Outreach and Environmental Education Associate, Dangermond Preserve

USA The Nature Conservancy

Santa Barbara, California

JOB DETAILS
LOCATION
Santa Barbara, California
POSTED
30+ days ago
Application Instructions:
Please note that the application period ends at 12:00 am EDT on the due date listed. For applicants in Pacific Daylight Time, please plan to submit your application by 8:59pm the day before.

Although cover letters are not required, we appreciate and will consider a letter explaining your interest in this position and our organization. (You can upload the cover letter in the same location as your resume.)

Internal applicants (TNC employees) must apply through Workday via the Jobs Hub.

What We Can Achieve Together:
The Dangermond Preserve Outreach and Environmental Education Associate supports the design, delivery, and expansion of the outreach programs and partnership engagement activities at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, with a primary focus on environmental education.

The Outreach and Environmental Education Associate helps connect diverse audiences to the Dangermond Preserve's mission through educational programming, community engagement, and public-facing communication. The Associate provides essential skills to lead environmental education programs such as collaborating with school district and teacher partners, managing effective curriculum development, and designing impactful education pathways for local youth. The Associate will also support broader outreach priorities, including Chumash engagement, managed public access, and volunteer programs, while amplifying the science, restoration, and stewardship work happening across the Dangermond Preserve. This position currently has a two year term, with possibility for extension.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
  • Leads the delivery of established environmental education programs, while applying creativity and effective collaboration to develop and test new approaches.
  • Works with local communities to identify key partners for program delivery and implementation.
  • Partners with leaders in science and education to continue developing lesson plans and curriculum specific to the Preserve.
  • Assists with seasonal outreach cycles by coordinating logistics, materials, and on-site support while balancing ecological integrity with public access.
  • Help maintain a welcoming, safe, and inclusive visitor experience.
  • Financial responsibility may include working within/managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating and contracting with vendors, assisting with budget development, and meeting fundraising targets.
  • Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.
  • Under minimal supervision, makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
  • May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
  • Expected to be on site once per week and occasionally 2-4 times per week.
  • Will occasionally attend community events in the Santa Barbara County area.

What You'll Bring:
  • BA/BS, law or business degree and 5 years of experience in natural resource management or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
  • Experience managing contracts with external parties and/or volunteers to support program implementation.
  • Experience managing multiple priorities, with assignments sometimes coming from a few sources and work independently.
  • Experience communicating with the public and/or media both in writing and verbally.
  • Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Web Browsers.
  • Experience in training and curriculum design.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
  • Working knowledge of current trends in environmental education, citizen science, Next Generation Science Standards.
  • Knowledge of land management conservation practice and conservation science.
  • Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management, and natural resource preservation.
  • Demonstrated commitment to cultural competency and social-emotional learning.
  • Familiarity with Santa Barbara County.
  • Excellent communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
  • Strong administrative skills including attention to detail and numerical ability.
  • Ability to plan, administer and record results of work-team meetings and activities.
Salary Information:

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About the Company

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USA The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

We address the most pressing conservation threats at the largest scale. Thanks to the support of our more than 1 million members, we’ve built a tremendous record of success since our founding in 1951:
  • We've protected more than 119 million acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.
  • We work in all 50 states and more than 72 countries — protecting habitats from grasslands to coral reefs, from Australia to Alaska to Zambia.
  • We address threats to conservation involving climate change, fresh water, oceans, and conservation lands.
COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Nonprofit Charitable Organizations
FOUNDED
1951
WEBSITE
http://www.nature.org