Title:                    Southeast Director of Sustainable Forest Partnerships

Supervisor:     Southeast Regional Director

Location:            Centrally located in the Southeastern US (Good access to airport)

Salary:                 Estimated at $100,300 annually; based on experience

Term of Position: This position is supported through outside funding commitments and is subject to periodic reviews to confirm the continuation of funding. The role includes collaboration with our Development team to help ensure sustained support; however, ongoing employment is contingent upon the availability of grant funding and partner commitments

Application Deadline: October 8th 2025

Position Summary:

This is a full-time position with American Bird Conservancy (ABC). American Bird Conservancy is a fast-growing, results-focused nonprofit seeking employees with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a difference for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, ABC achieves lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet’s fragile climate.

The Southeast Director of Sustainable Forest is a key leader within ABC’s Southeast Regional Program responsible for integrating bird conservation into forest management throughout the southeastern U.S. This role is highly collaborative, focusing on building strong partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, including corporate entities, private landowners, government agencies, and other conservation organizations. The Director's primary goal is to advance conservation efforts for forest birds by promoting and implementing Bird-Friendly Forest practices and leveraging the concept of Ambassador Birds to raise awareness and engagement.

Primary Duties:

• Integrate science-based conservation recommendations into sustainable forest management guidelines and tools designed for on-the ground practitioners. Transfer this information to managers and other practitioners through education and outreach including workshops, forest tours, presentations, articles, etc.).
• Work with corporate partners to develop robust monitoring and biodiversity frameworks that
• demonstrate the value of sustainably managed forests to bird and nature conservation, ecosystem services, and climate resilience while respecting the expectations of investors.
• Work in partnership with federal, state, and private organizations to advance conservation across a range of ownerships, both private and public, via management, restoration and enhancement of forest and woodland habitats that support regionally, nationally, and internationally important bird species.
• Collaborate closely with the Southeast Regional Director and the Vice President of Advocacy and Threats to help shape and advance ABC’s eastern forest conservation policy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and on-the-ground conservation goals.
• Promote the concept of Ambassador Birds to increase acceptance of Bird Friendly Forest practices and engage landowners, forest managers, customers, wood suppliers, and communities in forest bird conservation.
• Work throughout the forest products and forest investment supply chain to raise awareness of the value of sustainably managed forests to birds including landowners and managers, wood suppliers and loggers, corporate staff, and global customers.
• Develop working relationships with forestry and wildlife professionals, NGOs, agencies and others to promote bird friendly forest management for private landowners and organize and conduct training workshops with other partner resource managers.
• Lead efforts to develop a Bachman’s Sparrow Working Group following the principles of the Road to Recovery approach to recovery of Tipping Point Species. Promote and support application of the working group approach to other species that rely on Southeastern forest habitats, as appropriate.  Integrate implementation of BirdScapes in this and other effort to achieve conservation objectives.
• Develop and maintain inclusive partnerships by establishing and fostering strong relationships with conservation partners to deliver programs that address population declines in forest bird species. Serve as a resource for partners, identifying shared objectives and communicating regularly on projects and progress.
• Work closely with ABC’s Development team to increase funding capacity for programs and projects led by ABC and in support of partners. Develop funding agreements and sub-agreements and track progress of deliverables for reporting.
• As needed, supervise, mentor, and support staff engaged in sustainable forest management to benefit birds.

Position Requirements:

• Master’s degree or higher (or equivalent experience) in forestry, wildlife ecology, conservation biology, or a related field is required along with a minimum of five 5 years of professional experience in a relevant field. An understanding of forestry and silviculture, conservation implementation, habitat management, ornithology, and/or wildlife biology desired.
• Knowledge of ecology and natural resource issues of the Southeastern U.S., especially of neotropical migrant and resident birds.
• Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis tools (e.g., ArcGIS) to support conservation planning and habitat prioritization.
• An entrepreneurial approach to achieving conservation objectives; ability to develop innovative solutions.
• Desire to work collaboratively with a diversity of stakeholders. Demonstrated networking and communication skills (presentation, inter-personal, reading, writing); project management experience, and organizing and leadership skills.
• Results-oriented. Demonstrated ability to accomplish ambitious conservation objectives.
• Ability to work and coordinate multiple projects at the same time. Ability to set priorities, work independently, efficiently and accurately, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated leadership, high energy, creativity, and ability to translate strategic, visionary ideas into sustainable conservation initiatives.
• Experience in successfully writing grant proposals and cultivating donors.
• Experience in program management including budget and personnel processes. · Excellent planning, management, and team building skills.
• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills and the ability to adapt messages to a diverse audience that includes habitat managers, conservation administrators, academia, and the general public.
• Ability and willingness to travel for significant periods of time, including remote locations.
• Proficiency with computers and software, Geographic Information Systems and databases desired.
• All remote and hybrid employees are required to have a stable and high-speed internet service provider in place prior to beginning work for ABC. Our distributed work force relies heavily on cloud technologies, Zoom, and other automations to successfully complete our day to day work. The ideal speeds are 30-40 Mbps for downloads and 10-15 Mbps for uploads.
  • You may be required to use your personal cell phone to access ABC systems remotely.
• Authorized to work in the US or Permanent Resident
• Background screening required

Benefits:

American Bird Conservancy fosters a mission-driven, collaborative, and supportive workplace where staff are respected, empowered, and connected by a shared purpose. ABC offers strong benefits, a 35-hour work week, generous leave policies, and flexible, remote-friendly work arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance.

• Excellent benefits package includes medical, dental, flexible spending accounts, and employer-matched retirement savings, flexible schedule, etc.
• Paid vacation days (starting at 15 days annually and increasing to 20 days after 1 year of employment), paid holidays (including both US holidays and additional ABC holidays) and sick leave.
• Lodging, meals, and transportation covered for work-related travel away from home when applicable.
• Rental vehicle or personal mileage reimbursement where applicable.