• Spearheads and coordinates Defenders’ efforts to advocate for policies to protect and restore habitat, to thwart and oppose policies and actions that threaten at-risk species, and to hold federal land management agencies accountable to their conservation obligations, including under the Endangered Species Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended, and the National Park Service Organic Act, among other laws.
• Tracks the development and implementation of policies affecting at-risk species and habitat in the National Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System.  
• Engages in land management planning processes to sustain and restore biodiversity and develop models to inform land use policy. This will include identifying key opportunities to achieve desired results; providing policy and planning expertise; assisting with developing and maintaining relationships with relevant agency staff and decision-makers; supporting robust partner engagement; ensuring development of a strong administrative record; drafting objections and supporting litigation efforts.
• Develops Defenders’ positions and comments on legislative and administrative proposals affecting parks and refuges, and coordinates with Government Relations and other conservation departments on developing new and responding to proposed legislation.
• Research relevant topics and produce white papers, memos, reports, blogs, and other products for advocacy purposes. Coordinate with the Communications Department to develop and distribute outward-facing products and with the Center for Conservation Innovation to use technology to develop digital communication projects.
• Produces and maintains comment templates and training materials, reflecting current agency policy and practice.
• Coordinates closely with Defenders’ science team, identifying research needs and ensuring application of existing data, science, and mapping to priority planning processes.
• Coordinates closely with the Biodiversity Law Center attorneys to develop and implement litigation and other legal strategies to advance Defenders’ priorities.
• Informs and mobilizes citizen activists, including Defenders’ members and supporters, on critical Refuge System and National Park System issues.
• Initiates Defenders’ multi-department, inter-disciplinary teams as needed to fight harmful proposals and promote beneficial policies, practices, and programs that affect at-risk species and habitat on parks and refuges.
• Develops and/or participates in external coalitions as needed to promote strategies and achieve objectives.
• Serves as one of the Defenders’ expert points of contact internally and with external interests, the news media, coalitions, and policymakers.
• Some travel is required for this position
• Perform all other work-related duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for All Defenders 

• Strategic Thinking - Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities.
• Partnering - Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.
• Change Management - Knowledge of change management principles, strategies, and techniques required for effectively planning, implementing, and evaluating change.
• Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
• Ecology - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of the interrelationships among organisms and their environment, including competition and predation, evolution and natural selection, population dynamics, and the impact of natural phenomena or human actions on natural systems, processes, and biota.
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
• Public Planning - Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as environmental impact analysis and land use planning and zoning.
• Respect - Fosters a fair and respectful workplace where differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.  
• Oral and Written Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.