Associate Director

Job Announcement: Associate Director

Position Summary

The Associate Director serves as a central integrator across the organization’s conservation programs and internal operations, helping ensure teams are aligned, priorities are coordinated, and work moves forward effectively across departments. This is a program-centered leadership role requiring substantial experience in land trust and conservation work, along with the ability to coordinate complex work across teams, priorities, and operational functions.

Working closely with the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team, the Associate Director helps translate organizational goals into coordinated annual work plans, clear priorities, and effective systems that support staff and programs across the organization. The role is responsible for strengthening communication and coordination between teams, identifying operational needs and gaps, supporting accountability and follow-through, and helping ensure programs are adequately resourced and positioned for long-term success.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this position supervises Program Directors and operational support staff and plays a key role in helping the organization function as a cohesive, mission-driven team.

Core Responsibilities

Program Integration & Organizational Coordination

· Translate strategic goals into coordinated annual operating plans that clarify priorities and facilitate practical implementation across teams.

· Strengthen communication, collaboration, and information-sharing across programs and departments.

· Identify operational barriers, capacity gaps, and organizational risks, and work collaboratively with staff and leadership to address them.

· Help establish and maintain clear systems, processes, and expectations that support consistency, accountability, and effective coordination across the organization.

· Monitor organizational and programmatic progress toward goals and support adjustments in response to changing conditions, opportunities, or organizational needs.

Staff Leadership & Supervision

· Supervise Program Directors and assigned operational support staff, providing coaching, accountability, professional development, and day-to-day leadership support.

· Support staff and supervisors in prioritization, problem-solving, communication, team management, and execution of work plans and organizational goals.

· Lead organizational performance management practices, including staff goal-setting, evaluation processes, accountability systems, and professional development planning.

· Foster a collaborative, respectful, and mission-driven organizational culture.

· Support leadership development and succession planning within program teams.

· Coordinate with HR consultants and external partners as needed to support personnel practices and compliance.

Organizational Operations

· Oversee organizational operations and administrative systems to support effective day-to-day functioning across the organization.

· Supervise the Operations Manager and provide leadership, prioritization, and accountability for operational support functions.

· Ensure effective systems and processes related to facilities management, office operations, vehicle fleet coordination, technology implementation, recordkeeping, and administrative support

· Support the development and continuous improvement of organizational systems, workflows, policies, and operational practices

· Help maintain organizational standards and practices necessary to support Land Trust Accreditation and lead Accreditation renewal process.

Senior Leadership & Strategic Planning

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Associate Director will:

· Contribute to organizational planning, decision-making, staffing discussions, and strategy development.

· Support organizational change management and implementation of new systems, structures or processes.

· Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to align program priorities with funding strategies, grant opportunities, and organizational capacity.

· Represent the organization in meetings, partnerships, community engagement events, with donors, and collaborative initiatives as appropriate.

Required Experience

· Minimum 5 years of land trust experience working directly with programs and demonstrated success working across multiple teams or functional areas.

· 7+ years of experience in program leadership, technical knowledge related to land trust programs, leading interdisciplinary coordination, stakeholder coordination, and working in partnership-based environments

· At least 3-5 years in a supervisory or leadership role, including direct supervision of staff and responsibility for performance management and professional development

· Demonstrated experience translating strategy into implementation plans and systems

· Proven ability to improve or manage organizational systems, such as workflows, staffing processes, reporting structures, or operational tools

· Ability to navigate organizational complexity, competing priorities, and change management in a collaborative environment

· Experience working in budget-informed environments, with an understanding of how operations, staffing, and programming align to financial realities

· Familiarity with grant-funded programs and compliance-driven operations

Preferred Experience

· Experience in a nonprofit leadership team environment, contributing to organizational strategy and decision-making

· Experience building or significantly improving organizational infrastructure or operational systems from the ground up

Work Environment & Expectations

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to evolving organizational and programmatic needs.
• Commitment to fostering a collaborative, respectful, and mission-driven workplace culture.
• This is a full-time salaried position based in Hailey, ID. While occasional remote work can be accommodated, this position will primarily be present in our office. Occasional travel, evenings or weekends, may be required.

COMPENSATION

$95,000 - $115,000 starting salary, depending on experience, with benefits package including 100% employer-paid health and dental insurance, employer contribution to Health Savings Account, 401k retirement plan with 3% employer match, and three weeks paid vacation. Opportunity to work a 4-day work week.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please email a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references to ***email_hidden***. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, beginning July 15.