Bailey Conservation Fellow

The Nature Conservancy • Lansing, MI

1d • $55,000 - $55,000

About The Position

The Essel and Menakka Bailey Conservation Fellowship Program is designed to help develop the conservation leaders of tomorrow. Initiated in 2018, the program provides recent graduates and early career conservation professionals with the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment that combines a deep dive into a specific project with a broad introduction to major conservation issues and the operations of TNC. The Fellow will have the opportunity to collaborate with TNC staff across multiple dimensions of the conservation discipline, including science, restoration, policy, land protection, and communications. Furthermore, the Fellowship is flexibly designed to emphasize experiences that will best prepare the Fellow for their conservation career. For the 2026 Bailey Fellowship, we are soliciting applicants with interest in one of the two following projects: 1. Informing Michigan and the Midwest Regions approach to enhancing the Forest Biomaterials Sector. We seek candidates with experience and interest in the social, economic and environmental aspects of producing and utilizing sustainably produced materials from our forests to replace more carbon intense materials and support local forest-based economies. In particular, the position will focus on the utilization of bio-products and residual materials for the processing of already harvested materials such as bark, sawdust, trimmings and urban wood waste. 2. Enhancing Local Community-based Support for Conservation: We are seeking candidates with experience in conservation law or policy who will investigate the community-based, “conservation-adjacent” issues (e.g., affordable housing, economic development, infrastructure, etc.) that are necessary to ensure broad-based support for conservation projects. This fellowship would apply to areas identified as supporting important significant biodiversity and conservation values, including lands identified by TNC resilient and connect lands analysis, where non-biological social factors, such as weak resource-based economy, inadequate funding for social services and/or population loss jeopardize public support for the conservation of lands and waters. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS For our “Forest Biomaterials” project, we are seeking a Fellow to create, collect and integrate spatial data to quantify the makeup, location, attributes and current utilization of the resource to support the development of a strategy and direct actions across Michigan and the Midwest that will result in productive utilization of the materials, increase the resilience of and support diversification of forest based economies, and lower the imbedded carbon in products we use every day. The fellow will ultimately prepare a white paper that describes the proposed strategy and the steps, startup capital and partners necessary to implement it, including identifying ancillary barriers, including, but not limited to regulatory, technical, work force or other capacities and infrastructure. For our “Community-based support for Conservation” project, we are seeking a Fellow to identify and assess real and potential challenges and opportunities related to geography-specific natural resource-based economy(s) that are experiencing social stress due to increasing nature-based, recreational tourism and/or a decline in traditional forest resource-based economy. The Fellow will work with experts, staff and local communities to identify underlying drivers of the social stressor(s)and develop site specific and/or state policy recommendations that will enable communities to identify and create opportunities that promote resilience and sustainability. For either option, the successful candidate will possess strong analytical and interpersonal skills, and, most importantly, creativity and curiosity. As such, the Fellow must be skilled at identifying, convening and interacting with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, practitioners and community members, both within TNC and among diverse partners. The Fellow will be co-advised by senior conservation staff at TNC, and administratively based at our Michigan Field Office in Lansing, Michigan which is centrally located in the “Great Lakes Research Corridor” with numerous top-ranked universities and conservation science programs within a 150-mile radius. Location of residence should be within Michigan. Our intent is to find win-win scenarios for the Fellow and TNC. The Fellow will be awarded 18 months of support at an annual salary of $55,000, intended to start by early January 2026.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in science related field and 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience collecting, manipulating, analyzing and interpreting scientific data.
• Experience preparing reports of findings.
• This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.
• Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers."
• Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

Nice To Haves

• Completed PhD or MS (within 2 years) in conservation science, preferably related to social science and resource management, or a JD with experience in environmental law and policy.
• Multi-language skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Strong knowledge of computer technology and common software applications.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrated experience in modeling and spatial analysis.
• Experience with inclusive partner engagement.
• Experience managing projects.
• Success in publishing and presenting scientific findings.
• Multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

Benefits

• TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level