Western Policy & Conservation Manager

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K match

Generous leave

Job summary

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks a Western Policy & Conservation Manager to lead policy, advocacy, and partnerships across public lands and wildlife. This remote role prioritizes state and federal policy, grassroots engagement, strategic planning, and ensuring accurate, timely policy communication across chapters.

You will coordinate campaigns, advise coordinators, build relationships with agencies and partner organizations, and help sustain funding for conservation work.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy, advocacy, and partnerships across public lands and wildlife.
• Coordinate state and federal policy initiatives and provide policy expertise to chapters.
• Support campaigns and grassroots engagement to advance conservation priorities.
• Build and maintain relationships with state/federal agencies and partner organizations.
• Develop and refine internal communications and tracking for policy work.
• Identify and cultivate funding streams to sustain conservation programs.

Job description

At Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), we’re more than just a nonprofit — we’re a movement.

As North America’s leading voice for our wild public lands, waters, and wildlife, we work every day to protect the places that feed our passion for hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure.

We’re a tight-knit team of dedicated professionals — avid hunters, anglers, and public land users ourselves — who believe in the power of advocacy, education, and hands‑on stewardship to ensure these experiences endure for generations to come. Whether we’re testifying in the halls of Congress, rolling up our sleeves on a habitat project, or rallying grassroots voices in every corner of the continent, we take our mission seriously…and we have a lot of fun doing it.

If you’re ready to help protect access to the untamed spaces that offer challenge, solitude, and a connection to the human spirit, we’d love to hear from you.

Check out our current opportunities below and consider applying.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is a North American nonprofit organization with chapters throughout Canada and the United States. BHA seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting through education and work on behalf of our wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.

BHA is a grassroots-driven organization that believes conservation happens on two fronts: by speaking up for public lands and waters and by showing up to care for them firsthand. Through policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, and boots‑on‑the‑ground habitat stewardship, BHA works to ensure healthy habitats and abundant fish and wildlife populations for generations to come.

Primary Objective:

Enhance BHA’s reputation as the leading sportsmen’s voice on public lands, waters and wildlife issues through grassroots engagement on federal, state and local policy issues by providing cohesive direction and robust support across BHA’s chapter network.

As a BHA Western Policy & Conservation Manager, you are expected to be consistently executing in the following areas:

ROLE DEVELOPMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Support the evolution of BHA’s Regional Policy & Conservation priorities in response to organizational needs and the changing policy landscape.

Participate in strategic planning and development.

Ensure communication across BHA channels are accurate, timely, and non-partisan.

Develop long-term relationships and represent BHA at professional conferences, regional policy conferences, and events.

POLICY COORDINATION & INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Provide organizational policy expertise, including the review and critique of proposed conservation policy positions, memoranda, and communication materials for BHA and its chapters to take effective positions on key conservation issues.

Provide direct support on policy matters in your region as a primary focus, while supporting stewardship projects that influence policy work or larger strategic objectives as a secondary focus.

Keep BHA CEO, directors, coordinators, and chapters informed about state policy issues that are related to our mission, including providing updates for HQ staff through weekly calls.

Continue building and refining the systems that support policy coordination, creating clearer processes for communication, issue tracking, prioritization and collaboration among policy staff, field staff and chapters.

Update and maintain legislative tracking reports using BHA native software platforms.

Maintain and facilitate consistent communication between Field Staff, MarComms and Policy Teams to help produce and leverage accurate, well-rounded content with depth and insight into the multiple layers of BHA’s work.

POLICY CAMPAIGNS & STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT

Help lead major state and federal policy campaigns focused on public lands, water, and wildlife conservation and access. Support advancing federal legislation and administrative actions in close collaboration with Government Relations staff.

Advise and support coordinators and chapters on state, local and federal policy issues, helping connect regional priorities to broader BHA policy positions and build effective grassroots campaigns from the ground up.

Coordinate policy engagement on cross-jurisdictional issues, including management plans, forest revisions, acquisitions and cross-border matters.

Work to identify and coordinate efforts on broadly relevant and critically important policy issues.

Leverage BHA’s grassroots network to support policy engagement and create an approachable environment for volunteers and supporters from allwalks of life to meaningfully contribute and learn about conservation advocacy.

PARTNERSHIPS & STEWARDSHIP

Manage existing grants/partnerships and strategically seek new opportunities to support regional and organizational policy and stewardship goals.

Advance BHA’s relationships with state and federal partners.

Connect with coalition groups and stay in contact with partner organizations to track and coordinate engagement on policy issues.

Deepen and build on relationships with Chapter Policy Leaders and staff from partner organizations that share policy priorities.

Facilitate regular communication with partners and chapter leaders across multiple states by sharing and comparing resources on key policy issues related to the conservation of our public lands, waters, and wildlife.

Build on existing partnerships with state and federal agencies (USFWS, USFS, USACE, BLM, etc.) through HQ-led and Chapter-led stewardship projects that improve or conserve wildlife habitat, expand public hunting and fishing access and opportunity, or advance policy goals. Strategically seek new opportunities at the HQ level, ensuring integration with the Stewardship program.

COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA

Amplify policy and stewardship investments through communications and media.

Produce action alerts, member-facing content and press responses for BHA’s major access cases.

Work collaboratively to identify opportunities for op-eds, LTEs, videos, blogs, action alerts, social pushes, website pages, co-branded events and other content.

Help chapters write and publish policy content when needed, including LTEs, statements, blogs, action alerts and related materials.

Help generate press materials and social media content to implement communications strategies that increase exposure for BHA’s policy priorities and stewardship program.

FUNDING STREAMS

Ensure the long-term viability of the Western Policy and Conservation Manager role by understanding and developing revenue streams in the short and long-term.

BHA is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. We offer a stimulating and fun work environment, health insurance and 401K plan match, generous leave package including annual time off for backcountry hunting/fishing, and discounts with BHA corporate partners.

Starting Salary & Term:

Compensation dependent on prior experience and qualifications.

Location:

Remote, with preference for candidates based in the Western United States.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.