About Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England. Founded in 1896 by two women who fought for the protection of birds, Mass Audubon carries on their legacy by focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change. With the help of our 160,000 members and supporters, we protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programs for adults and children, and provide endless opportunities to experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries.

About This Position

This is an important crossroad period in the implementation of the Action Agenda – the year in which many of the most significant projects must be defined and launched if Mass Audubon is to achieve the impact intended.

The Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives will play a strategic leadership role in accelerating Mass Audubon’s ability to execute on major new initiatives, with the primary responsibility for (1) leading select cross-functional project teams from concept to implementation, (2) working with executive and department leadership to develop improved operational and managerial processes to be implemented across the organization, and (3) supporting the President, Executive Team (ET), and Chief of Staff in the annual priority setting process and future strategic plans.

This role will help the Executive Team accelerate projects, reduce barriers, and establish processes that increase the effectiveness of our work. The position will support the ET and all Mass Audubon departments in shaping processes that allow for efficient and effective implementation of Action Agenda goals and programs. The position will be measured on its ability to improve the execution of programs and projects across the organization, to help departments deliver on goals that set a standard for project implementation into the future, and to deliver on special project deliverables. The commitment of time for this role focused on launching new projects and enhancing processes will fluctuate depending on the number and the nature of major strategic initiatives that the Senior Director is managing at any given time.

The Senior Director will work with the President and ET to clearly define the objectives for each project, identify the conditions for success, establish a launch timeline, identify required resources, and incorporate strategic input from invested partners at key decision points. They will work across the divisions of the organization in a support services capacity to draw in necessary input, leverage content expertise, and ensure that project outcomes are well-aligned with Mass Audubon’s strategic goals and partner relationships. They will also expand Mass Audubon’s capacity for strategic project work by providing training, process tools, and coaching to other staff or teams working to launch or better manage projects across the organization.

The Senior Director will also play a lead role in annual priority setting across the organization and support future strategic planning processes. This will include supporting the President, the ET, and the Chief of Staff in executing the annual planning process by developing frameworks and tools to link department and business unit objectives with the statewide goals of the organization. The position will assist in developing processes that help to map department-level budgets to organizational priorities and ensure that each part of the organization has a clear understanding of and is able to communicate both internally and externally how their work aligns with statewide Action Agenda goals.

The Senior Director will also serve as a resource across the organization to assist with process improvements that require cross-division communication, collaboration, and consensus building. The Senior Director will be a key driver of Mass Audubon’s shift to a matrix organization in collaboration with ET members, identifying the frameworks and tools to build capability within and across departments that will lead to more effective and efficient operations and delivery of our mission.

This position reports to the President and serves as part of the President’s Office team. Internal candidates will be strongly considered for this role.

Duties & Responsibilities

In order of priority

1. Project Management:

• Serve as Project Director to drive forward select, cross-departmental, major strategic projects from concept to implementation.
  • May include capital projects, development of emerging sanctuaries and greenspaces, major partner opportunities, process or systems implementation, etc.
• Drive the use and guide execution of the charter project planning process for other significant projects and processes led by others across the organization. This may include providing training and coaching to staff to support charter definition, work planning, and preparation for phase reviews. Elevate work of charter processes to ET when needed.
• Assist the Chief of Staff with tracking Mass Audubon’s portfolio of major strategic projects/programs, including communication of the project portfolio within the organization, with the Board, and with external partners/stakeholders.

2. Annual Priority Setting:

• Support the President, ET, and Chief of Staff in executing the annual planning process by developing a framework and provide coaching to articulate the long-term vision and goals for each department/division in a way that (1) easily communicates the goals and how they align with the Action Agenda, (2) involves all departments, (3) drives implementation including resource allocation, capital investment, and timelines, (4) maximizes synergies across departments/divisions, and (5) inspires donors.
• Support the President, CDO, and Chief of Staff in the development of the Mass Audubon Capital Campaign programmatic priorities by developing the frameworks and tools to assist with analysis, prioritization exercises, and collaboration tools.
• Support the development of Mass Audubon’s next generation Action Agenda by working with the President, ET, and Chief of Staff.

3. Process Improvement:

• Assist in identifying and developing key process improvements in Mass Audubon’s operations, focusing on integration between one or more departments. This will include first assessing the range of potential improvement initiatives and the cross-functional resources required to implement them, and then developing a method for the ET to rank order these initiatives in a way that manages the pace of change, makes the most of interdependencies, and reflects the ability of the broader organization to contribute to their design, implementation, and evaluation.
• Work with the ET and key department staff to develop the processes and tools to allow Mass Audubon to expand our capability to deliver on the projects and programs that are key to the Action Agenda.
• Nurture a culture of innovation that encourages idea sharing and collaboration across departments by hosting learning teams and all-staff presentations.
• Seek out external best practices in operational processes, innovation, strategic planning, and project management; work with Mass Audubon leadership to adapt these practices to best apply to Mass Audubon’s organizational structure and goals.

4. Leadership and support of other strategic initiatives as determined by the President and Executive Team.

Qualifications

At Mass Audubon, our highest priority is finding the best candidate for the job. Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don't believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• Degree in a science, technology, conservation, or management field and a minimum of 8 years of related experience, including 3-5 years in a leadership role
• Strong business and management experience, including a track record as project manager of major strategic projects (>$1M budget)
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in a highly matrixed, complex organization, including experience with best practices in organizational design and strategic planning
• Excellent interpersonal skills, judgment, and a demonstrated ability to collaborate and build consensus among internal and external stakeholders, with the ability to innovate and employ analytical tools to further strategic discussion and decision making
• Ability to act as an internal consultant in the successful design and implementation of strategic, financial, and operational process improvement initiatives in a collaborative and cross-functional manner
• Demonstrated experience overseeing complex projects through to success, including forming teams, setting objectives, meeting financial goals and project deadlines, coordinating the work of key staff and partners, and ensuring executive team buy-in and coordinated decision making
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, budgeting systems, and analysis tools
• Strong commitment to Mass Audubon’s diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and access (DEIJA) principles and values
• A commitment to continued learning and improvement of one’s own understanding and delivery of a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture

Compensation & Benefits

Benefits eligible staff at Mass Audubon may elect to enroll in medical, dental, and vision plans. Mass Audubon also offers disability and life insurance plans, a retirement plan through MetLife, and Flexible Spending Account options. Mass Audubon employment also includes access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the Reciprocity Agreement through the Consortium of Non-Profit Arts/Cultural/Environmental Organizations of New England. Mass Audubon employees also enjoy 13 paid holidays (in calendar year 2023 - holidays may shift annually due to where days fall within

Additional Information

Work Schedule:

Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week

Other Requirements:

Employees must successfully complete a CORI and SORI Background Check and a Motor Vehicle Record (if applicable) is required.

Mass Audubon's Commitment To Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice

Mass Audubon's mission is to "protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and for wildlife" by building a strong coalition of employees, volunteers, and community members. We recognize that the environmental movement and field of conservation have been affected by societal systems that have limited opportunity and access for many people. As a result, Mass Audubon is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We are engaged in an ongoing process of organizational assessment and change, designed to remove barriers and create a workplace where all forms of diversity are recognized and valued.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Mass Audubon is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. Mass Audubon prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

How To Apply

Please apply on ADP Workforce Now: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=6044bc19-19e6-443a-8a51-62fe8af33798&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=452708&lang=en_US&source=EN.