CAREERS

Location: Washington, DC preferred with an expectation the position will work Eastern Standard time.
Salary: $115,000 - $125,000 annual plus benefits

The Arctic Defense Campaign (ADC) is a collaborative campaign providing a centralized campaign home for both the Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic Reserve. This combined effort will connect the work of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign with the work of the Western Arctic Coalition to expand reach and increase effectiveness. The campaign will provide strategic coordination across landscapes to maximize resources, messaging reach, and capacity. Combining the innovative tactics of each coalition allows for greater participation of organizations and interested voices, bringing more power and amplification to the fight against oil and gas industrialization in this region.

The Director of the Arctic Defense Campaign will lead this collaborative work to defend the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Western Arctic (National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska) from destructive oil and gas development. The Director will work closely with leading conservation organizations, the Gwich’in Steering Committee, Inupiat, and other Indigenous allies, as well as other partners in the faith, environmental justice, outdoor recreation, climate change, wildlife, and Native American rights movements. The Director will oversee and coordinate a multi-prong campaign – consisting of communications, administrative, legislative, corporate, and grassroots strategies – to protect these cherished and iconic landscapes. This is a unique and exciting job requiring someone with strong leadership, strategic thinking, collaboration, communication, and organizational skills, as well as a successful track record of issue and/or political campaign work. The Director must have a desire to authentically engage a diverse group of partners, including regional and national partners and Indigenous allies.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of a creative, integrated advocacy strategy and national campaign to successfully defend America’s Arctic from oil and gas development.
• Lead and coordinate inter-organizational coalition, comprised of staff teams covering national elevation, communications, lobbying, and other teams as needed, as well as a senior level steering committee, ensuring appropriate information flow among team members.
• Convene multi-organization Steering Committee and submit annual budget and campaign plan for its approval while regularly identifying strategic and other key issues for deliberation.
• Oversee and ensure effective execution of campaign strategy, including rapid response, and maintain a culture of shared commitment and accountability for the coalition.
• Regularly update campaign strategies, proactively identify gaps and needs and develop proposals to fill them. Provide strategic campaign advice to coalition partners and drive strong implementation of our shared plans.
• Track and regularly report on progress towards campaign goals and accomplishment of key tactics through the Arctic Defense Campaign senior level steering committee.
• Lead budget planning and management of shared coalition resources, ensuring consensus around budget decision making and deployment of resources.
• Engage with the steering committee to develop a fundraising plan and assist in raising additional financial support.
• Engage and build relationships with new partners to expand the reach, diversity, and effectiveness of the campaign.
• Hire and supervise vendors, consultants, and other service providers, as needed.
• Take a lead role in facilitating information sharing and coordination between the Arctic Refuge Coalition and the Western Arctic Coalition, including proactively identifying opportunities for joint or complementary strategies, tactics and messaging.
• and manage central campaign staff as needed and resources allow, developing goals and work plans as necessary.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in issue and/or electoral campaign work or a related field, ideally with experience covering strategic communications (earned media, paid advertising, and/or digital), field/grassroots organizing, and other advocacy campaign strategies and tactics.
• Strong track record of collaborative team leadership among partners with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
• Exceptional strategic thinking skills and demonstrated ability to adapt, innovate, and solve problems effectively.
• Proven capacity to design, implement and adapt a national or regional campaign plan, including strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including ability to connect with a general audience.
• Motivated, self-starter with the ability to take initiative, develop ideas, and see them through to implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to function at a high level under pressure and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment with many simultaneous moving pieces.
• Strong emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and cultural humility.
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Knowledge of Capitol Hill and/or the Department of the Interior and experience working on Alaskan, Indigenous, public lands and/or wildlife issues a plus.
• A commitment to social justice and/or natural resource conservation issues and a proven ability to develop strong, trust-based partnership

Benefits:  Alaska Wilderness League offers an outstanding benefits package to include:

• Generous health insurance for individuals and competitive rates for families/dependents;
• Flexible Spending Account for eligible medical, childcare or elder care expenses;
• Life Insurance, Short-Long Term Disability;
• 3% contribution of employee salary to a 401K Retirement Plan;
• 24 Days of Paid Time Off (PTO) for employees with less than 5 years of employment;
• 29 days for employees with 5+ years of employment;
• 12 Paid Holidays and Birthday leave;
• Parental Leave;
• Communication Stipend for business-related mobile expenses;
• Discounts on leading name-brand outdoor apparel and gear.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Arctic Defense Campaign, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in this job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

To apply: Submit a resume and cover letter that expresses your interest in Alaska public lands conservation and your top two or three skills that will allow you to be successful in this role to Jobs@defendthearctic.org. Position open until filled; application review will begin on March 25th.