Senior Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region

We're protecting and enhancing America's National Park System for present and future generations.

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the nation's oldest and largest national parks nonprofit advocacy organization. NPCA has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region to lead our Mid-Atlantic Regional Office.

Position Title: Senior Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region Grade: P

Job Status: Full-time         FLSA: Exempt

Department: Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Regional Programs

Location: Washington, DC Metro Area (Hybrid)

Immediate Supervisor: John Adornato, Deputy Vice President, Regional Programs

Supervisor's Supervisor: David Lamfrom, Vice President, Regional Programs

Direct Reports: Mid-Atlantic regional staff and the Northeast Regional Director

Incumbent/Newly Created Position: Incumbent

Salary: $139,000 - $151,000 (based on experience)

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for this role including a four day, 32-hour work week, paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and paid sabbaticals for staff after seven years of service. Learn more about our benefits at npca.org/jobs.

Primary Purpose of the Position: NPCA's Mid-Atlantic Region includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, home to 78 national park units that protect nationally significant natural, cultural and historic resources, from the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River watershed to the National Mall and the Appalachian landscapes, battlefields and waterways that tell America's complex and diverse story.

The Senior Regional Director establishes the vision, goals and strategic direction for national park protection campaigns and advocacy initiatives throughout the Mid-Atlantic, anticipating and addressing key issues affecting the parks and their larger landscapes. The Senior Director is a leader in the region and within NPCA, responsible for setting vision and priorities, and for the guidance, mentorship and empowerment of staff. They serve as a trustworthy expert, who works with the media, shares information, and works with partners and stakeholders in meaningful ways.

The Senior Director also coordinates with the Northeast Regional Director and team, fostering alignment, shared learning and coordinated campaigns across the two regions.

The Senior Director builds and maintains authentic relationships with National Park Service leadership, other federal and state agencies, elected officials at all levels, and conservation, preservation, environmental justice, veterans, business and gateway community partners. Growing a diverse community of effective national park advocates is a crucial objective, with an emphasis on advancing just, equitable and inclusive policies in and around our national parks. The Senior Director collaborates with Development, Foundation, Corporate and Membership colleagues in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding current and new donors, and engages and grows the Regional Leadership Council.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Leadership of Mid-Atlantic Programs and Campaigns (35%)

• Lead the design, implementation and impact reporting of NPCA's Mid-Atlantic national park protection campaigns and programs, building and growing the strategic direction of key campaigns and supporting coalition work.


• Ensure NPCA monitors NPS management activities at individual park units, designs advocacy strategies to address park threats, improves natural, cultural and historic resource protection, and enhances interpretation and the visitor experience across the region.


• Advance significant regional priorities, including securing funding and staffing for park operations; defending park landscapes from harmful development, including energy and data center infrastructure; protecting resources in the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River watersheds; advancing clean air, clean water and climate policies; and interpreting America's complex and diverse history.


• Cultivate relationships with Members of Congress, state and local officials, and NPS leadership to build champions for national parks, and engage the political power of large and diverse communities of advocates.


• Develop benchmarks before launching initiatives and capture stories and results to report on progress and impact to internal and external stakeholders.

Leadership, Mentorship and Management of Staff (25%)

• Lead, mentor, and empower Mid-Atlantic staff to carry out and lead campaigns, with support from regional programs and other departments, ensuring a positive, supportive, productive and team-oriented work environment.


• Foster collaboration, shared campaign strategy and joint learning between the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast teams, including on cross-regional priorities such as the Delaware River watershed.


• Champion professional development for self and staff, and build and manage a diverse and professional team, providing direction and coaching for staff and being willing to receive the same.

Philanthropy (20%)

• In partnership with Development, Foundation Relations, Corporate Partnerships and Executive Office colleagues, identify, cultivate, secure and steward gifts from current and prospective supporters, including major donors, foundations and business partners.


• Draft fundraising proposals and reports and be accountable to grant and donor deliverables and expenditures.


• Participate in major donor initiatives, mid-level donor cultivation and local fundraising events, and contribute to the success of NPCA's signature events in the region.


• Maintain regular contact with and encourage appropriate involvement of Board members, Regional Leadership Council members and other key NPCA leaders in the region.


• Budget, Operations and Administration (10%)


• Prepare and manage the regional budget, track expenses, and ensure adherence to internal administrative and procedural requirements, equipping staff to do their part.


• Provide administrative oversight and direction of the region's grants, contractors and resources, including meeting all deliverables outlined in scopes of work.


• Ensure policies, practices and systems that support a high-performance team.

Support of NPCA Operations, Culture and Brand (10%)

• Play a leadership role in the regional director cohort and actively participate in regional director and organizational calls.


• Working with NPCA's communications team, generate media coverage on park issues and serve as a spokesperson for regional and national priorities.


• Support NPCA teams and our justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts, and support organizational campaigns that speak to the greater good.


• Spend time in the field with staff and partners to listen and learn, building the deep grassroots understanding of the people NPCA works with and the places NPCA works to protect.

Total 100%

Other: Respects employees regardless of their position or background. Participates in developing department goals, objectives and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, quarterly regional planning sessions, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attends external meetings and seminars as necessary to advance regional campaign goals. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position.

Minimum Work Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 32-hour work week; flexible depending on office needs, with some Fridays and weekend and evening work required. Significant regional travel required for meetings, site visits to Mid-Atlantic and Northeast national parks, and events. Occasional out-of-region travel a year for meetings and retreats.

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least eight years of effective leadership in political advocacy, conservation and/or preservation, with experience in cultural resources, American history and/or natural resources a plus; BA or BS degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field, with graduate degree preferred.


• Demonstrated experience structuring and running fast moving and complex programmatic and policy campaigns, and understanding how the political, policy, public and programmatic pieces fit together.


• Substantial knowledge of legislative and administrative policy-making processes and proven ability to influence those processes.


• Experience in productive, positive staff management, including managing senior leaders and dispersed teams.


• Demonstrated experience working effectively on a development team, including effective solicitation of individuals, corporate partners and foundations.


• Proven ability to build respectful, productive relationships with a wide array of people and organizations across political and interest boundaries, and to identify and coalesce communities of support for campaigns.


• Demonstrated oral and written communications skills; clear and concise communication with the media, decision makers and internal audiences.


• Demonstrated entrepreneurial talents, strong goal orientation, and proven ability to manage multiple objectives and tasks concurrently without sacrificing quality or collaboration.


• Mature interpersonal skills, keen emotional intelligence, active listening, timely follow-up and accountability.


• Strong personal commitment to national park system protection, with knowledge of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast parks and historic sites preferred.

Live, honor, and own the organization's Core Values:

Commitment. We are passionate about NPCA and dedicated to achieving excellence through our work and mission. We seek to improve our performance by taking opportunities for professional and personal development and encouraging reasonable risk-taking and innovation.

Inclusion. We value diversity of thought, background, experience, and opinion. We create a culture of empowerment by welcoming and encouraging meaningful participation from all people and promoting an environment that embraces different perspectives.

Integrity. We hold ourselves accountable to each other, our members and partners, and our mission. We evaluate the impact of our work and strive for honesty and transparency across the organization. We operate ethically in the organization's best interests.

Respect. We collaborate in results-oriented teams based on trust and consideration for each other. We promote harmony between our work and our personal lives. We foster a healthy and positive workplace culture and work collaboratively with external partners.

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Typical office setting; cube and/ remote home office.

Employer’s Rights:  NPCA reserves the right to revise this position description at any time.  The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the NPCA and employee and is subject to change by the NPCA as the needs of the NPCA and requirements of the job change. The above is in no way an exhaustive list of the requirements for the position.