Conservation Director / Senior Advocate

Are you a highly motivated and strategic advocate ready to make a significant impact on one of Australia's most pressing environmental challenges? The Invasive Species Council is seeking Expressions of Interest for a Conservation Director/Senior Advocate to lead our critical advocacy campaigns.

This isn't a traditional job advertisement. Instead, we're actively seeking to shape this pivotal role around the right person, whether you're an experienced leader ready for a senior director position or a dynamic operator eager to step into an exciting and impactful role.

You'll join an effective and successful team with a proven track record in addressing one of Australia’s most challenging and harmful environmental threats: invasive species. We're looking for someone who is motivated, strategic, and well-connected, with a demonstrated history of campaign success. This is not a junior role; we're seeking individuals with significant experience and a desire to make a tangible difference.

While we ideally prefer candidates based in Canberra or Melbourne, we are open to considering exceptional candidates located elsewhere.

Contract and Remuneration

This is a full time, two-year contract with the possibility of extension, dependent on funding and performance. The salary range is $105,000 - $140,000 plus superannuation, commensurate with your skills, experience, and the scope of the role. 4 dpw could be considered for the right candidate.

About the Role

As a senior member of our team, you'll be responsible for leading high-impact advocacy campaigns to achieve meaningful conservation outcomes. This role can be tailored to a senior director or campaign manager level, depending on your skills and experience.

We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• A love for wildlife and passion for environmental change
• A track record of advocacy success: Proven ability to design, deliver and get results through ambitious, impactful advocacy campaigns.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and campaign leadership: Proven ability to identify campaign opportunities, develop ambitious strategies and motivate action.
• Extensive networks and coalition building mastery: Extensive existing networks, a proven capacity to build relationships with decision makers, and experience forging and nurturing effective alliances across diverse sectors and interest groups.
• Strong media skills: Experience in proactively securing impactful media coverage which drives campaign outcomes and builds power.
• Outstanding communication and influence: Excellent writing and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to persuasively engage with policymakers, scientists, journalists, and the public on complex conservation issues.
• Highly developed emotional intelligence: Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to identify, assess, and manage yourself, navigate differences, and build confident professional relationships within a geographically dispersed team.
• Leadership and team development (for senior director level candidates): A proven record of effectively managing, mentoring, and motivating staff for at least three years.
• Flexibility for travel: A willingness to travel interstate, often for several days at a time, to attend key meetings and events.

Other Highly Valued Attributes

We also value candidates with:

• Experience translating science into compelling conservation policy analysis and advocacy.
• Experience working with environmental non-governmental organisations.
• Deep understanding of invasive species and broader conservation issues.
• Extensive networks in the agricultural and/or environmental sectors.
• Political networks and experience at national and/or state/territory levels.
• Relevant academic qualifications in conservation, biology, or biosecurity.
• Fundraising experience and/or understanding to support charitable organisations.