Director of Conservation Tech & Data Science

Defenders; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 143,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Defenders of Wildlife seeks a Director of Conservation Technology in Washington, DC to lead data science, AI, and geospatial initiatives that drive wildlife recovery and conservation planning. The leader will guide a small team of scientists and developers, aligning projects with organizational goals and ensuring impactful tech-enabled conservation solutions.

The role requires advanced degrees and at least 8 years of relevant experience, including 3 years of people management.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant field; PhD preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant experience with at least 3 years managing staff.
• Experience applying data science, geospatial analysis, and software development to conservation challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of scientists and technologists.
• Oversee planning, prioritization, and execution of the technology portfolio.
• Develop data-driven conservation tools, dashboards, and dashboards and visualization resources.
• Build partnerships with conservation orgs, agencies, Tribal partners, and tech companies.
• Translate complex findings for policymakers, practitioners, and the public.
• Travel up to 5% of the time.

Skills

Data science

Geospatial analysis

Software development

R/Python

Remote sensing

Data visualization

Partnership building

Policy knowledge

AI experience

Project leadership

Education

Advanced degree in a relevant field

PhD preferred

Tools

GIS

Python

R

Cloud platforms

Remote sensing tools

Job description

Defenders of Wildlife seeks a Director of Conservation Technology in Washington, DC to lead data science, AI, and geospatial initiatives that drive wildlife recovery and conservation planning. The leader will guide a small team of scientists and developers, aligning projects with organizational goals and ensuring impactful tech-enabled conservation solutions.

The role requires advanced degrees and at least 8 years of relevant experience, including 3 years of people management.