The Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance (BNGA) is seeking a motivated individual to grow and evolve with us!

Position Summary

The Program Director will be responsible for coordinating the growth and development of programs and ensure programs are aligned with our strategic direction, relevant to our Native Nation partners, and impactful towards our purpose. The Program Director will be responsible for providing leadership, support, and direction to program teams and directly supervise Program Officers and Specialists. The Program Director will assist the CEO with organizational development, fundraising, and cultivating partnerships.

Principle Duties

Staff Support and Supervision (30%):

• Support Program Officers and Specialists in developing and executing work plans that are aligned with the organization’s strategic plan.

• Support Program Officers with developing plans and strategies that guide programming.

• Supervise Program Officers and Specialists to ensure project deliverables are met.

• Develop training curriculum for staff, as needed.

• Provide coaching and mentoring to Program Officers and Specialists to build team cohesion.

• Provide annual performance evaluations for Program Officers and Specials on job performance.

• Provide support to staff to develop, maintain, and successfully administer subaward agreements with Native Nation partners. Nonprofit Management (20%):

• Collaborate with staff and the Financial Administrator to ensure proper accounting of funds.

• Support the CEO in ensuring nonprofit governance requirements of Board Bylaws are met.

• Assist the CEO with drafting new position descriptions, interviewing applicants, hiring, and new employee orientation.

• Assist the CEO with drafting new policies and procedures, as needed.

• Actively participate in team meetings, workgroups, and organization-wide initiatives.

• Apply new learnings, approaches, and practices to core position responsibilities and activities.

• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the position and program description, as well as those reflective of their experience, education, and ability.

Cultivate new and existing partnerships (20%):

• Meet with existing and potential partners including Tribal Councils, Tribal program staff, Tribal college staff, and staff of Native-led organizations to understand their conservation-related priorities and capacity-building needs, to describe BNGA’s vision, purpose, goals, and programs, and to identify ways BNGA can best provide support.

• Meet with non-government organizations and federal agencies to create partnerships that can leverage funding and technical support to best meet the needs and priorities of Native Nation partners.

• Participate in regional or national conservation-related conferences to share out BNGA’s work and to create new partnerships.

Fundraising (15%):

• Provide leadership on fundraising opportunities, including working with other staff in preparing grant proposals and coordinating fundraising campaigns.

• Support the CEO by meeting with current and potential donors to communicate organizational and program priorities and plans.

• Work with staff to prepare reports to funders by documenting and communicating BNGA’s activities and outputs.

Facilitation and training (10%)

• Facilitate the Open Standards of Conservation Planning with interested Native Nation partners.

• Develop training curriculum for partners, as needed.

Event planning (5%):

• Work with staff to coordinate BNGA’s annual in-person partner gathering.

• Work with staff to coordinate regional travel and meetings with Native Nations.

• Assist with coordinating other events, as needed.

Travel

This position will require up to 20% travel. Most of the travel will be to Native American Reservations within the Northern Great Plains ecoregion, as needed, for the purpose of communicating with and building collaborative relationships with current and potential partners in Native Nations. Occasional travel outside of the Northern Great Plains ecoregion will be required to connect BNGA’s work with the latest conservation efforts.

Knowledge, Skills, Education and Experience

We encourage you to apply if you meet at least 75% of the knowledge, skills, education and experience criteria listed in this announcement.

Knowledge

• Community outreach and engagement

• Native Nation government and program structures, including Tribal colleges

• Tribal sovereignty

• Natural resources conservation issues in the Northern Great Plains

• Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and requirements that govern grants administration.

• Non-government organizations and federal agencies working in the Northern Great Plains and their programs that are relevant to conservation and Native Nations.

Preferred Skills

• Communicate effectively with staff and colleagues, being able to communicate complex information in layman’s terms; both verbal and written communication skills required.

• Building relationships with community leaders, Tribal programs, and Native-led conservation organizations.

• Nurturing collaboration among diverse project partners, with an ability to create and thrive in a team environment.

• Organization with strong attention to and interest in detail.

• Work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines.

• Exercising sound judgment, initiative, and innovation.

• Effectively work remotely and independently, without frequent direct supervision.

• Explaining relevant issues and provide technical support for conservation-related community outreach and engagement.

    •  Acting within the scope of designated responsibilities, work with courtesy and professionalism, adhering to the highest standard of ethics.

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in biological sciences, social sciences, non-profit administration, or related field.

• At least five years of relevant experience.

• Experience working with Native Nations and Native communities.

• At least 2 years of experience supervising staff.

• Proven ability to raise external funding from public and private sources.

• Demonstrated ability to organize groups, facilitate meetings, and provide trainings.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications.

• Proficient in Google Workspace Applications.

• Event planning and coordination.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Hold a current U.S. Driver's License or have the ability to obtain one upon entry into the position.

• Must pass background checks and have exceptional positive feedback from references.

• Employees of BNGA must reside within or near the Northern Great Plains ecoregion (see map on BNGA’s website).

Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance

Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance (BNGA) is a Native-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit collaborating with a broad coalition of partners to support conservation and sustainable livelihoods in Native nations in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). BNGA envisions Native Nations uniting so that the diversity of life in the NGP flourishes for current and future generations. Our purpose is to ensure that the 16 Native nations with lands in the NGP have the technical and financial resources to plan and act on the vision for their traditional lands and waters, which includes ensuring that Tribal members thrive by sustainably stewarding and connecting with natural resources, grasslands and native wildlife on tribal lands are restored or enhanced, and Tribal fish and game departments have the capacity to deliver conservation at scale.

Applicants:

We encourage you to apply if you meet at least 75% of the knowledge, skills, and experience criteria listed in this announcement.

We believe that bad behavior on the part of some organizations disproportionately hurts the most marginalized people in society, including Indigenous people, other people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQIA2S+ people. Because we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or

who are members of other marginalized communities.

TO APPLY: send a cover letter and resume’ (in pdf format) with the subject heading: Job Application: BNGA Program Director – (your last name) to sgrassel@bnga.org

Position is open until filled, with application review beginning November 1, 2024.

Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $95,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Required)

Work Location: In person