Assistant Director, Adult Learning & Engagement

Job Title: Assistant Director, Adult Learning & Engagement

Department: Education

Reports to: Director of Education

Supervises: 4 full-time staff and 10+ contractors

Classification: Full-time, exempt

Salary range: $71,200-73,000 starting salary

Benefits Include:

• Medical insurance: 100% payment of premiums for medical and dental insurance, for employees only
• Competitive leave benefits including vacation, sick, and family leave
• 401(k) 3% match plus annual fixed amount contribution
• Ability to attend free or subsidized courses at Portland Audubon
• Substantial discount at our Nature Store, including optics
• Opportunity to work in one of the most beautiful forests in Oregon

About Portland Audubon

Portland Audubon has been a leading voice in conservation for over a century. Through collaboration with a vast network of advocates, nature enthusiasts, and partners, we connect people to nature through a variety of programs that are grounded in science and learning. We are located in a 172-acre wildlife sanctuary in Forest Park, just minutes from downtown Portland. 

Portland Audubon Education builds inclusive flyways between joy, learning and advocacy in nature. Through school programs, camps, adult classes, trips, youth leadership, free events and deep collaborations, we expand access to the outdoors; amplify connections between birds, people and place; and create opportunities for all people to love and care for the natural world in ways that are meaningful for them. In partnership, we strive to nurture just communities working together to make a difference. 

Just as birds connect landscapes across an ecosystem, we understand our work in a rich context of cultural communities, neighborhoods and networks across our region. We seek to build connectivity, common purpose and collective impact through collaboration. We value the profound legacy of stewardship that people who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color have brought to this work for generations, and we see partnership and mutual aid as essential to everything we do. We’re grateful to spend our days exploring, laughing, and looking up in wonder, and we believe joy is a powerful driver of change, both personal and collective. Together, we hope to foster a lasting, resonant sense of place in the outdoors, and invite everyone to take action for conservation in their own community and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Job Summary

Portland Audubon’s Assistant Director, Adult Learning & Engagement is a new role dedicated to building a vibrant, inclusive birding community that mirrors the full diversity of our region. They are a collaborative leader who will guide a team of 4 full-time staff and 10+ contract educators in building an annual calendar of over two hundred birding and nature programs for adults locally, throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the world.

The Assistant Director, Adult Learning & Engagement collaborates closely with the Public Programs & Partnerships Specialist to build a creative suite of free public programs throughout the Metro Area, with a focus on increasing accessible, resonant programming for audiences who have been historically marginalized in the outdoors. Together, they will continue to deepen and expand strong partnerships with organizations that center the lived experience of people who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, and people from low-income neighborhoods. As such, it is essential that the Assistant Director views advancing equity and racial justice as central to their practice; has a strong, demonstrated connection to communities of color; and has an educational practice that draws from their lived experience.

The Assistant Director also supports the team in the plan and execution of a ~$600 thousand budget of adult education experiences including virtual classes, onsite classes at our Sanctuary, off-site classes and field trips to local natural areas, as well as multi-day programs throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and internationally. They are a seasoned birder with a passion for sharing ornithology with the public and an interest in connecting this to conservation action. They have a strong sense of how to communicate with and engage different audiences, from novices to seasoned experts. They are dedicated to democratizing access to learning about birds and nature for people from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. They have experience managing complex budgets, and a high attention to fiscal oversight ensuring that programs are planned, promoted and executed on schedule and on budget.

Primary responsibilities:

LEADERSHIP

• Supervise a team of four, full-time staff with expertise in birding, field biology, adult education and community engagement
• Support the team in recruiting, training and managing a group of 10+ contract instructors who lead classes and trips locally, nationally and internationally
• Work with the team to create a sweeping, inclusive vision of adult education, grounded in democratizing access to nature and our field
• Develop new strategies to connect adult education to Portland Audubon’s larger conservation agenda. Leverage education programs as tools for engaging the public in pressing conservation issues. Enhance sustainability, conservation practices and “voluntourism” as part of travel programs
• Cultivate a rich knowledge of the adult learning landscape locally and beyond, and stay abreast of best practices and innovation regarding programs and ecotours
• With the Education Director, plan regular trainings for staff, instructors and volunteers that build team culture and deepen understanding of racial justice and conservation goals

PUBLIC PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS

• Support the Public Programs & Partnerships Specialist in coordinating free, large-scale, public events that engage thousands of people in birds and nature (Swift Watch, Hawks & Hot Chocolate, Bird Song Walks, and Bird Days of Summer); develop new strategies for broadening the reach of these programs in partnership with low-income communities and communities of color
• With the Public Programs & Partnerships Specialist, continue to reimagine our Volunteer Outings Program with a focus on racial equity. May include recruiting leaders of color, expanding outings, and/or redesigning training to address historic and systemic inequity
• Support the Public Programs & Partnerships specialist in deepening relationships with current partners including Wild Diversity, People of Color Outdoors, and Disabled Hikers and develop a calendar of free programs for their members. Explore new partnerships with organizations that center people of color, people who are LGBTQIA and/or people with disabilities

CLASSES & TRIPS

• Design and oversee an annual calendar of virtual and in-person classes, field trips, and multi-day excursions across the Pacific Northwest, as well as national and international ecotours, with insight and guidance from the Adult Education team
• Develop and manage annual classes and trips budgets of ~$600 thousand and ensure targets are met. Work closely with trip leaders to create program budgets and pricing with an eye towards consistency and fiscal responsibility. 
• Manage contracts, reconciliation and reimbursement with contractors for all trips and programs
• Provide thought partnership and guidance regarding the design of ecotours nationally and internationally. Support all aspects of ecotours and act as main contact for trip leaders 
• Collaborate with communications and adult education teams to develop annual marketing plan for classes and trips. Refine our adult learning brand to hone to our mission.
• Personally teach at least one class per season year, ideally co-lead one ecotour annually

Preferred Skills and Experience:

Studies have shown that women and people of color often don’t apply for positions where they don’t meet all of the preferred skills and experience. We recognize that there are many different paths, experiences, and less traditional backgrounds that add value to one’s work and encourage applicants to apply even if they do not have all of the preferred skills.

• Strong knowledge of birding, can identify species by sight and ear; Pacific Northwest experience desirable though not required
• Deep knowledge of avian biology and natural history
• Some experience leading informal outdoor education trips or guiding birding outings a plus
• Demonstrated cultural competency and experience working with diverse populations, including communities of color and underserved communities
• Commitment to anti-racist practices and principles, with an interest in uprooting systemic and historical inequities in the outdoors
• Experience working collaboratively and thoughtfully with partners to co-create programs
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work effectively as a team leader
• Effective and efficient time management skills, ability to guide a team to meet multiple deadlines
• Some experience working with and training staff and volunteers necessary
• Experience with budget development and management desirable
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google suite
• Second language fluency a plus, though not required (especially languages most common in Portland - Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Somali)

Working Conditions:

• Must possess a current driver’s license
• Ability to be certified in Basic First Aid and CPR paid by Portland Audubon

Application

Portland Audubon does not discriminate on the basis of race; creed; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; age; religion; marital status; national origin or ancestry; political affiliation; citizenship; lawful immigration status; or mental, physical or medical disability; Veteran status; or liability for service in the United States Armed Forces. 

Applicants of color, immigrants, and other underserved persons are encouraged to apply. 

How to Apply

APPLY ONLINE at bit.ly/Portland-Audubon-Application

Application Deadline: on or before Friday, September 29, 2023 at midnight.

Diversity Statement:

Portland Audubon believes that inspiring all people to love and protect nature is best achieved when we embrace diversity as a value and practice. In the same way an ecosystem needs many types of plants and wildlife, an organization thrives when it includes a diversity of people and perspectives. We recognize that inequities are widespread and create gaps between our present reality and our aspirations. Audubon is committed to:

• Reflecting the diversity of the community in our board, staff, volunteers, and members.
• Ensuring our internal culture, business practices, and programs are welcoming and advance our diversity goals.
• Empowering people to make positive changes in their community and environment.

Portland Audubon is nearing the end of a five-year strategic plan. A core priority moving forward is to infuse equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) into all of the goals and work of the organization. This position will play an important role in achieving the organization’s EID goals through engagement with staff, board members, donors, volunteers and the public. We recognize that in order to serve diverse communities we must also have diversity represented in our staff.