Manager, Native Plant Habitat Impact & Certifications

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

To support our mission, we are seeking a Program Manager to join the Native Plant Habitat Impact & Certifications team in the Education and Engagement Department. Over more than fifty years, NWF’s education and engagement department has built a vast national network of community leaders, elected officials, educators, homeowners, and others who collectively create and steward natural habitat that helps local wildlife where people live, work, play, learn, and worship.

The Program Manager reports to the Head of Native Plant Habitat Impact & Certifications and works across teams to support large scale native tree, plant based habitat expansion with corporate and community partners, leveraging our national habitat program networks, including Trees for Wildlife partners, Community Wildlife Habitats, and Mayors Monarch Pledge sites. This position works closely with the Directors of Large-Scale Habitat and National Habitat Networks.  This role is key to the overall success of the habitat programs, related campaigns and partnerships that align with NWF’s strategic plan and our commitment to equity and justice.

This role provides strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and growth of habitat conservation initiatives, with a primary focus on the Trees for Wildlife program. Responsibilities include cultivating and managing strategic partnerships, securing and stewarding funding opportunities, overseeing program operations and impact measurement, and advancing community-based conservation through data-driven decision-making and stakeholder engagement. The position also supports organizational fundraising and communications objectives by developing compelling content, managing sponsor and partner deliverables, and fostering collaborative relationships that expand habitat restoration efforts and enhance program visibility and impact.

• Plan, support and collaborate around the strategic growth of specific habitat programs as desirable funding opportunities for corporate sponsorships, employee engagement and as a revenue campaign(s) to ultimately increase tree canopy and native plant habitat footprint to benefit wildlife and people.
  • Specifically, implement the Trees for Wildlife program by managing partnership process, conducting outreach to potential tree recipient partners, securing collaboration agreements and facilitating the reporting and invoice reimbursement processes.
  • Apply data to inform decisions to innovate and effectively manage program outcomes and audience-based messaging.
  • Refresh annual competitive analysis across national tree and urban forestry space to keep TFW program fresh, relevant and impactful. Contribute to re envisioning NWF’s TFW case for program success via a strategic business planning process.
  • Support fundraising efforts through strategic business planning, online research, budget development and proposal writing.
• Support coordination with Community Wildlife Habitats, and Mayors Monarch Pledge networks.

• Update program impact reporting requirements to align with participant and funder expectations
• Improve processes for defining and collection metrics using dashboards, user-friendly feedback systems, etc.
• Research and write best practice summaries and case studies.

• Coordinate with leadership of Native Plant Habitats and Education and Philanthropy's teams to define sponsor packages scope and feasible deliverables.
• Implement and manage an RFP, delivery and reporting structure for multi year, mini grant "pass-throughs", in line with funder expectations and to increase capacity and habitat footprint of NWF's national habitat networks.
• Annually identify network and community partners to host and implement planting and educational events across funded partnerships and program annual tree bank dispersal, e.g. affiliates, community-based orgs, colleges, etc.
• Coordinate logistics, reimbursements, materials deliveries for partner events with local leads.
• Respond to program inbox and customer service inquiries.

• Lead annual Trees for Wildlife Month Campaign coordination and annual appeals to generate to support the membership and program goals, and ultimately increases available trees in the TFW tree bank.
• Support the NWF Native Plant Habitat programs by effectively communicating with program participants, partners, and community conservationists, team leaders, with compelling messaging for web,  blogs, presentations and newsletters to support the overall success of the programs. Coordinate with the Native Plant Habitat Strategy team’s overall content management and communications processes and templates.

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resources, Conservation, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Communications, Ecological Landscaping, Sustainability, Urban Forestry, Native Plant Ecosystems or a related field; advanced degree a bonus.
• 5-8+ years of progressively responsible experience in program management, conservation, environmental nonprofit leadership, community engagement, or a related field. Specific knowledge of habitat conservation, urban forestry, native plant restoration, community-based conservation, or related environmental programs is ideal.
• Commitment to conservation, environmental stewardship, and advancing equitable community engagement in support of organizational mission and impact.
• Demonstrated experience implementing strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders, e.g. corporate sponsors, nonprofits, community organizations, government agencies.
• Proven success in project management, including overseeing multiple initiatives, timelines, budgets, contracts, and deliverables simultaneously.
• Experience supporting fundraising efforts through grant writing, proposal development, sponsorship cultivation, budget preparation, and donor stewardship.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using data, metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools to evaluate program performance and inform strategic decision-making.
• Experience managing grant-funded programs, including reporting, compliance, reimbursement processes, and stakeholder communications.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop reports, case studies, presentations, web content, and marketing materials for diverse audiences incorporating compelling use of metrics, scientific data to convey impact to funders and the general public.

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams and organizational levels.
• Experience planning and coordinating events, volunteer engagement activities, and community outreach campaigns.

• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvements and implement systems that increase program effectiveness, efficiency, and measurable impact. Ability to pivot direction as needed building on strong problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, CRM systems, project management tools, and data visualization or reporting platforms, e.g. Airtable,  GIS mapping experience is preferred.

There will be some travel required in this role, approximately 5-8 times / year for community events or conferences.

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extended periods; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) or arm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for example, using a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word; ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to move about the workspace. The position requires mobility, including moving materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a laptop computer or tablet). 

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties, responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as an exhaustive statement, however.  Unless they begin with the word “may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described above are “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus. 

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s required equity competencies at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

This position is a fully remote position. The National Wildlife Federation is committed to a flexible and empowered work environment with an authentic community of care for all staff. In this position, the employee may work remotely to be decided jointly with their supervisor in the final stages of the interview process. For more information on Work Modes, please review the benefits section of our careers page: https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers