The Director of External Affairs partners with the State Director to direct and manage the Texas business units’ policy and partnership program, ensuring its capacity to advance policy initiatives that achieve TNC’s ambitious conservation objectives. They analyze the developing legislative landscape as it pertains to conservation policy and funding opportunities, evaluate the potential for strategic partnerships, and develop and implement strategies to influence corporate practice, public policy and public funding for conservation at a large scale. They liaison with counterparts within the organization to provide and extract useful lessons and experience and to coordinate on joint policy/practice approaches. The Director of External Affairs ensures that the program complies with federal lobbying laws and regulations, and monitors legislative and administrative initiatives and policies, which are related to the missions or programs of TNC. Willingness to travel within Texas and nationally as needed.

• Responsible for directing all aspects of Texas’ policy and partnership program including managing staff, developing strategic initiatives in support of Texas’ priorities at the federal, state, and local level, and budget management.
• Financial responsibility may include working within/managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating, and contracting with vendors, assisting with budget development, and meeting fundraising targets.
• Accountable to persuasively convey the mission of The Nature Conservancy to diverse groups including key legislators, government officials, corporate entities, agencies, and other partners who are critical to the Conservancy’s overall public funding strategies.
• Supervises administrative and/or professional staff with responsibility for performance management, training, and development.
• Ensures program compliance with internal policies, external requirements, federal lobbying laws and regulations.
• Effectively directs and or participates in complex negotiations.
• Develops constructive and effective working relationships with the Great Plains division, the world organization, and outside the Conservancy.