• Great Lakes
  • Ann Arbor, MI, USA
  • Full Time

Drawing upon the diversity of NWF’s educational resources, the Regional Education Manager at the NWF’s Great Lakes Regional Center (GLRC) in Ann Arbor, MI is responsible for building and advancing conservation education. This position will develop the core strategies and partnerships to deliver education and habitat programs in the Great Lakes region, including NWF’s Garden for Wildlife Programs and EcoSchools.

This position will have significant responsibility to develop and grow the NWF’s education programs region-wide. This position also must provide sound management at a regional level of involvement through proactive evaluation of regional program activities.

In this job you will be responsible for:

Program Development and Management.  Develop and manage regional education programs, with an emphasis on school-based programs and community wildlife habitats.  Develop, implement, and evaluate plans to achieve programmatic objectives.  Manage all grant budgets and develop and implement plans to meet all grant deliverables.

Fundraising: In collaboration with the Regional Executive Director and Regional Philanthropy Officer, cultivate and maintain support for regional education programs among foundations, corporations, and individual donors.  Develop and submit grant proposals and complete grant reports for corporate and foundation funders.  Make presentations on regional education work and otherwise solicit support from individual donors.  Assist the Regional Philanthropy Officer in keeping regional donors apprised of developments, achievements, and opportunities related to education programming.  Report outcomes.

Coalition Building & Collaboration: Build coalition and collaborators in priority communities, with NWF affiliates and within the NWF Education Department.  Represent NWF at key forums.  Build partnerships that cross political, ideological, cultural and socio-economic boundaries.

Communications & Media:  In coordination with the Communication Department, initiate media outreach to create awareness and promote NWF’s programs through all media outlets. Create or adapt materials on NWF programs. As appropriate, initiate and write content for submission to NWF’s various publications and membership outreach vehicles.

Qualifications:  

  • B.A. or B.S. in, Education, Communication, Environmental Education, Science, Natural Resources or other related field. Post-graduate degrees or work preferred.
  • Minimum of 3 years relevant work experience in educational project coordination, program planning and implementation, establishing and cultivating partnerships, and fundraising/grant writing
  • Ability to conceive and execute programs with clear objectives, benchmarks, and deliverables. Strong project management skills.
  • Ability to develop strategic partnerships with institutional and community leaders, volunteers, and other entities whose support and cooperation is essential to success
  • Ability to establish and cultivate relationships with institutional funders and individual donors
  • Strong work ethic
  • Ability to be highly professional while also personable, approachable and outgoing
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision. Ability to demonstrate initiative and a positive attitude.
  • Strong organizational oral and written communication skills, and ability to set priorities and follow through
  • Ability to relate to a diverse range of people and exercise cultural competence and inclusion
  • Proficiency with word processing, and PowerPoint software

In this role you will travel locally approx. 5 – 10 times per month, with overnight travel 1 -2 times per month.

Interested candidates should submit both a cover letter (with salary history) and resume.

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, passionate about protecting wildlife for our children’s future.  We offer excellent benefits, competitive compensation, and a flexible work environment.  NWF is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and strongly encourages qualified professionals to apply.