Conservation Director

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Hispanic Access approaches environment and nature not only as resources to be protected, but as shared spaces essential to community well-being, cultural connection, and long-term sustainability.

The Conservation Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Hispanic Access Foundation’s Conservation portfolio, including Lands & Nature, Waterways & Watersheds, Oceans & Coasts, Climate & Energy, and Community Engagement. This position is responsible for translating organizational priorities into high-impact programs that strengthen Latino leadership, expand equitable access to nature, and advance community-driven conservation solutions.

The Conservation Director oversees the day-to-day management of the Conservation portfolio, ensuring programs are executed effectively, grants are successfully managed, budgets remain on track, and staff are supported to deliver exceptional results. The Director leads a geographically distributed team, develops program strategies, strengthens partnerships, and works collaboratively across the organization to advance Hispanic Access’ Theory of Change.

This role combines strategic thinking with strong operational leadership, ensuring conservation initiatives are well-designed, financially sound, and positioned for long-term impact and sustainability.

This position currently reports to executive leadership and is expected to transition to reporting to the Senior Director of Nature & Environment as the organization continues to grow.

ROLE/RESPONSIBILITIES 

LMA: Leadership, Management & Accountability

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Conservation team through coaching, performance management, and regular feedback.
• Establish clear priorities, accountability, and alignment using Level 10 (L10) meetings, Rocks, scorecards, and quarterly planning.
• Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture that reflects Hispanic Access’ core values.
• Promote strong communication and collaboration across departments and with external partners.
  

Conservation Strategy & Program Management

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of Hispanic Access’ Conservation portfolio, including Lands & Nature, Waterways, Oceans & Coasts, Climate & Energy, and Community Engagement.
• Translate organizational priorities into actionable program strategies, annual work plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Oversee day-to-day program implementation, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with grant and organizational requirements.
• Monitor program performance and use data and lessons learned to strengthen impact and effectiveness.

Financial & Grant Management

• Develop, monitor, and manage program budgets in partnership with Finance.
• Oversee grant implementation, financial performance, reporting, compliance, and forecasting across multiple funding sources.
• Monitor expenditures, burn rates, and budget modifications while ensuring responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
• Support proposal development by contributing program strategy, scopes of work, work plans, and budgets.

Partnerships & External Engagement

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with government agencies, funders, nonprofit organizations, Tribal partners, and community stakeholders.
• Represent Hispanic Access in meetings, conferences, and collaborative initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen partnerships and expand the Conservation portfolio.
  

Operational Excellence

• Develop systems and processes that improve project management, communication, reporting, and accountability.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, grant requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Identify operational risks and implement practical solutions that improve efficiency and program delivery.

Portfolio Growth

• Identify emerging conservation issues, funding opportunities, and strategic initiatives that advance Hispanic Access’ mission.
• Collaborate with executive leadership and the Development team to position the Conservation portfolio for long-term sustainability and growth.
• Recommend new approaches and partnerships that expand community impact and organizational effectiveness.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Within the first 12, the Conservation Director will:

• Build a high-performing Conservation team with strong accountability, collaboration, and engagement.
• Successfully manage multiple conservation grants while maintaining compliance and strong financial performance.
• Deliver Conservation initiatives on time, within budget, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Strengthen project management systems, work planning, budget forecasting, and operational consistency across the portfolio.
• Expand strategic partnerships that increase the impact and sustainability of Conservation initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen and grow Hispanic Access’ work across Lands & Nature, Waterways, Oceans & Coasts, Climate & Energy, and Community Engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in environmental science, conservation, natural resource management, environmental policy, public administration, or a related field preferred.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience managing conservation, environmental, climate, public lands, or related programs.
• At least three (3) years of experience supervising and developing professional staff.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, grant-funded programs with multiple funding sources.
• Strong experience managing federal grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, pass-through funding, and associated compliance requirements.
• Experience developing and managing multi-million-dollar program budgets and financial forecasts.
• Demonstrated success translating strategic priorities into measurable program outcomes.
• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience building collaborative partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, funders, and community-based organizations.
• Experience working with agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of the Interior, or similar entities is preferred.
• Experience leading geographically distributed teams in remote work environments is preferred.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 30%.
  

LOCATION

The location of this position is flexible, though the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is preferred. This is a fully remote position.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The targeted salary range for this position is $100,000-$110,000 annually depending on qualifications and experience. In addition to working remotely, Hispanic Access offers full-time employees a generous benefits package that includes a 100% paid health, dental, and vision for the individual, an unlimited vacation policy, 10 sick days per year, 13 paid holidays, a monthly phone/internet stipend and a 401(k) plan with employer match.

Hispanic Access Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by law.