), and field safety regulations.
Technical research and data analysis — strong quantitative skills including R, Python, or statistical software for analyzing ecological datasets and preparing scientific reports.
Use of modern conservation technologies — practical experience with camera traps, acoustic monitoring, eDNA, drones/UAVs, telemetry/GPS tracking, and associated data workflows.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and vision — ability to set clear priorities, motivate teams, and align conservation science with organizational strategy and fundraising needs.
Cross-cultural communication and stakeholder engagement — proven ability to work respectfully with Indigenous peoples, local communities, government agencies, and private landowners.
Influential communication and presentation — capacity to translate complex science into compelling narratives for donors, policymakers, board members, and the public.
Negotiation and partnership-building — skillful at forming collaborative agreements, co-management partnerships, and multi-stakeholder coalitions.
Problem-solving and adaptive management — agile decision-making under uncertainty with a focus on evidence-based adjustments and continuous improvement.
Mentoring and team development — track record of building high-performing teams, coaching staff, and creating inclusive work environments.
Time management and prioritization — ability to manage competing demands, travel schedules, and multiple program deliverables effectively.
Resilience and crisis leadership — capacity to lead operational responses during wildlife emergencies and rapidly changing field conditions.
Ethical judgement and integrity — commitment to scientific rigor, transparency, and ethical conduct in research, community engagement, and fundraising.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Master's degree in Conservation Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

PhD in Conservation Biology, Ecology, or a related discipline OR Master's degree combined with significant leadership experience and advanced management training (MBA, MPA, or equivalent).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Ecology and Management
Conservation Biology
Ecology or Environmental Science
Natural Resource Management
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Environmental Policy or Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressive experience in conservation program design and delivery, with at least 5 years in a senior management role leading teams and multi-partner programs.

Preferred:

Demonstrated success in securing and managing multi-year funding (federal/state grants, international donors, private foundations).
Experience working at landscape or national scales and with interdisciplinary teams.
Track record of partnership development with government agencies, Indigenous organizations, NGOs, and academic institutions.
Prior experience overseeing reintroduction, translocation, or large-scale habitat restoration projects, and familiarity with relevant permitting processes.