Arizona – New Mexico Director

Western Watersheds Project is hiring for our Arizona-New Mexico Director position, to continue and expand WWP’s campaign to protect and restore public lands and wildlife in these two states, with an emphasis on livestock grazing and related environmental problems. The position will entail administrative and legal oversight of federal decisions, fieldwork, data collection and analysis, participation in agency planning processes, media outreach and legislative advocacy. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, self-motivated, be able to synthesize and understand ecological and biological concepts, and have strong written and oral communication skills.

JOB DUTIES:

• Coordinate and develop WWP’s public lands and wildlife protection efforts in Arizona and New Mexico and work with current staff on existing projects and threats posed by domestic cattle/sheep grazing on public lands across the West;
• Submit public comments and appeals of environmentally harmful agency decisions;
• Engage in discussions with the Forest Service and BLM about how to protect public lands from domestic livestock, including the use of grazing permit retirement;
• Visit public lands grazing allotments, documenting habitat conditions and management concerns, and communicate these findings to land and wildlife management agencies.
• Work with WWP’s Policy Director to pursue legislative options specific to livestock grazing and predator defense issues;
• Participate in public outreach including press releases, op-eds, position statements, newsletter articles, and blog posts;
• Meet with public lands livestock grazing permittees to discuss options for conflict reduction;
• Attend trainings, conferences, and workshops as directed;
• Work with legal counsel to develop priority litigation; and
• Collect and track research documenting the impacts of livestock on public lands, and utilize a variety of tools to determine focal areas for protection emphasis.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Educational background in science, law, or policy and/or advocacy experience;
• Affinity for and knowledge of remote and rugged areas in the West;
• Willingness to travel to and camp in remote field sites;
• Highly organized and able to use GIS software, mapping tools, and basic database software;
• Strong oral and written communications skills;
• Desire to make a difference in protecting native species from livestock grazing impacts on public lands;
• Able to take direction and work as part of a team;
• Self-directed and accountable;
• Candidate must reside in or be willing to relocate to Arizona or New Mexico.

Western Watersheds Project offers a salary of $84,916 and competitive benefits package, including health insurance benefits, family leave, and retirement contributions. This is a union-eligible position.

We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and willingness to bring their understanding to the work and the organization.