Senior Director, Conservation Programs

The Senior Director, Conservation Programs at Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) will lead conservation efforts across a significant mountain landscape, focusing on Indigenous-led initiatives, landscape connectivity, and wildlife co-existence. This role requires collaboration at local, regional, national, and global levels. While the preferred location is Canmore, Alberta, the position can be based anywhere, making it a remote opportunity.
Organizational Profile

Becoming the Senior Director, Conservation Programs at the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is your opportunity to lead one of the world’s most inspiring conservation programs — where your vision, leadership, and expertise help shape the future of one of the world’s most significant mountain landscapes.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a collaborative effort between a U.S. non-profit organization and a Canadian public charity that together connect and protect habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. Yellowstone to Yukon takes a scientific and collaborative approach to conservation, highlighting and focusing on local issues that affect the region. Y2Y has partnered with over 790 scientists, conservation groups, landowners, government agencies, Indigenous governments and communities and businesses to stitch together this landscape.

Without a unified vision for this deeply interconnected landscape, local conservation efforts may be isolated and less effective. Y2Y seeks to ensure conservation efforts are aligned in support of large-scale objectives and therefore become continentally significant. Today, Y2Y is recognized as one of the planet’s leading mountain conservation initiatives. For more information, please visit www.y2y.net

Position Description

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is seeking a seasoned, driven professional to be its Senior Director, Conservation Programs who will advance truly inspirational work. A key member of the Senior Leadership Team that guides the organization, this position also leads work advancing protected areas especially through supporting Indigenous-led efforts, maintaining landscape connectivity given a changing climate, and promoting people and wildlife co-existence. This work is highly collaborative and requires working at the local and regional level, as well as on key national and global enabling policies.

Preferably, this position is based in Y2Y’s main office in Canmore, Alberta or at least in the Y2Y region. This position reports directly to the President and will assume primary oversight of Y2Y’s conservation programs including five conservation program directors (Landscape Protection, Landscape Connection, Communities & Conservation, Science & Knowledge, and Government Relations). As such, this position is responsible for leading these programs, providing strategic oversight and planning support, implementation and program and project management, together which advance the Y2Y vision and deliver on the Strategic Plan.

Responsibilities

The Senior Director, Conservation Programs will:
• Ensure clear direction for the conservation program in service of and to fully leverage the Y2Y Strategic Plan and Y2Y’s bold and optimistic vision;
• Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the whole organization (beyond individual programs and functional agendas) and work as part of the Senior Leadership Team to provide strategic direction to the organization and maximize integration of the organization’s functions and systems;
• Provide strategic direction and oversight to the development of the conservation program annual plan and budget, and assess progress against objectives, ensuring expenditures are on track and major changes to priorities or spending are communicated promptly;
• Lead and inspire the conservation program directors and their teams, building capacity to fulfil the strategy as needed; work closely with the Development, Marketing & Communications and Operations teams, to support their roles, maximizing impact through integrated work that leverages talents;
• Develop and maintain strong and productive relationships with high-level entities and individuals including partners, influencers, federal and regional governments, Indigenous nations and entities, the Y2Y board and Council, and donors and funders, acting as an ambassador for and helping to strengthen and leverage Y2Y;
• Promote the Y2Y vision and programs to relevant audiences through verbal and written mechanisms (conferences; talks; written thought-pieces; written and oral media outlets; meetings/events with funders, communities, government agencies, partners);
• Engage in high level fundraising including review of proposals, reports and budgets; meetings with donors and funders, and strategizing with senior leadership to develop potential new opportunities;
• Lead the Conservation Programs Committee of the Board and engage in all Board meetings;
• Promote and reinforce the organization’s values including being ambitious, optimistic, committed, compassionate, and inspirational;
• Take an active role promoting a culture of belonging that embraces the contributions of all team members; and
• Travel within the Y2Y region as required and occasionally beyond the region.

Additional Information

At Y2Y we value diversity — in backgrounds and in experience, and we need people from all backgrounds to help achieve our mission of connecting and protecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. Y2Y’s team is empathetic, caring, and supportive. We are intentional about the team and culture that we are building, seeking team members that are not only strong in their own aptitudes but care deeply about supporting each other's growth.

Recognizing that communities thrive when everyone has fair access to opportunities, Y2Y values a broad range of perspectives, fosters a culture of respect and belonging, and upholds principles of fairness, environmental responsibility, and social justice. We oppose actions and policies that undermine these commitments within the projects and work that we do in advancing the Y2Y vision on the ground.

Short, preliminary interviews may be held via conference call or Zoom. If you anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application or interview process you may contact, in confidence, Denise Ludlow, HR Consultant at denise@y2y.net. For general inquiries you may contact, careers@y2y.net.