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Conservation Director Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

Director, IT Infrastructure Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places ...

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

$54K - $60K/yr

Integrated Fundraising Coordinator Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of ... POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington, VA Reporting to the Managing Director of ...

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

$136K - $166K/yr

Senior Manager, Ocean Policy Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity ... Under the supervision of the Director, Ocean Policy, the Senior Manager, Ocean Policy, is a self ...

NWF

Director, Employee Experience

Reston, VA · On-site

As a key bridge-builder of today and tomorrow's conservation movement, the Director, Employee Experience is a strategic and hands-on leader who shapes how employees feel, grow, and thrive at NWF.

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Conservation Director information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Conservation Director, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Conservation Director, you need expertise in environmental science, natural resource management, and policy, typically supported by an advanced degree in a related field. Familiarity with GIS software, project management tools, and regulatory compliance systems is commonly required. Leadership, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication are standout soft skills for this role. These abilities are vital for effectively leading conservation initiatives, securing funding, and building partnerships that drive impactful environmental outcomes.

What is the difference between Conservation Director vs Conservation Coordinator?

AspectConservation DirectorConservation Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Environmental Science, Ecology, or related field; experience in conservation projectsSimilar educational background; entry to mid-level experience in conservation efforts
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, overseeing programs, managing teams, liaising with stakeholdersImplementing projects, coordinating activities, supporting fieldwork
Employer & IndustryNonprofits, government agencies, environmental organizationsNonprofits, community groups, government agencies

The Conservation Director focuses on strategic leadership, program development, and managing teams, while the Conservation Coordinator handles on-the-ground project implementation and coordination. Both roles require relevant environmental credentials and work within similar organizations, but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What are some of the common challenges Conservation Directors face when balancing ecological goals with organizational priorities?

Conservation Directors often need to navigate competing interests between ecological preservation, budget constraints, and organizational objectives. Balancing long-term conservation goals with the immediate needs of stakeholders—such as donors, board members, and community partners—can be challenging. Success in this role relies on strong communication, negotiation, and strategic planning skills to align diverse interests while advancing conservation outcomes. Collaboration with scientists, policy-makers, and local communities is also key to developing effective, sustainable strategies.

What does a Conservation Director do?

A Conservation Director is responsible for overseeing and managing conservation programs, projects, and policies to protect natural resources and biodiversity. They develop and implement strategies to conserve land, water, wildlife, or habitats, often working for non-profit organizations, government agencies, or environmental groups. Their duties typically include supervising staff, collaborating with stakeholders, securing funding, and advocating for conservation initiatives. Conservation Directors also monitor the effectiveness of programs and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
What are the most commonly searched types of Conservation jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Conservation jobs in Virginia are:
What are popular job titles related to Conservation Director jobs in Virginia? For Conservation Director jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Conservation Director jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Conservation Director jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Conservation Director jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Conservation Director job openings:
Conservation Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Conservation Director job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 69% Full Time, 27% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution.

Director, IT Infrastructure

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

Arlington, VA • On-site

Other

Re-posted 18 days ago

Job description

Director, IT Infrastructure
Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.
POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington, VA
The Director, IT Infrastructure leads strategy, architecture, and operations for CI's global infrastructure services, enabling secure, reliable, and scalable technology for staff, partners, and mission delivery worldwide. This role has end-to-end accountability for CI's hybrid/multi-cloud infrastructure roadmap and operating model across the Microsoft cloud platform (Azure and Microsoft 365 tenant and platform services), AWS, and on-premise environments, including global network, server/compute, storage, virtualization, backup/recovery, monitoring, and remote access. The Director is accountable for availability, performance, security, and lifecycle management of core infrastructure platforms and shared services, and for partnering with Cybersecurity, Applications, Data, and Service Desk teams to deliver an excellent employee experience. The role leads a globally distributed team and key vendors/managed service providers, building modern operational practices (ITIL/ITSM, SRE-informed reliability, automation, observability, and continuous improvement) and ensuring CI's infrastructure meets organizational risk, compliance, and business continuity requirements.
RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Define and execute CI's global infrastructure strategy and multi-year roadmap across Azure and Microsoft 365 (tenant/platform services), AWS, and on-premise environments, aligning to enterprise architecture, security, and business priorities.
  • Own infrastructure platforms and shared services end-to-end, including global network services (WAN/LAN/Wi-Fi, SD-WAN/VPN, internet edge, DNS), server/compute and virtualization, storage, backup/recovery, monitoring/observability, remote access, and core directory/identity dependencies.
  • Lead global operations with clear service ownership, SLAs/SLOs, and mature incident/problem/change management; drive continuous improvement through automation, standardization, and measurable operational KPIs.
  • Establish cloud platform engineering and governance for Azure and AWS, including landing zones, account/subscription design, network segmentation, identity integration, policy/guardrails, encryption and key management integration, and infrastructure-as-code automation.
  • Own reliability, resilience, and business continuity for infrastructure services, including DR strategy, backup architecture, recovery objectives, regular testing/exercises, and post-incident reviews.
  • Partner with Cybersecurity to embed security-by-design and zero-trust principles, including privileged access, configuration standards, vulnerability remediation, logging, and compliance controls for Azure, Microsoft 365, AWS, and on-prem platforms.
  • Provide executive-level technical leadership and architecture governance for infrastructure decisions; set standards and reference architectures; review and approve major designs and changes.
  • Manage infrastructure financial stewardship, including budgeting, forecasting, vendor/contract management, licensing, and cost optimization (FinOps) across cloud and on-prem services.
  • Collaborate with Applications, Data, Finance, and business stakeholders to enable mission-critical enterprise systems and integrations; ensure infrastructure designs are scalable, supportable, and secure.

Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
WORKING CONDITIONS
  • Hybrid/office environment with regular collaboration across global time zones.
  • Occasional lifting and handling of equipment (up to 40 lbs) during data center/office work as needed.
  • Availability for after-hours work for major incidents, maintenance windows, and critical project cutovers; participates in an on-call escalation model as appropriate for senior leadership.
  • Occasional work in data center/colocation environments, including noisy and cool conditions, and adherence to site safety and access requirements.
  • Occasional domestic and/or international travel may be required to support global offices, partners, and infrastructure providers.
  • This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some days remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • 7 or more years of progressive IT experience with significant responsibility in infrastructure engineering and operations.
  • 2or more years of leading managers and/or multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Demonstrated expertise in hybrid infrastructure (cloud and on-prem), enterprise networking, identity and access management, security controls, business continuity/disaster recovery, and modern operational practices (ITIL/ITSM, automation, monitoring/observability).
  • Proven ability to lead large cross-functional initiatives, manage budgets and vendors, communicate effectively with executives and non-technical stakeholders, and operate successfully in a global, mission-driven organization.

Preferred
  • Experience designing and operating Azure and Microsoft 365 platform services (tenant governance, identity integration, security and compliance controls) and AWS environments; infrastructure-as-code and automation (e.g., Terraform, PowerShell, CI/CD); enterprise networking (including SD-WAN) and global connectivity; server/virtualization and storage platforms; and backup/DR and ransomware-resilient architectures.
  • Experience building mature operating models (service catalog, CMDB/asset management, and KPI/SLA/SLO reporting) and supporting mission-critical enterprise applications (ERP/finance/HRIS/CRM) with high availability, performance, and compliance requirements.
  • Relevant certifications are a plus (e.g., ITIL, Azure Solutions Architect, AWS Solutions Architect, CISSP/CCSP, VMware or networking certifications).

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter.
See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE
Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.

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