Conservation Impact Specialist

Sacbar; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 73,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Flexible schedule

Remote-friendly

Job summary

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) seeks a Conservation Impact Specialist to develop and advance ABC Conservation Practices, translating science and field experience into practical guidance for landowners, land managers, agencies, NGOs, and partners across the Americas.

The role collaborates with habitat, science, GIS, regional, and communications teams to draft descriptions, train staff, and link practices to funding opportunities such as NRCS, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, and state programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop a standard framework and template for ABC Conservation Practices.
• Identify and prioritize an initial suite of conservation practices reflecting field work and needs.
• Draft short, clear descriptions including purpose, bird benefits, habitats, species, and resources.
• Ensure practices are grounded in science and partner expertise; link to incentives when appropriate.
• Coordinate draft reviews with staff and external experts.
• Maintain/update practices as science and programs evolve.
• Coordinate training sessions for staff and partners.
• Work with Regional Directors to ensure practices are practical and regionally relevant.
• Adapt national practices for use in regions, BirdScapes, habitats, landscapes.
• Assist regional staff in using practices for outreach, project development, and engagement.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate practices into BirdScapes, Joint Ventures, and other programs.
• Help develop landowner materials encouraging adoption of practices.
• Identify funding programs (NRCS, FWS, Farm Bill, state programs) to support implementation.
• Create pathways for landowners to move from interest to action and identify contacts.
• Collaborate to identify gaps in funding or delivery that limit adoption.

Job description

Title: Conservation Impact Specialist

Supervisor: Central Regional Director

Location: Flexible/Remote

Salary: Estimated at $73,170 - $81,300*; Based on experience

Application Deadline: September 4, 2026

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.

American Bird Conservancy is seeking a Conservation Impact Specialist to help develop, organize, and advance ABC Conservation Practices -- a new initiative designed to translate ABC’s science, field experience, and partnership-based conservation delivery into clear, practical guidance that landowners, land managers, agencies, NGOs, and other partners can use to take action for birds.

The Conservation Impact Specialist will work closely with ABC habitat conservation specialists, science staff, regional staff, GIS staff, communications staff, and external partners to develop short, clear, and compelling descriptions of accepted conservation practices that ABC applies or supports in the field. These practices will help guide habitat management, landowner outreach, partner engagement, and conservation delivery across ABC’s BirdScapes and regional programs. The Specialist will work with Regional Leaders and subject matter experts to develop training curriculum and professional development resources that help ABC staff consistently understand, communicate, and apply ABC Conservation Practices across regions and programs.

This position will play an important role in helping ABC scale up bird conservation by making proven conservation actions easier to understand, easier to promote, and easier to implement. The Specialist will also help connect landowners and managers to existing technical assistance and funding programs, including NRCS cost-share programs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, state habitat programs, Joint Ventures, and other partner-supported conservation opportunities.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of bird conservation and habitat management, excellent writing and communication skills, experience working with partners and landowners, and the ability to translate technical information into practical, accessible guidance.

Primary Duties

Develop ABC Conservation Practices

• Work with ABC science, habitat, regional, GIS, and communications staff to develop a standard framework and template for ABC Conservation Practices.
• Identify and prioritize an initial suite of conservation practices that reflect ABC’s field-based conservation work and priority bird conservation needs.
• Draft short, clear descriptions of accepted conservation practices, including the purpose of each practice, bird benefits, applicable habitats, target species or bird groups, basic implementation considerations, and links to relevant technical resources.
• Ensure that conservation practices are grounded in the best available science, ABC field experience, and partner expertise, and where appropriate, provide linkage to incentive programs or resources.
• Coordinate review of draft practices with relevant ABC staff and external experts.
• Maintain and update ABC Conservation Practices over time as science, programs, partner needs, and funding opportunities evolve.
• Coordinate training sessions for ABC staff and partners.

Support Regional Program Delivery

• Work closely with ABC Regional Directors and regional staff to ensure that Conservation Practices are practical, regionally relevant, and useful for landowner and partner engagement.
• Help adapt national or broad-scale conservation practices for use in specific regions, BirdScapes, habitats, and priority landscapes.
• Support regional staff in using Conservation Practices as tools for outreach, project development, partner collaboration, and landowner engagement.
• Help identify opportunities to incorporate Conservation Practices into existing ABC initiatives, including BirdScapes, Joint Venture partnerships, working lands programs, forest conservation efforts, grassland initiatives, wetland and riparian restoration, urban bird conservation, and species-focused conservation strategies.
• Assist with developing landowner-facing materials that encourage adoption of bird-friendly practices.

Connect Practices to Funding and Technical Assistance

• Identify existing public and private funding programs that can support implementation of ABC Conservation Practices.
• Work with partners to connect practices to NRCS cost-share opportunities, FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Farm Bill programs, state wildlife agency programs, forestry assistance programs, conservation district support, and other relevant funding sources.
• Help create clear pathways for landowners and managers to move from interest to action, including identifying who to contact, what programs may apply, and what first steps are needed.
• Collaborate with ABC policy and regional staff to identify gaps in funding, technical assistance, or program delivery that may limit broader adoption of bird conservation practices.

Partner Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations and agencies involved in habitat conservation, landowner outreach, and conservation delivery.
• Work with NGOs, state and federal agencies, Joint Ventures, land trusts, conservation districts, university extension programs, and other partners to review and promote Conservation Practices.
• Help ensure that ABC Conservation Practices complement, rather than duplicate, existing partner tools, standards, and guidance.
• Support ABC’s role as a convener and amplifier of practical conservation solutions for birds.
• Assist with partner meetings, workshops, webinars, and other events designed to promote adoption of conservation practices.

Communications and Outreach Support

• Work closely with ABC communications staff and, as available, a communications/video producer to turn Conservation Practices into engaging public-facing content.
• Help identify stories, projects, landowners, partners, and landscapes that can be featured in videos, web content, social media, newsletters, donor communications, and campaign materials.
• Review communications products for technical accuracy and clarity.
• Support development of a public-facing ABC Conservation Practices web portal.
• Help develop campaign-based outreach strategies that use Conservation Practices to inspire action for birds among landowners, managers, birders, and the broader bird-interested public.

Tracking, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Help develop practical measures of success for the Conservation Practices initiative, including number of practices developed, partner engagement, web traffic, landowner inquiries, referrals to partner programs, acres influenced, and other appropriate measures.
• Work with ABC GIS and science staff to connect Conservation Practices to BirdScape dashboards and results-chain goals where appropriate.
• Support reporting to ABC leadership, board members, funders, partners, and staff.
• Assist with grant proposals, donor updates, internal planning documents, and annual work planning related to the Conservation Practices initiative.

Expected Outcomes

The Conservation Impact Specialist will help ABC develop a practical and scalable Conservation Practices platform that supports regional delivery, strengthens partner engagement, and helps more landowners and managers take action for birds. Early outcomes may include:

• A standard template and internal review process for ABC Conservation Practices.
• An initial suite of priority practices developed and reviewed by ABC staff and partners.
• Regional program staff equipped with clearer tools for landowner and partner engagement.
• Stronger connections between ABC priorities and funding programs such as NRCS and FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife.
• Content to support a public-facing ABC Conservation Practices web portal.
• Improved ability to track how ABC Conservation Practices contribute to BirdScape goals, partner delivery, and broader conservation outcomes.

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 where applicable.
• Rental vehicle or personal mileage reimbursement where applicable.

* ABC aligns our compensation with local market rates to ensure internal equity and fairness across our distributed workforce.

* At American Bird Conservancy, we believe that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills makes us more effective. We are committed to creating a respectful and inclusive work environment for all of our employees.

As an equal opportunity employer, ABC is committed to ensuring that employees and applicants for employment have equal opportunities regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other factor unrelated to the requirements of the position.