Sustainable Ranching Initiative Specialist

Major Function  World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world's leading conservation organizations, seeks a Specialist for the Sustainable Ranching Initiative, based out of Montana.  The Specialist provides technical expertise to develop, prioritize, and coordinate private-land conservation projects for WWF's Sustainable Ranching Initiative (SRI). The Specialist will manage and grow relationships with ranchers, rancher-led collaboratives and agricultural communities, being the primary point of contact for SRI in the region of southeastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, and western South Dakota. The Specialist will also assist with fundraising proposals, individual project management, event coordination, and communications.  Please note: Although this is a remote eligible position, preference is given to candidates located in Eastern Montana.Key Responsibilities Implement conservation programs designed to restore and protect grasslands and assist ranchers and local collaboratives in pursuing their land-management goals. Conduct outreach with landowners and land managers in southeastern Montana, western South Dakota, and northeastern Wyoming to inform them of WWF programs and identify participants who may be a good fit for WWF's programs. Act as a primary organizational contact with ranches in the areas listed above by building relationships to better understand individual needs and assessing opportunities to pursue additional resources for ranch sustainability. Build and maintain relationships with local and regional ranching partner organizations and government agencies like Winnett ACES, Eastern Montana Regenerative Agriculture, BLM, NRCS, USFWS, and others. Assist local collaboratives by providing technical assistance, support in fundraising and project evaluation efforts, and offering expertise and guidance to partner-driven strategic planning efforts. Support the SRI team with strategic planning for landscape-level grassland conservation, partner engagement, program communication, public and stakeholder education, technology transfer, metric evaluation and reporting, and other relevant topics. Communicate results to local and regional audiences through a variety of channels including public speaking and published writings and provide perspective and technical insights to the SRI team as needed/requested. In coordination with the SRI team, assist in fundraising, including providing content for proposals and reporting on progress. Other responsibilities, as needed and assigned.