Gulf Coastal Plains Regional Director

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.

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.

Compensation: $70k + benefits package

Tagged as: Conservation