Gulf Coastal Plains Regional Director
Position Location: South Mississippi, flexible
Last Date to Apply: Open until filled; Priority by November 30th
Compensation: $70k + benefits package
About the Organization
The Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on the conservation and restoration of amphibian and reptile populations and their habitats across the United States. ARC focuses on implementing field programs in high-priority areas for amphibians and reptiles to improve their chances of survival. Our work includes inventory, monitoring, research, habitat restoration, population augmentation, policy, and strategic planning across Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas (PARCAs). Learn more at ARCProtects.org.
Position Description
The Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) is seeking a Gulf Coastal Plains Regional Director to lead and strengthen our existing, established conservation programs across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The Director provides regional strategies, supervises staff, maintains partnerships, and develops projects that connect species conservation, habitat restoration, and applied research.
The regional portfolio includes gopher tortoise headstarting and black pinesnake monitoring at Camp Shelby and surrounding landscapes; dusky gopher frog habitat recovery; Houston toad restoration and reintroductions in Texas; Red Hills salamander Cooperative Benefit Agreements and monitoring in Alabama; and aquatic habitat restoration and monitoring for flattened musk turtles and black warrior waterdogs in the Bankhead landscape. Working closely with ARC’s National Programs Director, other Regional Coordinators, and National Strategy Programs, the Coordinator ensures these programs are well supported, scientifically sound, and positioned for long-term continuity. The position combines staff leadership, partnership development, strategic planning, and grant and project management with regular field engagement.
Key Responsibilities
- Program leadership: Guide regional strategy and annual and multiyear work plans, aligning staffing, resources, and conservation outcomes with ARC’s PARCA priorities. Strengthen program continuity and identify opportunities for growth.
- Staff supervision: Supervise and mentor Project Coordinators, Field Biologists, and seasonal staff. Coordinate hiring, onboarding, work assignments, performance feedback, and professional development across a geographically dispersed team.
- Conservation implementation: Oversee monitoring, research, habitat restoration, headstarting, and population recovery projects. Provide technical guidance and field support, resolve implementation challenges, and coordinate contractors and specialists.
- Partnerships: Maintain relationships with agencies, military installations, private landowners, universities, and conservation organizations. Represent ARC in regional collaborations and develop shared conservation priorities.
- Funding and project management: Develop proposals, scopes of work, and budgets with national staff. Track expenditures, schedules, and deliverables, and prepare or review technical and grant reports.
- Operations and compliance: Ensure field teams have appropriate equipment, logistics, training, and safety procedures. Oversee compliance with permits, animal care and biosecurity protocols, installation requirements, and partner agreements.
- Science and coordination: Work with science and data staff to maintain protocols, data quality, and project records. Evaluate results to improve management, share resources across teams, and contribute accomplishments to outreach and fundraising.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, natural resources, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Demonstrated experience managing conservation projects, including work planning, budgets, reporting, and juggling priorities.
- Experience supervising and mentoring staff and coordinating geographically dispersed teams.
- Working knowledge of southeastern amphibian and reptile ecology, conservation needs, and monitoring methods.
- Strong communication and partnership-building skills, including technical writing and collaboration with agencies, landowners, and conservation organizations.
- Strong organization, judgment, and initiative, with the ability to maintain reliable project and data records and solve problems independently and collaboratively.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced training or experience in strategic conservation planning, program development, and securing and managing grants.
- Experience with regional focal species, conservation husbandry, headstarting, reintroductions, or post-release monitoring.
- Experience restoring longleaf pine, wetland, or stream habitats and coordinating contractors or technical specialists.
- Familiarity with military installation, USFS, or private lands conservation, including NRCS programs
- Technologically savvy, with a proficiency in GIS or landscape-level ecological data synthesis and analysis.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to hike up to 10 miles per day over steep, rough, or uneven terrain while carrying at least 50 lbs of equipment to remote project sites.
- Physical strength to lift and carry a minimum of 50 lbs of specialized gear (e.g., mesocosm tanks, drift fences).
- Capability to wade in rivers/streams and perform physically taxing aquatic activities (e.g., snorkeling, fish shocking).
- Agility to perform considerable climbing, balancing, stooping, and walking off-trail through dense vegetation.
- Physical capacity to engage in manual labor, including habitat restoration tasks such as shrub and tree removal and equipment maintenance.
- Strength and quickness required for safe handling of wildlife and self-protection from potentially dangerous animals.
- Willingness and ability to work outdoors year-round for extended periods (e.g., 10-hour days, night surveys) in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, and wind.
- Proficiency in operating 4×4 vehicles on rugged roads and machines such as tractors, boats, or ATVs.
- High attention to detail and sharp sensory requirements to accurately identify species and notice subtle changes in behavior.
- Continually sitting at a desk and working on a computer for prolonged periods .
- Continually required to hear, talk, and utilize visual acuity to operate equipment, read technical information, and or use a keyboard.
To Apply
In a cover letter, please describe your relevant experience, including how your broader knowledge and experiences can contribute to our organizational culture and values. Also provide your CV and include the names and contact information of at least three relevant professional references. Your cover letter, reference list, and CV should be compiled and uploaded as a single PDF file and saved as “[FirstName]_[LastName]_ARC_WCP-Director”. Applications can be submitted HERE. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States, ARC does not provide visa sponsorships for this position. Questions about the position can be directed to José Garrido at jgarrido@ARCProtects.org
ARC is an equal-opportunity employer. We value different experiences and perspectives as critical to informing and supporting our core values. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital or pregnancy status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information, including medical history.
All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States, ARC does not provide visa sponsorships for this position. ARC provides reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact jobs@ARCProtects.org.