The Wildlife Conservation Specialist (Summits Operative Team) will be a key member of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF) team designing and implementing the North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife (CW) in Park Gateways and 2nd North American Bison Summit (NABS2). The Wildlife Conservation Specialist (“Wild Spec”) will play vital roles in designing, planning, recruiting content and participants, and implementing the CW Summit in 2026 and NABS2 in 2027. Depending on individual talents and experience, the Wild Spec will work closely with the WRF President, Director of Operations, Program Managers and/or Project Coordinators one on or both Summits to ensure smooth execution of the Summit methodology with sufficient resources, ample participation, and quality results. Please visit www.wildlifeandparks.org and www.nabsummit.org. 

The Summits are organized by WRF in partnership with dozens of organizations, government agencies, Tribes, and businesses. The Summits are politically neutral and a place where practitioners and researchers share and assess active and conceptual Models and Methodologies (M&Ms) connected to priority themes. The proven Workgroup Dialogue mechanism enables these M&Ms to be informed, strengthened, and replicated as attending practitioners gain new partners and resources.

The North American Summit on Collaborating with Wildlife in Park Gateways (CW Summit) vision is the rebuilding of a lost legacy of abundant, healthy and genetically-diverse populations of native North American wildlife thriving amidst human communities bordering park. Note that “Park” includes all kinds of areas set aside for wildlife, and can be federal, state, county, city or private parkland and waters including marine protected areas.

The CW Summit is co-hosted by the Oceans & Wildlife Institute (OWI) and WRF and will take place May 18-21, 2026 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The North American Bison Summit: A New Chapter for Grasslands Conservation & the Rural Way of Life  (NABS) elevates the historical intent to conserve bison and grasslands while recognizing that Tribal/First Nations culture and livestock ranching are also highly valued in North America. Like with the first NABS, we aim for representatives from Tribes/First Nations and ranching to compose at least half of NABS participation and encourage professionals from a Tribal and/or rancher background to join the WRF team. NABS2 will take place April 6-9, 2026 at the Colorado State University (CSU) Spur in downtown Denver. It will celebrate 2026 accomplishments in line with the U.S. National Bison Legacy Act’s 10th anniversary.

The WRF Wildlife Conservation Specialist (Wild Spec), in collaboration with WRF leadership, will select and/or be assigned various Summit tasks based on experience, talents and interests. These might be related to substantive content, outreach, logistics, Summit resources, and onsite implementation. Summit team members are responsible for identifying invitees, Models & Methodologies in their knowledge areas, and fundraising (which might be accomplished by getting colleagues to register or recruiting vendors and Supporting Partners).

Once joining the Summits Operative Team, the Wild Spec should designate 12-16 hours a week to WRF for a term of at least 3 months. While serving as a volunteer for this time period, the Wild Spec who produces regular, tangible results will be eligible to earn a modest stipend thereafter and will be invited with travel funded to join onsite for Summit prep and proceedings. The WRF Wild Spec role is intended for an individual who takes initiative and can work independently, and is ambitious, creative, attentive, and dedicated to WRF’s mission and the Summit visions.

Key Position Responsibilities:

• Work with the WRF Executive and Summits Operative Team to design and implement various aspects of each Summit
• Manage tasks of a CW and/or NABS2 Summit sub-team (leadership opportunity)
• Expand and diversify Summit participant registrations
• Assist with pursuing and summarizing relevant Models & Methodologies that form the Summit program and e-Workbook
• Contribute tangibly to Summit fundraising by achieving results that include the recruitment of attendee, exhibitors, and sponsors attributable to your efforts
• Meet deadlines along Summit timelines and contribute a minimum of 20 unique registrant candidates to the Summit invitee database each week upon request.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in science, agriculture, business, or field related to Summit themes; Master’s degree a plus
• Proven experience in planning and executing large-scale events or conferences
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Tech proficiency, with Canva, Wix and/or Whova talents a plus
• Background in wildlife, land or marine conservation and/or ranching ideal
• Passion for the WRF mission and Summit visions required!