Job Announcement: Missouri River Bird Observatory Executive Director

Start date: on or before 1 August 2026

Background: The Missouri River Bird Observatory (MRBO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving birds, wildlife, and quality habitats through science, education, and advocacy. Founded in 2010 and based in the historic village of Arrow Rock, Missouri - adjacent to the Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge - MRBO conducts conservation work throughout Missouri and across broader regional landscapes.

MRBO is a relatively small organization but has an outsized impact. Our effectiveness is rooted in rigorous field science, deep community engagement, and a growing leadership role in conservation policy. Our staff, board, and volunteers work collaboratively to address some of the most pressing ecological challenges facing Missouri, the Midwest, and the nation.

Within its three organizational pillars, MRBO focuses on four interconnected conservation priorities:

• Conservation of Missouri’s most imperiled natural habitats, particularly prairies and wetlands
• Food system reform, including water quality and environmental toxin concerns
• Systemic reduction of plastic, with emphasis on single-use plastics
• Creation of bird-friendly communities where people and wildlife coexist for mutual benefit

Position Summary: The Executive Director (ED) is a full-time, salaried position reporting to the Board of Directors and serving as MRBO’s chief executive and public representative. The ED provides leadership, operational oversight, and organizational vision while working closely with staff, board members, partners, and funders. The ED is also directly involved in program delivery, particularly in the areas of adult education and civic engagement.  

This is a hands-on, mission-driven role that blends field-based conservation, organizational management, public engagement, and policy advocacy. The ED is responsible for advancing MRBO’s conservation priorities, managing a diverse portfolio of programs and funding sources, and strengthening MRBO’s long-term organizational sustainability.

Primary Responsibilities

Advocacy and Policy Leadership

• Lead and actively participate in science-based conservation advocacy at local, state, and regional levels.
• Represent MRBO in meetings with elected officials, agency staff, and coalition partners, advancing the organization’s focal policy priorities.
• Build and sustain effective advocacy partnerships, ensuring MRBO contributes meaningful expertise to collaborative policy efforts.
• Participate in statewide and national conservation networks, committees, and coalitions.
• Translate complex policy issues into clear, accessible information for the public, partners, and decision-makers.

Education and Public Engagement

• Develop, coordinate, and regularly deliver adult education and community outreach programs.
• Educate the public on conservation challenges and solutions central to MRBO’s mission, including emerging issues.
• Organize and support in-person and virtual programs, workshops, and presentations statewide
• Oversee the production of MRBO’s seasonal newsletter (The Rectrix) and key public-facing reports, including annual Education, Bird-Friendly Communities, and Fiscal reports.
• Supervise and support youth education programming in collaboration with the Director of Community Engagement and all education program staff.
• Assist with youth education programming as needed, modeling leadership through participation.

Science and Conservation Programs

Working collaboratively with the Operations Manager and project staff, the ED will:

• Oversee logistics and staffing for extended field-season research and monitoring projects
• Recruit, train, and support seasonal field staff and interns, fostering a positive, professional, and safe work environment.
• Ensure scientific protocols meet high standards and regulatory requirements.
• Communicate scientific findings to diverse audiences, including landowners, agencies, funders, and the public.
• Maintain relevant field and scientific skills through direct participation in project activities.
• Ensure timely completion of reports and deliverables required by project funders.

Organizational and Administrative Leadership

• Recruit, onboard, and support staff needed to achieve MRBO’s mission and strategic goals
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing organizational culture.
• Lead implementation of MRBO’s strategic framework, guiding staff and board through goal-setting and evaluation.
• Oversee maintenance and effective use of MRBO’s facilities in Arrow Rock in coordination with operations and education staff.
• Serve as a primary spokesperson for MRBO and steward the organization’s public image and relationships.

Fiscal and Development Responsibilities

• • Expand MRBO’s financial capacity through grant development, donor relations, and fundraising event leadership.
• Ensure financial management and compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and funder requirements.
• Protect organizational assets through sound financial controls, insurance, recordkeeping, and audits
• Execute contracts and official correspondence in coordination with board officers.
• Provide leadership and guidance on organizational communications, including reports, newsletters, and digital outreach.

Qualifications

The Executive Director must thrive in a small, mission-driven nonprofit environment where collaboration, adaptability, and shared responsibility are essential. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with demonstrated success in conservation through science, education, and advocacy.

Required Qualifications

• Background in natural resources, wildlife biology, conservation science, and/or environmental education.
• Deep commitment to conservation and public service, with a strong ethical foundation.
• Demonstrated leadership that inspires others toward environmentally responsible action.
• Commitment to making nature and conservation accessible to all people.
• Strong organizing, coordination, and project-management skills.
• Proven ability to build partnerships and collaborative networks.
• Experience managing project accountability requirements.
• Financial literacy, including the ability to develop, manage, and explain organizational budgets.
• Proficiency with, or ability to quickly learn, nonprofit administrative tools (Microsoft Office, cloud platforms, accounting and donor databases).

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong wildlife identification skills, particularly for birds, and comfort leading outdoor education experiences.
• Experience leading fundraising efforts, including major gifts and earned revenue.
• Experience working closely with a board of directors.
• Community organizing or policy advocacy experience.

Location, Travel, and Schedule

• This position requires residence in mid-Missouri.
• A hybrid schedule combining remote work and on-site work at MRBO headquarters in Arrow Rock is standard.
• Frequent travel throughout Missouri is required for meetings, events, presentations, and fundraisers.
• The role includes a variable schedule with evening and weekend responsibilities. This position is best suited for a person who is stimulated by working outside the boundaries of a regular M-F, 9-5 schedule.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: $60-75,000 depending on experience and available funding• Monthly healthcare stipend
• Simple IRA contribution likely after 6 months.
• Full reimbursement for work-related travel expenses
• 10 days paid vacation in year one, plus 15 paid holidays aligned with federal holidays
• Very flexible, independent work schedule

MRBO is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We believe conservation outcomes are strongest when shaped by leaders and communities with diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.

Why this role matters now

Conservation organizations are operating in a moment of heightened urgency.  Across Missouri, the nation, and the world, rare habitats continue to disappear, resources quality is increasingly threatened by pollutants, and most wildlife populations are declining at alarming rates. At the same time, conservation policy is under sustained pressure - from funding instability to regulatory rollbacks - making informed, persistent advocacy more critical than ever.

MRBO occupies a rare and essential niche: combining on-the-ground science, community-centered education, and direct engagement with decision-makers. In recent years, MRBO has expanded its role in conservation policy, increased its educational reach, and strengthened partnerships across sectors - while remaining a small, nimble organization.

The next Executive Director will lead MRBO at a pivotal moment:

• When science must be clearly translated into policy action
• When communities are seeking practical, local solutions to global environmental problems
• When trusted conservation voices are urgently needed in public discourse

The ED can help shape how conservation happens in Missouri, ensuring that decisions affecting wildlife, water, and human health are grounded in science, equity, and long-term thinking.