National Wildlife Federation seeks Education Program Manager, Earth Tomorrow, Houston

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than seven million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

To support our mission, NWF’s South Central Education Program in Texas is seeking an inspiring and engaging Program Manager for launch Earth Tomorrow, Houston. Our regional education and engagement programs support the idea that all regional residents should have clean air and water, safe and resilient communities, and easy and equitable access to nature. Importantly, we want children to grow up with knowledge they will need to conserve nature in both their personal and professional lives for the benefit of people and wildlife. The candidate for this position will have high competencies in equity and justice, a background in and understanding of Environmental Justice issues, and demonstrated experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds. Launched in 2001, Earth Tomorrow is the National Wildlife Federation’s longest-standing education program centering Environmental Justice. The leadership development and environmental education programming in Earth Tomorrow creates opportunities for youth in frontline communities, particularly youth of color, to deepen their understanding of environmental issues and develop solutions to address environmental injustices. Earth Tomorrow cultivates a new generation of lifetime environmental stewards through a year-long cycle of leadership training, issues exploration, civic engagement, career development, community outreach and education, and student-led community action projects. Earth Tomorrow pairs year-long projects through school-based clubs with an intensive Summer Institute to give students a variety of ways to get, and most importantly, stay engaged.

The Program Manager will have a passion for conservation and Environmental Justice as well as experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds, event planning and project management skills. This position will be remote, located in Houston, Texas, and will report to the South Central Region Director of Education located in Austin, Texas.

Principle Duties (major areas of responsibility):

The Program Manager will:

• Organize all facets of launching and advancing NWF’s Earth Tomorrow program in the Greater Metro Houston area. This includes outreach, coordination with diverse stakeholders (students, teachers, and school administrative personnel etc.), development of training and orientation programs for youth mentors, youth engagement, event coordination, program documentation and tracking, and database management as applicable.
• Develop strategic partnerships centered on equity, including with local Environmental Justice organizations, to help expand the Earth Tomorrow program and deepen the student experience.
• Work directly with and mentor youth from marginalized and underserved communities while supporting their school-based Earth Tomorrow Clubs.
• Plan and execute youth events at 2-3 different times throughout the school year to bring students from different clubs together and to provide service to the community and advance civic engagement (ex: Martin Luther King Day of Service and Earth Day).
• Coordinate and implement the annual week-long residential Earth Tomorrow Summer Institute (June 11-16) in Houston focused on rising 10^th and 11^th and 12^th This includes securing location for the institute, identifying relevant and engaging speakers, identifying field trips and an opportunity for overnight camping, organizing a career fair and an environmental justice dinner, etc.
• Ensure all NWF youth safe-guarding protocols are in place and adhered to.
• Develop a communications and social media plan to promote the Earth Tomorrow, Houston program and to highlight students’ work and voices.
• Experience documenting, tracking and illustrating programmatic successes and milestones – both quantitative and qualitative (ex: spreadsheets and student testimonials).
• Work collaboratively within a diverse regional team and colleagues throughout the organization.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of two-years of college courses concentrated in Environmental Science, Education, Wildlife Biology, Communications, Social and/or Environmental Justice or related field
• A minimum of 3 years working with and mentoring high school youth
• A proven track record of advancing equity and justice and Environmental Justice, with high knowledge of and competencies in each
• A minimum of 2 years working with and implementing robust youth safety protocols

Minimum Skills:

• Skilled public speaker and presenter
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Attention to detail and responsible work habits
• Ability to establish and cultivate relationships with potential partners and volunteers
• Ability to thrive in a multiple-task environment
• Ability to relate to people from diverse backgrounds, ranging from public officials to neighborhood residents
• A sincere and demonstrated commitment to equity and justice
• Ability to balance supervisor direction with being a self-starter
• Proficiency with word processing, databases and PowerPoint software
• Ability to supervise others and balance direction with allowing staff the autonomy to succeed on their own

Additional Skills:

• Sincere and demonstrated interest in environmental sustainability and education
• Sincere and demonstrated commitment to engaging youth from frontline communities succeed through mentoring and leadership development
• A love for the outdoors and connecting people to nature
• Must have a valid driver’s license and personal vehicle

NWF Values:

Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.  Your competencies should include:

• Being motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized;
• Consistently bringing a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions;
• Being committed to deepening an environmental justice approach in policy priorities, program development and partner engagement;
• Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them;
• Being dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work; and
• Passion for and commitment to NWF’s mission

Travel Requirements: 

Travel will be restricted to no more than 20%. Occasional evening and weekend work may be necessary.

Location and Work Mode: 

This position will be based in Houston, Texas as part of the South Central Education Team. The National Wildlife Federation is committed to a flexible and empowered work environment with an authentic community of care for all staff. In this position, the employee work mode will be remote and will report to the South Central Region Director of Education located in Austin, Texas.

Compensation and Benefits:

The starting salary for this position is $65,000, commensurate with experience.

We are proud of our designation by Mogul as a Top 100 Workplace with the Best Benefits!  We value work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere with flexible scheduling.  We want you to be able to integrate work and personal life with attention to your self-care, so that your work schedule is not depleting.  We offer benefits so you feel restored and fueled through the day and week.

We offer these supports to help manage your mental, emotional, and physical health: 

• Paid time off: Vacation that starts off at three weeks accrual, unlimited wellbeing (this time can be used for physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, religious or financial wellbeing for yourself, a partner, or family member – including pets), and 10 holidays.
• We close down for a paid winter break between December 25 to January 1 to recognize end of-year stress, and time for reflection, rejuvenation, and spending time with family.
• Up to 16 weeks of fully paid Family and Medical Leave
• Low-cost health, dental, and vision insurance options – all outpatient mental health is covered at in-network rates
• Therapist available at no cost
• Pet insurance and discount perk program
• Annual wellbeing allowance

In addition to your salary, we offer the following supports to your personal finances:

• Retirement plan with immediate match and vesting
• Annual year end retirement contribution
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Adoption and Surrogacy assistance
• Pet adoption stipend
• Student Loan management

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

COVID Consideration:

The National Wildlife Federation closely follows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease and has implemented processes that promote the safety of our employees, candidates, and communities. Proof of vaccination will be required for employment at the National Wildlife Federation.

Application:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume here.

We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules.  Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings.  Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence.  Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application or interview process by reaching us at hrhelp@nwf.org  or 703-438-6244.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.