Conservation Advocate

Environment America; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Commuter benefit program

401(k) with employer match

Parental leave

Long term disability insurance

Training program and opportunities for

Job summary

Wisconsin Environment seeks a Conservation Advocate to protect Wisconsin's natural places, defend wildlife, reduce plastic pollution, and promote clean energy solutions.

Responsibilities include building coalitions, organizing events, recruiting volunteers, earning media attention, shaping program priorities, advocating to decision-makers, fundraising, and growing the team. Location: Madison, WI.

Qualifications

• Passionate about the environment and grassroots campaigns.
• 2+ years in advocacy or organizing; advanced degrees may count toward experience.
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills; experience with media coverage is a plus.
• Creative, strategic thinker who solves problems and seizes opportunities.
• Connector and listener; able to bring diverse people together.
• Well-organized; able to manage multiple proposals simultaneously.
• Able to travel regularly and work evenings/weekends when needed.

Responsibilities

• Build coalitions across organizations and constituencies to support campaigns.
• Organize webinars, community events, and public meetings and recruit participants.
• Recruit and supervise volunteers to expand campaign impact.
• Generate traditional and social media attention for campaigns and issues.
• Help shape program priorities through policy research and messaging.
• Advocate to decision-makers through lobbying, hearings, and materials.
• Fundraise: write grant proposals and build donor relationships to support campaigns.
• Grow the team by identifying strong candidates and overseeing staff where needed.

Skills

Environment advocacy

Grassroots organizing

Public speaking

Strong writing

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Travel readiness

Job description

From the Northwoods, to the shores of Lake Michigan, to the mighty Mississippi, Wisconsin’s natural environment is something special. Wisconsin Environment is seeking a Conservation Advocate to conserve and protect our special places, defend the wildlife that call our state home, reduce our reliance on single use plastics and other products that needlessly pollute and waste resources, and promote clean energy solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Our Conservation Advocate will lead our efforts to protect the places that make Wisconsin a special place to live. This position requires exercising discretion and independent judgment in making decisions in matters of significance. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Build powerful coalitions: Reach out to a broad range of organizations and affected constituency groups across the political spectrum to demonstrate support for our goals, including unlikely allies who might agree with us on one issue, even if we disagree on other issues.
• Organize events: Organize webinars, community events and public meetings, including events that connect the public to opportunities to learn more about our land and wildlife and how best they can act to protect our special places. Recruit organizations and members of the public to attend and participate.
• Recruit and work with volunteers: Identify and work with volunteers who want to do more in their community.
• Earn traditional media and social media attention: Organize media events and write opinion pieces. Build a following on social media for your campaign.
• Help shape program priorities: Participate in policy development, research and messaging to determine our priorities and policy positions for environmental protection in Wisconsin.
• Advocate: Present a compelling case to decision-makers for strong action on the environment through lobbying, testifying at hearings, and producing powerful written materials. Build relationships with key players in the state, the region and at the federal level.
• Fundraise: Write grant proposals, build relationships with foundation staff, and raise money from individual donors to bring more resources to our campaigns.
• Grow our team: Identify and recruit strong candidates to join our staff. Hire and manage interns to maximize the impact of your campaigns. Potential to oversee staff.

Qualifications

You are:

• Passionate about the environment and using the power of grassroots organizing to win campaigns.
• A campaign advocate or grassroots organizer with at least 2 years of advocacy or organizing experience. Advanced degrees may count toward experience.
• An effective communicator with excellent writing and public speaking skills. Experience getting traditional and digital media coverage in previous work is a plus.
• Creative and effective at solving complex problems; a strategic thinker who can take advantage of new opportunities.
• A connector and good listener with a track record of bringing people together around a common goal; willing and interested in working with people who think differently than you.
• Well-organized and able to work on multiple legislative and administrative proposals at once.
• Able to travel regularly and be motivated to work when needed, which may sometimes be in the evenings and on weekends.

Additional helpful experience:

• Experience in a state legislature or other government office, or with an environmental or public health advocacy organization is a plus but not required.
• Fundraising experience, particularly in grant-seeking from charitable foundations.

Compensation and Benefits

The target annual compensation for someone with 2-5 years of relevant experience is $41,750-$46,000. Candidates on the lower end of directly relevant experience should expect to be on the lower end of this range; candidates on the higher end of relevant experience are likely to be on the higher end of this range. Wisconsin Environment offers an excellent benefits package. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, time off, a commuter benefit program, a 401(k) plan with employer match, parental leave, long term disability insurance, and may include needs-based student loan assistance. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.

Location: Madison, WI

About Wisconsin Environment

Wisconsin Environment is part of Environment America. Environment America has one mission: to protect the natural world.

We advocate ideas and actions to guide our country onto a greener, healthier path. Our network of 30 state environmental groups promotes clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members put grassroots support behind our research, public education, advocacy and litigation.

Nothing is more important to our future than facing this fact: Infinite economic growth on a finite planet is neither wise nor possible. We must shift from deplete to preserve, from disposable to sustainable, from “never enough” to “enough.” Together, our staff, members and other supporters are committed to winning changes that allow nature to thrive and our children to live healthier, more enriching lives.

Our Mission and Values

Wisconsin Environment and Environment America are part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a new future and a strategic approach to change. Visit https://wisconsinenvironment.org/core-values/ for things you should know about our network when you apply.

Please do not use AI to help draft your cover letter or responses to our application questions. We want to know how you think and write.

Wisconsin Environment is an equal opportunity employer.