Marine Conservation Director

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Hawaii Marine Conservation Director (MCD) oversees all aspects of the Hawaii Marine Conservation program area encompassing the main Hawaiian Islands. Provides strategic leadership and support for the Conservancy’s conservation work and establishes overall conservation priorities for all islands and major initiatives.

To accomplish this, the Hawaiʻi Marine Program strategic approach is to collaboratively develop and demonstrate science-based, community-led and Indigenous knowledge informed solutions to address major marine and coastal environmental challenges in Hawaiʻi. We scale-up successful models through partnerships and community-engagement, policy, community networks, restoration, emerging leader development, and communication.

The MCD reports to the Director of Conservation, leads and manages a statewide marine conservation team, and collaborates with other chapter programs to achieve Conservancy-wide, Regional, Pacific Division and Chapter objectives. They serve on leadership teams contributing to overall Hawaiʻi and Palmyra Chapter direction and management and meet organizational norms and requirements.

The MCD is responsible for all aspects of the Conservancy’s marine conservation planning and resource prioritization, partnerships, program execution and program growth throughout Hawaiʻi, in close collaboration with the Marine Science Director. Together, marine conservation and marine science teams and their work constitute the Hawaiʻi Marine Program.

The MCD works collaboratively to define conservation priorities and advance strategic initiatives that conserve and restore marine and coastal ecosystems across the main Hawaiian Islands, sustaining biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, and benefit ting both nature and people. They establish the Conservancy as a major conservation partner in Hawaiʻi. The MCD serves as the principle contact to government agencies. They work closely with other conservation organizations, foundations.

the academic community, and Hawaiian and local communities. They negotiate complex and innovative solutions with partners to conserve and protect ecosystems and develop and implement conservation strategies.

With Conservancy leaders, they play a leading role in securing public and private funds, developing key policy initiatives and communicating about program efforts.

What You’ll Bring :

BA/BS degree and 10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.

At least 5 years’ experience working with and supporting conservation programs with Indigenous communities.

Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams, providing vision and strategic leadership, and meeting deadlines.

Fundraising experience, including donor cultivation and stewardship.

Experience working with current trends and practices in marine, coastal, fisheries and coral reef systems relevant to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.

Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups, private landowners, academia, and government agencies.

Experience negotiating.

Experience influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans at the county, state and national levels.

Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.

Experience with financial management of a large program.

Roles and Responsibilities /Duties:

Geographic/programmatic size and scope is that of a large, complex business unit – the main Hawaiian Islands in the context of the Pacific…