Director/Senior Attorney, Land Conservation

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.•,

32d•$162,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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. 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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required, with authoritative knowledge concerning land conservation.
Law degree required.
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.
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.
Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles.

Nice To Haves

litigation experience preferred.
Experience leading state or federal campaigns, litigating and advocating for public lands preferred.

Responsibilities

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.
Other duties may be assigned.