Director, Climate Adaptation

Defender of Wildlife • Washington, DC

1d • $127,000 - $143,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI) at Defenders of Wildlife is seeking an interdisciplinary leader to serve as Director of Climate Adaptation. This role is responsible for guiding the organization's efforts to address the impacts of climate change on wildlife and ecosystems. The Director will manage a team of scientists and policy analysts, applying climate science, social science, and policy analysis to develop innovative conservation strategies. The position involves leading applied research initiatives, collaborating with internal teams, and ensuring the integration of climate science into the organization's conservation and advocacy efforts. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with experience in leading interdisciplinary teams and a strong background in climate adaptation and conservation.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) or equivalent (Master’s degree in relevant field or equivalent required).
• At least 8 years of relevant experience.
• At least 3 years managing staff and leading complex interdisciplinary projects.
• Deep expertise in climate science as it relates to impacts on wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem processes.
• Knowledge of federal and state conservation policies relevant to climate adaptation and species recovery.
• Knowledge of the social, economic, and governance factors that influence conservation outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement an applied research agenda.
• Ability to align research questions and workflows with broader organizational goals and needs.
• Experience with climate modeling, downscaled projections, uncertainty analysis, and adaptation frameworks.
• Experience with scientific analysis methods such as population viability analysis, landscape prioritization, habitat connectivity analysis, climate vulnerability analyses, and socio-ecological systems analysis.
• Skilled communicator able to convey complex scientific and policy information to diverse audiences, in writing, in presentations, and via compelling data visualizations and maps.
• Demonstrated record of scientific leadership through peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy analyses, or other influential conservation products.
• Interest and drive to pursue and develop innovative conservation ideas and tools.
• Enthusiasm for using data to catalyze and improve biodiversity conservation.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency with GIS and R or Python strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with remote sensing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Leads and develops a team of scientists and analysts, overseeing project planning, prioritization, and execution.
• Supervises staff and volunteers, providing strategic direction, mentorship, and accountability.
• Ensures leadership direction is communicated and contextualized for supervisees.
• Develops and oversees applied research and decision-support initiatives focused on climate vulnerability and conservation strategies.
• Helps position the organization to address emerging climate and biodiversity challenges through strategic analysis and development of innovative approaches.
• Guides interdisciplinary program teams in the strategic use of climate science, social science, and policy analysis.
• Advises on the development of next-generation conservation policy frameworks.
• Identifies opportunities for cross-programmatic collaboration.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments to promote communication and coordination.
• Cultivates and leads strategic partnerships with researchers, agencies, NGOs, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders.
• Translates complex data into actionable insights for policy, advocacy, and action.
• Supports and advises on strategic communications, translating scientific information for diverse audiences.
• Publishes project findings in peer-reviewed journals, reports, blogs, articles, and/or other media.
• Communicates findings at scientific conferences and other events.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, genetic information, disability, veterans' status or and any other legally protected class, characteristic or trait per applicable federal, state, or local law.

What This Job Offers

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