Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Conservation Manager

🎯 Role Definition

As a Wildlife Conservation Manager you will lead planning, execution, and evaluation of conservation programs that protect native species, restore habitat, and ensure regulatory compliance. This role combines field leadership, project and budget management, stakeholder partnership development, data-driven monitoring, and public outreach to deliver measurable conservation outcomes. Ideal candidates demonstrate strong technical expertise in wildlife ecology, practical experience with monitoring and habitat restoration, proven grant and project management skills, and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and partnerships.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Biologist / Wildlife Technician with 2–5 years of field experience
Restoration Ecologist or Habitat Restoration Specialist
Conservation Program Coordinator or Project Officer

Advancement To:

Senior Conservation Manager / Program Director
Regional Conservation Director or Head of Natural Resources
Conservation Science Director or Executive Director in NGOs/government agencies

Lateral Moves:

Ecology Program Manager
Environmental Compliance Manager
Natural Resource Policy Advisor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, lead, and implement multi-year conservation plans and species recovery strategies focused on targeted species and ecosystems, integrating best-available science, adaptive management principles, and explicit measurable objectives and timelines.
Design and manage comprehensive habitat restoration projects including invasive species removal, native plant re-vegetation, hydrological restoration, and landscape-scale corridor creation; oversee contractors and restoration crews to ensure ecological targets are met.
Lead population monitoring programs using standardized protocols—point counts, transects, camera traps, acoustic monitoring, mark-recapture, and telemetry—to assess species abundance, distribution, demographic trends, and the efficacy of conservation interventions.
Manage project budgets, procurement, and financial reporting for multiple concurrent conservation grants and contracts, ensuring expenses align with donor restrictions and organizational financial policies.
Write, coordinate, and secure competitive grant proposals and funding agreements from federal agencies, state programs, foundations, and private donors; produce high-quality proposal narratives, budgets, and supplemental documentation.
Ensure regulatory compliance by preparing and submitting permit applications (e.g., state and federal wildlife permits, Section 7/Section 404 consultations), compliance reports, and environmental impact statements; act as primary liaison with regulatory agencies.
Lead cross-disciplinary teams of field staff, technicians, seasonal crews, and volunteers; recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate staff while fostering a safety-first, inclusive, and performance-driven field culture.
Establish and maintain partnerships with government agencies, indigenous communities, landowners, conservation NGOs, academic institutions, and private stakeholders to coordinate landscape-level conservation actions and share resources.
Develop and maintain Geographic Information System (GIS) databases, spatial analyses, and habitat suitability models to prioritize conservation actions, map species distributions, and inform land-use planning and restoration site selection.
Oversee data management workflows—collect, validate, store, and analyze biological and environmental data—ensuring data integrity, reproducibility, and alignment with open-data and institutional data-sharing policies.
Prepare clear, evidence-based technical reports, regulatory submissions, scientific publications, and management recommendations; translate technical findings into accessible materials for policymakers, funders, and the public.
Design and execute community outreach, education, and stewardship programs to build local support for conservation projects, recruit volunteers, and promote citizen science initiatives that augment monitoring capacity.
Implement risk assessments and contingency planning for conservation actions, including biosecurity measures, adaptive strategies for climate impacts, and emergency response protocols for disease outbreaks or catastrophic habitat loss.
Coordinate captive-breeding, translocation, or reintroduction initiatives where applicable, including animal health protocols, release site selection, post-release monitoring, and stakeholder consultation to ensure social and ecological feasibility.
Negotiate conservation easements, land acquisitions, and stewardship agreements with private landowners and agencies; participate in land-use planning processes to secure long-term habitat protection.
Supervise and audit field safety and compliance: ensure staff certifications (e.g., first aid, boat/ATV operation), implement safety plans, and maintain records for OSHA and agency audits.
Lead adaptive management cycles: design experiments, analyze monitoring results, update conservation actions based on outcomes, and document lessons learned to improve program effectiveness.
Coordinate invasive species control programs, selecting appropriate treatment methods, monitoring efficacy, and minimizing non-target impacts through integrated pest management approaches.
Represent the organization at stakeholder meetings, advisory committees, and public hearings; advocate for evidence-based policy, funding, and regulatory decisions that benefit species and habitats.
Establish performance metrics and KPIs for conservation projects, monitor progress against targets, and report outcomes to senior leadership, trustees, funders, and regulatory partners to demonstrate impact and guide strategic decisions.
Manage procurement and oversight for field equipment, vehicles, and technical tools (e.g., telemetry receivers, drones, remote sensors), maintaining inventories and ensuring equipment readiness for seasonal field campaigns.
Coordinate interdisciplinary research collaborations with universities and research institutions, facilitating internships, field-study opportunities, and integrating graduate research into applied conservation goals.

Secondary Functions

Support strategic planning by contributing conservation data, insights, and recommendations to organizational strategy and long-term planning processes.
Assist with internal and external communications by preparing newsletters, social media content, and outreach materials that spotlight project successes and funding needs.
Provide subject-matter expertise for fundraising events, donor briefings, and stewardship reporting, creating compelling narratives backed by monitoring data and impact metrics.
Facilitate data-sharing agreements and contribute to regional or national biodiversity databases to promote collaborative conservation science.
Train and support community-based monitoring groups and citizen scientists, including protocol development, data quality assurance, and volunteer coordination systems.
Participate in organizational grant administration workflows, helping track deliverable schedules, metrics, and compliance reporting to funders.
Contribute to the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for field protocols, animal handling, biosecurity, and habitat treatments to standardize practices across projects.
Provide technical assistance and capacity building for partner organizations and tribal governments to scale conservation activities across jurisdictions.
Support adaptive staffing models by developing seasonal hiring plans and coordinating with HR for recruitment, onboarding, and seasonal workforce logistics.
Assist in procurement planning for field projects by preparing specifications, soliciting bids, and overseeing vendor performance where delegated.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wildlife ecology and species population dynamics: proficiency designing and interpreting population surveys, demographics, and statistical trend analyses.
Habitat restoration design and implementation: experience with restoration planning, native species selection, soil/hydrology assessments, and long-term site maintenance.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis: advanced use of ArcGIS/QGIS for habitat modeling, mapping, and spatial prioritization.
Wildlife telemetry and remote sensing: field experience deploying/monitoring VHF/GPS tags, camera traps, acoustic recorders, and analyzing telemetry datasets.
Monitoring and data management: strong skills in designing monitoring protocols, data QA/QC, relational databases (e.g., SQL), and data visualization (R, Python, ArcGIS).
Regulatory permitting and environmental compliance: knowledge of US Endangered Species Act processes, NEPA/CEQA, state permitting systems, and mitigation planning.
Grant writing and funder reporting: demonstrated success writing competitive grants, preparing budgets, and delivering funder-required technical and financial reports.
Project and budget management: expertise in planning, scheduling, procurement, contract management, and fiscal tracking for multi-year projects.
Ecological risk assessment and adaptive management: ability to design experimental treatments, analyze outcomes, and iterate management actions.
Invasive species management techniques: familiarity with mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods and integrated pest management planning.
Technical report writing and scientific communication: create peer-reviewed articles, technical reports, and accessible summaries for non-technical audiences.
Conservation policy and land stewardship instruments: experience negotiating conservation easements, land acquisition, and landowner agreements.
Health and safety certifications: field safety, first aid/CPR, boat/ATV operation, and Wildlife Capture/Handling certifications where applicable.

Soft Skills

Leadership and people management: proven capacity to lead diverse teams, mentor staff, and create motivating work environments in remote field contexts.
Stakeholder engagement and diplomacy: strong interpersonal skills to build trust with landowners, indigenous communities, agencies, and funders.
Strategic thinking and problem solving: capacity to connect field data with long-term strategy, prioritize actions, and make timely decisions under uncertainty.
Communication and public speaking: ability to represent the organization at public meetings, present scientific results, and distill complex topics for general audiences.
Project coordination and multitasking: effective organizational skills to manage overlapping timelines, deliverables, and team logistics.
Cultural competency and community partnership: sensitivity to local and indigenous knowledge systems, co-management practices, and equitable collaboration.
Adaptability and resilience: ability to work in changing field conditions, seasonal schedules, and constrained budgets without losing focus on outcomes.
Attention to detail: precise documentation, permitting, and data management to meet regulatory and scientific standards.
Mentorship and capacity building: experience training field crews, volunteers, and early-career staff in field methods and safety.
Negotiation and conflict resolution: skillful in resolving landowner concerns, interagency conflicts, and competing stakeholder priorities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (or higher) in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, Ecology, Environmental Management, or a related discipline with a focus on applied conservation or restoration.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology / Wildlife Ecology
Conservation Biology
Ecology
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Science / Environmental Management
Restoration Ecology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10 years of progressively responsible experience in wildlife conservation, field ecology, or restoration; at least 2–4 years in a supervisory or project management role.

Preferred:

7+ years managing conservation programs or restoration projects with demonstrated track record securing and administering grants, leading field teams, and delivering measurable conservation outcomes.
Experience working across federal, state, and local permitting frameworks and with tribal governments or indigenous partners.