Senior Manager, Conservation Programs

Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading conservation organization as a Senior Manager, Conservation Programs, where you will lead a dedicated team in impactful conservation efforts. This role involves strategic planning, budget management, and fostering partnerships to advance wildlife conservation initiatives. You'll collaborate with various teams to ensure the success of conservation programs and engage with the community to inspire action for wildlife. With a focus on applied conservation, you'll have the opportunity to make a significant impact on both local and global scales, all while working in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Flexible benefits plan

Employer matching RRSP program

Discounts on food and merchandise

Participation in Staff Pass Benefit plan

Collaborative work environment

Opportunity to work in a park full of wild animals

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in applied conservation and fieldwork.
• Experience managing remote teams and developing partnerships.
• Strong communication skills for public presentations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support Conservation Program Managers in strategic planning.
• Manage budgets for conservation programs totaling approximately $3 million.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners on conservation initiatives.

Skills

Applied Conservation

Conservation Science

Project Management

Budget Management

Staff Management

Public Speaking

Intermediate Spanish

Education

Masters in Conservation Science

Job description

Make an impact on conservation by joining the Wilder Institute! The Wilder Institute is seeking afull-time permanent Senior Manager, Conservation Programs to lead a selection of Conservation Programs in the organization’s portfolio as we act for wildlife and engage people to join our efforts.

The Senior Manager, Conservation Programs leads Conservation Program Managers within the assigned Conservation Program portfolio. The Senior Manager uses their expertise in applied conservation and conservation science to coordinate the strategic planning and implementation of those programs for the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in collaboration with each Program Manager, including strategies for all associated conservation fieldwork and collaborations with national and international partner organizations, governments and local communities. They will also work closely with the Animal Care, Health and Welfare teams on strategic planning for our conservation breeding work. They stay informed and engaged with national and international frameworks and applied conservation initiatives, forming strong relationships with our partners and key invested parties in collaboration with the Conservation Program Managers to ensure alignment and strong relationships. The Senior Manager maintains oversight of the development and management of budgets prepared by Program Managers for their respective suite of programs, in collaboration with leaders in the Conservation & Science team and the Chief Conservation Officer. They work collaboratively across the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo to communicate and advocate for the needs of the programs. The Senior Manager guides their team, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo staff, and external collaborators on conducting and sharing information about our programs which may include public presentations, reports or co-authoring scientific publications with internal program leaders and external partners.

Our Purpose |We act for wildlife; saving species and inspiring people to join us.

Our Core Values |Drive impact, nurture connection, cultivate hope, and be bold.

Primary Location: Calgary, Alberta

What you will do:

Leadership:

• Provide over-arching expertise, guidance, advice and support for the conservation programs under their management portfolio to Conservation Program Managers and external collaborators
• Provide advice and support to other programs within the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo portfolio but not under their management, as required
• Work in collaboration with the senior staff of the department and the Chief Conservation Officer on strategic planning for field conservation within Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo
• Support Conservation Program Managers in program planning; including guidance and advice on program design, indicators of success, and milestone setting, as well as effective monitoring and evaluation
• Provide guidance in the evaluation of the impacts and risks of collaboration for new conservation programs
• When required, serve as a representative of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo for external communications, including meetings, workshops, media requests, presentations, etc.

Staff Management:

• Oversee a team of approximately 4-6 conservation program managers who will contribute individually or in teams to applied conservation activities in the office and in the field. This will include long-term workforce planning in alignment with organizational goals, annual planning for FTEs, hiring, setting pay, directing, mentoring, work flow management, professional development, and evaluation of direct reports within their team
• May work with/supervise volunteers

Internal and External Partnerships:

• Advise government agencies and other organizations that will consult Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo for advice on conservation initiatives
• Represent the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo on external conservation committees where there is strategic benefit for advancing species/ecosystem conservation and/or the organization’s reputation as a leader in wildlife conservation
• Work closely with the Chief Conservation Officer and senior staff to assist in initiating, formalizing and managing national and international partnerships with other organizations for collaborative work
• Proactively collaborate with other branches across the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, in particular regarding the conservation programs under their oversight, including breeding programs with the Animal Care, Health and Welfare team and horticulture team, fund development for programs with the Development team, and communications for our programs with the Brand and Engagement Team.
• Prepare and provide content, as required, to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo's Executive, Development, Finance and other teams as requested. Content may be shared verbally during meetings, in presentations, or in written reports depending on the nature of the request. This work may be done in collaboration with the communications staff of the department or the Conservation Logistics Manager and their team.

Program Management:

• Provide guidance to the program managers in developing and managing annual and long-term plans for each conservation program under their team, including planning for coordination of program aspects with internal and external partners, resource and staffing needs, development of proposals and reporting
• Support the Chief Conservation Officer, and Associate Director, Conservation and Science Operations, in strategic planning and decision-making by evaluating and recommending future directions in the conservation programs, including associated estimation of staffing, budget requirements, and health/safety issues.
• In association with conservation program managers and the Conservation Financial Analyst, plan, develop, track, adjust and administer conservation budgets totaling approximately $3 million, including management and decisions on project(s) and portfolio bases
• Support the Chief Conservation Officer, and senior staff of the dept. in developing, monitoring and evaluating branch-wide Key Performance Indicators, as needed
• Collaborate with Conservation Logistics Manager and other Senior Managers, Conservation Programs, to support Associate Director and Chief Conservation Officer in overall operations and alignment of the Conservation & Science team including staffing, staff development, and staff performance
• Deputize for Associate Director when required
• Other tasks as required

Health & Safety:

• Work with the Conservation Logistics Manager to ensure that hazard assessments are developed or updated for programs under their portfolio, as needed.
• Ensure that direct reports and their teams have updated the emergency contact sheet for security. This involves working with Security to help coordinate any emergency response.
• Work with the Program Managers to ensure that they are providing their team with training on safety procedures and letting them know if some team members are regularly missing check-ins.
• Be familiar with the missed check-in procedure so that they can ensure procedures are followed.
• Responsible for ensuring that direct reports and their staff are filing incident reports or near misses in a timely fashion, as well as workers’ compensation forms are filed and implementing incident investigations.

Travel :

• Travel domestically and/or internationally as necessary to carry out any of the responsibilities above
• Obtain travel related and visa documents as required by the destination country

What you will bring:

• Masters in Conservation Science or other related fields is required
• At least 10 years of experience working in progressive roles in the field of conservation, with specialized experience and knowledge in applied field conservation, including current knowledge of IUCN best practice and guidelines, and global frameworks such as the KMGBF and CITES. Knowledge of SARA registry would also be beneficial.
• Familiarity with current practice and methods in applied conservation and conservation science
• Extensive field experience in conservation programs
• Staff management experience required in leading and supporting remote team members
• Project management experience required
• Budget management experience required
• This Senior Manager position requires Intermediate Spanish to support development of Equatorial Guinea Conservation Program
• Demonstrated success in developing and fostering beneficial partnerships and positive relationship-building
• Experience working in Global South is required including in collaboration with foreign governments, organizations of various sizes, scopes, and focus, and local communities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to and comfort with public speaking and presenting to diverse audiences of various sizes and knowledge in an accessible way
• Excellent collaborative working skills

Working Conditions:

• This position is primarily office-based.
• Occasional visits to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo's wildlife conservation centres are required (approximately 1 hour outside of Calgary).
• At least annual visits to field sites at our conservation programs under this portfolio are required, which will include walking over uneven and rugged terrain, sometimes in adverse weather conditions for long distances.
• Approximately once every 1-2 years, this position may be expected to attend international conferences or workshops.
• This position is primarily a Monday to Friday job, but occasional work in early mornings, evenings, or weekends may be required, particularly when managing remote staff in Africa.
• Hybrid working is available, with a maximum of 2 days per week working from home

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is an outdoor facility and all staff working at the zoo must be comfortable working in a large variety of outdoor conditions. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo follows the advice of Environment Canada when responding to temperature and air quality issues.

What the Zoo Offers:

• Competitive compensation, vacation and flex days entitlement
• Flexible benefits plan, including a health spending account
• Employer matching RRSP program
• Discounts on food, beverage, and merchandise
• Participation in the Staff Pass Benefit plan
• A collaborative work environment striving to engage in science-backed and inclusive conservation initiatives
• A fun, rewarding work environment and the opportunity to work in a park full of wild animals

Are you ready to join one of Canada’s leaders in wildlife conservation?If this position suits your skills, experience and personal attributes, we want to talk to you.

Apply by doing the following;

• Watch this videoabout the conservation work being done at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J1VH1MBXm0)
• Submit your resume with an optional cover letter via our online application system.
• Fill in the application questions:
  • If hired, when would you be available to start?
  • If hired, what would be your salary expectations for the position?
  • How would you describe your verbal Spanish level?
  • How would you describe your written Spanish level?
  • Tell us about your experience in managing conservation programs with remote teams.

Applicants must already be legally entitled to work in Canada.

If this position is a fit for you, we encourage you to apply with a resume and cover letter online by May 29, 2025 at 4pm MST.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo strives tocultivate a workplacein whicheveryonefeels welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selvesto work. As a conservation organization,we respect and value the diversity of all lifeand come together as individuals and teammates to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. Werecognize thevalue of diversity, equity, and inclusion,and work to advance our culture to ensure diverse viewpoints are heard and everyone has an equitable chance to succeed and thrive.

All candidates are thanked for their applications and advised that only those selected for interviews will be contacted.