WRA President

The Kresge Foundation; Arizona; Hybrid; USD 275,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Resource Advocates is seeking a dynamic President to lead the organization into its next chapter, reporting to the Board and guiding fundraising and program strategy across the Interior West. The role requires inspiring, maintaining coalition-building, and aligning resources to meet ambitious climate, water, and land protections goals.

The President will serve as the chief external ambassador, directing a team of 80+ staff, managing a $16M annual budget, and collaborating with the Board

Responsibilities

• Direct the overall vision, strategy, management, and leadership to a staff of 80+ and an annual budget of $16M.
• Partner with the Board and Development Team to expand financial support for WRA, taking an active, lead role in fundraising initiatives and activities.
• Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative culture grounded in transparency, trust, and openness to feedback.
• Establish and enhance strategic and operational partnerships and coalitions with key individuals, organizations, and agencies across government, private, and philanthropic sectors.

Job description

• Location: Hybrid with travel, based in AZ, CO, MT, NV, NM, UT, or WY

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is a regional nonprofit advocacy organization fighting climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. The organization is driving state-level action by developing data-driven policies, advocating for their adoption, and then implementing those policies to achieve measurable results while holding decision makers accountable.

WRA's work focuses on three interconnected priorities: advancing clean, affordable, reliable energy; protecting rivers and water resources; and conserving lands and wildlife habitat. We partner with policymakers, utilities, businesses, Tribal Nations, community groups, and other stakeholders to develop pragmatic, research-based solutions that balance environmental protection with economic and community needs.

Operating across seven Western states in the Interior West, WRA has secured significant investments in renewable energy, advanced water conservation and drought resilience strategies, and safeguarded some of the region's most important natural landscapes. Having built a reputation as the region’s go-to state and local policy expert over the past four decades, the organization is known for its collaborative approach, bringing together diverse perspectives to achieve practical, durable policy outcomes.

Going forward, our mission requires us to expand our impact by limiting the worst impacts of climate change while strengthening ecosystem resilience through the protection of water, land, and wildlife. Our new five-year Strategic Plan sets ambitious targets to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 100 million tons below 2024 levels, protect the health of more than 2,000 stream miles, reduce annual water use by nearly 250,000 acre-feet, and increase legal protections for more than 20 million acres of high-value habitat. Achieving these goals will require exceptional fundraising leadership, expanding WRA's philanthropic support well beyond our current $16 million annual budget.

Guided by a vision of a sustainable and resilient West, WRA is committed to creating a future in which vibrant communities, thriving ecosystems, and a clean-energy economy coexist and prosper for generations to come.

At this moment of tremendous opportunity, WRA is seeking a dynamic and mission-driven President to lead a highly respected organization into its next chapter of impact. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working alongside an exceptionally knowledgeable staff, the President will be responsible for inspiring, leading, and executing on WRA’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and aligning the resources, talent, and political will to make the vision a reality. In partnership with Senior Leadership and program experts, the President will drive WRA’s fundraising and programs to realize the organization’s mission through astute advocacy across the Interior West. Serving as the chief external ambassador, the President will guide WRA’s affiliated 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) advocacy and policy efforts to achieve ambitious goals while securing the funds and coalitions required to sustain WRA for generations to come.

The President’s major responsibilities include:

• Direct the overall vision, strategy, management, and leadership to a staff of 80+ and an annual budget of $16M, with a plan to grow significantly over the next five years.
• Partner with the Board and Development Team to expand financial support for WRA, taking an active, lead role in fundraising initiatives and activities.
• Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative culture grounded in transparency, trust, and openness to feedback.
• Establish and enhance strategic and operational partnerships and coalitions with key individuals, organizations, and agencies across government, political, private, and philanthropic sectors.

Candidate Profile

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

A Strategic Visionary

• Articulate organizational goals, priorities, and ambitions with clarity and optimism, driving WRA’s agenda with a steadfast commitment to mission.
• Work in close collaboration with the Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, and Senior Leadership Team to implement the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, developing benchmarks and milestones designed to achieve audacious goals.
• Inspire team members, partners, funders, and policymakers to support the work of WRA, offering a bold vision that delivers expansive results across the West.
• Convey the mission and impact of WRA to diverse audiences, inspiring urgent action and building support for the organization’s work across the political spectrum.
• Secure significant resources from diverse funding sources—including individual donors, institutional foundations, and public funding streams, with a track record of obtaining six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Navigate a challenging funding landscape by drawing on existing relationships and building new ones to achieve fundraising goals.

An Authentic Relationship Builder

• Provide thought leadership for WRA, the larger conservation sector, Tribal Nations, and other community and policy partners that leads to solutions across the seven-state region.
• Partner with Program, Government Affairs, and Marketing & Communications teams to deploy effective messaging, advance strategic campaigns, and influence key decision-makers across WRA’s priority issues.
• Work across the political spectrum to build support and legislative sponsorship.
• Lead with unquestioned integrity, transparency, ethics, and values.

An Emotionally Intelligent Leader

• Coach, advise, and empower the Executive Leadership Team with the tools and resources necessary to lead their teams toward achieving program benchmarks, driving outcomes, and delivering on budget.
• Support the professional development and growth of all team members by modeling a culture of accountability, feedback, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure clear and effective decision-making, communication cascades, and roles and responsibilities within and across teams to maximize organizational success.
• Contribute to internal culture by actively upholding values, supporting equity, inclusion, and belonging strategies, and holding others accountable in the service of these goals.
• Exhibit intellectual curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

A Strategic Nonprofit Operator

• Demonstrate a strong business acumen and track record of successfully managing complex organizations through growth and evolution.
• Solve complex challenges decisively while balancing big-picture strategic guidance with effective execution and operational implementation.
• Demonstrate astute financial leadership through budget oversight, financial management, and sustainable revenue generation.
• Establish and maintain the operational and administrative structures necessary for organizational effectiveness and long-term success.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to strengthen governance, enhance board engagement, and expand the board's capacity to champion the organization.

A Mission Driven Champion of the West

• Demonstrate a deep appreciation and understanding of the environmental, energy, land, and water issues shaping the Interior West, and the communities, economies, and political landscapes they affect.
• Cultivate meaningful relationships with the diverse constituencies WRA engages, including NGOs, the private sector, Tribal Nations, and government agencies.

In addition, strong candidates will offer

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, grounded in respect for Tribal sovereignty, partnership, and shared conservation outcomes.
• Demonstrated success working in partnership with and leveraging a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors in a nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated success in advancing shared goals with stakeholders across diverse cultural, regional, economic, and political perspectives.
• Experience establishing peer-level relationships with state and regional business, utilities, and government leaders, as well as philanthropy staff and foundation executives.
• Experience working with the media to advance organizational objectives and messaging.

Compensation, Benefits, and Location

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $275,000–$320,000 with a generous benefits package.

This position may work remotely from Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming. WRA has offices located in Boulder, CO; Reno, NV; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Santa Fe, NM. Access to a major airport is required to accommodate travel.

Some travel is required for in-person leadership, staff and board retreats, trainings, donor visits and other role-related meetings, within the individual’s state of residence and WRA’s region (25% to 35% depending on location of work).

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities.

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

WRA is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQIA+ applicants.