POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Southwest Program Coordinator

GRADE: 22

SALARY: 34k-43k

FLSA: Exempt

DIVISION/SITE: Santa Fe, New Mexico

DEPARTMENT: Field Conservation Programs

REPORTS TO: Director of Southwest Program

LAST REVISED: June 2019

Basic Summary:

This position involves a wide variety of responsibilities supporting the programs and operations of Defenders of Wildlife’s Southwest Office. Principal responsibilities include providing program, technical, financial and administrative assistance to the Director of the Southwest Program and other office staff; design, production and implementation of outreach activities and special events; filling the role of office manager; and serving as a direct liaison to Defenders’ D.C.–based administrative and financial staff, Defenders’ members, and the general public.

The Southwest Program Coordinator is expected to serve as a trouble-shooter to help program workplans flow smoothly and contribute to reaching the goals of Defenders’ strategic plan and accomplishing the objectives and activities in the plan. Assignments are results-or goal-oriented, requiring substantial discretion on the part of the coordinator in determining how to meet the assigned goal (e.g. participating in events, supervising volunteers or generating grassroots support). This position combines technical and administrative support with program responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

General Administrative Support (25%):

  • Timely processing and administration of contracts, check requests, reimbursement requests, and other financial procedures
  • Developing and managing systems and/or Excel spreadsheets to track grants, mailings, deadlines, etc. and utilizing these systems
  • Serving as a liaison with Headquarters and other field staff
  • Keeping apprised of the most up to date procedures and policies and advising staff of policies and procedures
  • Facilitating ongoing communications with field staff and monitor field staff’s compliance with all administrative policies and procedures
  • Managing and distributing information to members, the public, and colleagues
  • Maintaining and ordering office supplies and organizing office materials
  • Maintaining an office procedure manual
  • Acting as office liaison to outside services such as property managers, equipment vendors and repair services
  • Compiling, coordinating, editing, and proofreading recurring reports and forwarding to the Headquarters office on timely basis
  • Coordinating printing, graphics, and production of large publications

General Program and Technical Support (25%):

  • Producing factsheets, educational materials, and letters
  • Representing the organization in meetings as needed
  • Writing and editing reports and proposals
  • Monitoring Defenders’ webpages and ensuring that the Southwest program sites remain up to date
  • Researching specific conservation issues and preparing comprehensive background memos
  • Conducting Internet and library searches and telephone interviews
  • Assisting field staff with project research, coordination, and contracts.
  • Trouble-shooting problems with the computer and other office equipment, in conjunction with internal staff members and/or outside experts

Budgets and Accounting (25%):

  • Working with the Director of the Southwest Program and other staff to develop the office’s annual budgets
  • Monitoring and reconciling accounting statements
  • Entering office and field expenses into Excel spreadsheets and/or accounting software and monitoring budget compliance

Outreach Activities, Event and Activity Planning (10%)

  • Coordinating events that further Defenders’ programmatic goals
  • Assisting in developing, producing and overseeing events such as conferences, public education fairs, lobbying days, open houses, and press conferences.
  • Coordinating staff and volunteer participation in events
  • Working directly with vendors, service providers and others to produce events

Information Requests (5%):

  • Responding to e-mails, letters and telephone calls from members and other interested parties requiring technical responses, and distributing Defenders’ published reports

Meetings (5%):

  • Coordinating scheduling and agendas for various meetings
  • Taking meeting notes and preparing formal or informal minutes as appropriate.
  • Representing Defenders at outside meetings or hearings

Activist Networking (5%):

  • Assisting in production and distribution of activist alerts
  • Soliciting sign-ons from other environmental groups on coalition letters and collecting petitions as needed
  • Developing and maintaining databases and/or lists of conservation organizations, agencies, fax and e-mail distribution lists

Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) or equivalent in related discipline.

Experience:

  • 2+ years of administrative and programmatic experience; environmental experience is preferred.
  • An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.

Skills:

  • Strong organizational and verbal communications skills
  • Excellent research, writing, and editing skills are required in order to assist with writing and editing of documents and publications
  • Strong skills in the development and production of events.
  • Must be extremely well-organized, capable of juggling many different projects and tasks, maintain a high level of accuracy, and able to set priorities in consultation with other staff members
  • Requires high level of computer literacy with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word and willingness to learn new programs and features
  • Ability to manage grants and other financial accounts

Work Expectations:Work Environment:

General office working conditions, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so.

All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their positions. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants please apply with a cover letter through our indeed jobs portal at http://www.defenders.org/jobs

About Defenders:

Defenders of Wildlife is a national, non-profit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. Our employees work in an environment that is inclusive and honors each of our unique perspectives and backgrounds. We believe that the conservation of biological diversity is best advanced by the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, beliefs and cultures. We strive toward a collective goal of including all people in the conservation of our Nation’s wildlife and wild places.

Visit Our Values and Diversitypage to learn more about who we are and how we operate.

It is the policy of Defenders of Wildlife to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, or any other characteristic protected by law, in all personnel actions.