Forest Advocate

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. 
 
NRDC is seeking a Forest Advocate to work with the Land team in our San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, or satellite office.

Position Summary 
NRDC is seeking a Forest Protection Advocate to work with coalitions, the media, affected communities, and decision-makers to safeguard the biological, climate, and traditional Indigenous values of North American forests. The advocate’s time will be split evenly between two forest conservation campaigns, one to save mature stands and trees in U.S. federal forests, and the other to combat bioenergy threats to hardwood bottomlands in the Southeast U.S. and the boreal forests in Canada.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement high-impact advocacy strategies and tactics that advance NRDC’s mature forest and biomass campaigns, including organizing, coordinating and contributing to briefings for elected officials, policymakers, partners, activists, and reporters
• Conduct, or oversee consulting contracts for, reports supporting conservation of mature forests and trees and ending government support for inimical biomass definitions and incentives.
• Enhance NRDC’s engagement with Indigenous groups, other historically disadvantaged communities potentially benefiting or otherwise affected by our and our partners’ forest conservation advocacy.
• Develop and help deliver social and conventional media materials to support NRDC forest conservation coalitions and contribute to maintenance and updating of online resources.
• Engage with NRDC funders, members, and activists to help increase their understanding of and commitment to our forest conservation campaigns.
• Contribute to NRDC’s long-range planning for future forest advocacy campaigns.

Qualifications

Required

• Commitment to NRDC’s mission and values.
• Substantial working experience (5+ years strongly favored) in policy advocacy, preferably environmental advocacy related to forests and/or engagement with Indigenous communities
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, understand and clearly translate technical and other expert materials for a variety of advocacy audiences
• Strong strategic skills relevant to policy, advocacy, and project development
• Substantial knowledge of and experience with: the U.S. federal administrative and legislative process, leading campaigns and achieving campaign goals and objectives, and nature-based solutions
• Strong skills building and working within broad coalitions that reach beyond the traditional environmental community
• Track record of success in promoting advocacy goals, including through social media
• Demonstrated ability to work with and manage consultants, fellows and/or interns on discrete projects
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including experience with public speaking and oral advocacy with decisionmakers

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. For this position, the salary is $105,00 to $120,000. Internal equity considerations will be reviewed before making a final offer.

Since March 2020, NRDC’s offices have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You will be associated with one of our offices, but until circumstances allow us to re-open, we will continue to support NRDCers with remote working arrangements.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.

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