Rising Wildlife Leaders – Manager

Wildlife Conservation Network; Mission, Northern (KS, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Chiropractic and acupuncture

Life insurance and AD&D

Health FSA and dependent care

Employer retirement match (6%)

Paid holidays and vacation

Employee discount program

Job summary

Wildlife Conservation Network is seeking a Rising Wildlife Leaders Manager to run the scholarships, internships, and EWCL programs, coordinating cohorts, alumni, and donors within the Conservation Programs team.

You will oversee awards, budgets, and reporting, while delivering trainings and convenings, both in-person and virtual, to support the next generation of conservation leaders. The role requires travel and strong program-management skills.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of program management experience, including capacity-building or professional development program experience.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship; fluent in English.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple programs, stakeholders, and deadlines, with keen attention to detail, and strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong understanding of the conservation sector and how conservation NGOs function, including the realities of field-based conservation efforts.
• Working proficiency in Google Suite.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically (and internationally, if applicable) for in-person trainings and convenings.

Responsibilities

• Own program management and delivery across RWL’s Scholarship Program, Internship Program, and EWCL, including cohort application and selection, participant support, mentorship, and alumni engagement.
• Run the full award administration and financial-services process for RWL programs: agreements, payments, compliance documentation, budget monitoring, and accurate records in Salesforce.
• Own reporting, compliance tracking, and M&E across RWL awards and programs: monitor deadlines, verify compliance, follow up on overdue submissions, and turn program data into recommendations for growth and adjustment.
• Set and run the full committee and participant meeting cadence for RWL: scheduling and coordinating across multiple stakeholder groups on a recurring basis, plus minute-keeping.
• Lead in-person and virtual trainings and convenings for RWL cohorts and alumni, including content development, securing venues, travel logistics, and vendor management, from planning and coordination to execution.
• Work closely with other RWL and WCN programs leads to ensure cohesion, collaboration, and scaled impact.
• Serve as a donor-engagement and communications liaison for RWL: partner with Communications, Donor Engagement, and Marketing on campaigns and donor-facing content drawn from program data, and manage EWCL’s website and social channels.
• Represent WCN and RWL externally, including at WCN’s annual Fall Expo, and act as a connective link between RWL and the rest of the Conservation Programs team.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Organizational skills

Problem solving

English fluency

Tools

Google Suite

Salesforce CRM

Job description

Wildlife Conservation Network is a rapidly growing leader in wildlife conservation, protecting endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people coexist and thrive. WCN raises philanthropic funding and channels it through three pillars: a vetted network of Conservation Partners, species-focused Wildlife Funds, and the Rising Wildlife Leaders (RWL) program.

Across all three, WCN connects conservationists with donors and each other, deploys funds nimbly, and equips them with the tools and support they need. Conservation Partners and Wildlife Funds together support over 125 species in more than 50 countries, while RWL alone has supported conservationists in more than 60.

Position Summary

WCN’s Rising Wildlife Leaders (RWL) pillar builds the next generation of conservation leaders through scholarships, internships, and several multi-year leadership development programs, supporting conservationists at each stage of their career. The Rising Wildlife Leaders Manager runs the scholarships, internships, and the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) programs that make that possible: managing cohorts and alumni, administering awards and agreements, and leading the trainings, mentorship, and networking that define the RWL experience, including EWCL’s flagship in-person convening and other trainings. This role sits inside WCN’s Conservation Programs team and is the connective tissue between RWL’s programs and participants, WCN’s donors, and the communities WCN serves.

Mission, Vision & Values Alignment

Rising Wildlife Leaders is WCN’s investment in people. The conservationists this program develops carry WCN’s mission forward well beyond any single grant or training cohort. This role puts WCN’s values into practice every day. Impact: build leaders whose skill and reach multiply their conservation results. Integrity: administer every award and agreement so participants and donors trust the process completely. Community: foster a spirit of egoless collaboration, while keeping participants and alumni connected as a lasting network that strengthens over time. Service: own the logistics behind every training, mentorship, and programmatic touchpoint, clearing the path so participants can put their full energy into growing as leaders. Collaboration: work hand-in-hand with Conservation Programs, Donor Engagement, and Communications as one team, turning RWL’s impact into stories that reach the donors who fund it and the community that champions it.

Core Responsibilities

• Own program management and delivery across RWL’s Scholarship Program, Internship Program, and EWCL, including cohort application and selection, participant support, mentorship, and alumni engagement.
• Run the full award administration and financial-services process for RWL programs: agreements, payments, compliance documentation, budget monitoring, and accurate records in Salesforce.
• Own reporting, compliance tracking, and M&E across RWL awards and programs: monitor deadlines, verify compliance, follow up on overdue submissions, and turn program data into recommendations for growth and adjustment.
• Set and run the full committee and participant meeting cadence for RWL: scheduling and coordinating across multiple stakeholder groups on a recurring basis, plus minute-keeping.
• Lead in-person and virtual trainings and convenings for RWL cohorts and alumni, including content development, securing venues, travel logistics, and vendor management, from planning and coordination to execution.
• Work closely with other RWL and WCN programs leads to ensure cohesion, collaboration, and scaled impact.
• Serve as a donor-engagement and communications liaison for RWL: partner with Communications, Donor Engagement, and Marketing on campaigns and donor-facing content drawn from program data, and manage EWCL’s website and social channels.
• Represent WCN and RWL externally, including at WCN’s annual Fall Expo, and act as a connective link between RWL and the rest of the Conservation Programs team.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of program management experience, including capacity-building or professional development program experience.
• Authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship; fluent in English.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple programs, stakeholders, and deadlines, with keen attention to detail, and strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong understanding of the conservation sector and how conservation NGOs function, including the realities of field-based conservation efforts.
• Working proficiency in Google Suite.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically (and internationally, if applicable) for in-person trainings and convenings.

Preferred, or developable with support

• Salesforce or comparable CRM/database fluency.
• Experience managing program budgets, vendor logistics, or large-scale event coordination.

The annual salary range will be $80,000-$95,000, and the final offer within that range will depend on the selected candidate’s location, experience, and qualifications. Benefits include: medical, dental, and vision insurance contributions; chiropractic/acupuncture; basic life insurance and AD&D; Health FSA and dependent care (pre-tax); a retirement plan with a 100% employer match on employee contributions up to 6% of salary; 11 paid holidays plus 1 paid floating holiday; 15 days of paid vacation in the first year (+1 day per year worked); paid sick leave; and an employee discount program.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

WCN is committed to the principles of being an equal opportunity employer (EOE). WCN’s organizational policies, practices, programs, activities and decisions regarding employment are not based on a person’s race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, parental status, housing status, or other protected status, in accordance with applicable law. Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, individuals identifying with the LGBTQIA+ community, or members of other underrepresented groups in the conservation sector are strongly encouraged to apply.

WCN is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you need an accommodation at any point in the application or hiring process, please contact [e-mail] and we will work with you to meet your needs.