Executive Director

Lake Waramaug Conservancy; Warren (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

The Lake Waramaug Conservancy seeks a full-time Executive Director to provide scientific leadership and oversee programs, operations, communications, administration, and grant development.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED will shape a forward-looking vision that builds on the Conservancy’s 50-year legacy while strengthening scientific stewardship, community engagement, and financial sustainability.

Qualifications

• Experience leading scientific programs and strategic initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with a Board, partners, donors, and diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific leadership and oversee programs, operations, communications and grant development.
• Collaborate with Board, scientific advisors, municipal partners, residents and researchers.
• Represent the Conservancy in the community and build relationships with key stakeholders.

Skills

Scientific leadership

Grant management

Donor cultivation

Stakeholder engagement

Clear communication

Job description

Executive Director
Reporting to the Board of Directors
Warren, CT

The Lake Waramaug Conservancy is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the ecological health of Lake Waramaug, a 656-acre lake located in Washington, Warren, and Kent in Litchfield County, Connecticut. For more than 50 years, the organization has advanced innovative, science-based approaches to lake restoration and management, helping reverse the lake’s ecological decline through sustained research, monitoring, watershed protection, and in-lake management.

Today, the Lake Waramaug Conservancy continues to build upon this legacy while addressing evolving challenges facing the lake and its watershed, including invasive species, warming waters, bacterial contamination, nutrient loading, and cyanobacteria risks. Its work encompasses scientific research and monitoring, invasive species management, watershed protection, open space preservation, and community education and engagement. To learn more about the Lake Waramaug Conservancy, please visit https://www.lakewaramaug.org/.

The Lake Waramaug Conservancy seeks a full-time Executive Director to provide scientific leadership and oversee the organization’s programs, operations, communications, administration, and grant development. Reporting to and working closely with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will help shape and implement a forward-looking vision that builds upon the Conservancy’s 50-year legacy while strengthening its scientific stewardship, community engagement, visibility, and financial sustainability. This hands-on leader will also work closely with scientific advisors, technical consultants, municipal partners, residents, donors, researchers, and other stakeholders across the three-town watershed.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and collaborative leader with scientific training or experience in lake science, limnology, watershed management, environmental science, or a related discipline. The successful candidate will bring strong organizational and project management skills, experience working with technical experts and diverse stakeholders, and the ability to translate complex scientific information into clear and compelling communications. This individual will also bring experience with grants and donor cultivation, financial management, and working effectively with a Board, along with a proactive, adaptable, hands-on leadership style and a genuine passion for conservation and freshwater resources.

The Lake Waramaug Conservancy offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. This position is based in Warren, Connecticut and requires a consistent in-person presence, including collecting samples on the lake, representing the organization in the community, and building relationships with key stakeholders, while allowing professional discretion with respect to work location.