Vice President

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Vice President, Litigation for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans
The candidate will defend nation’s core environmental laws, including our successful defense of the Clean Water Act in the recent Supreme Court case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. Fight fossil fuel infrastructure, including our ongoing work on behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Defend wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including our successful effort to block a Trump-era hunting season for grizzlies and reinstate their Endangered Species Act protections. Dramatically reduce onshore and offshore federal fossil fuel leasing through policy advocacy and litigation, including our successful efforts to overturn the largest offshore lease sale in history in the Gulf of Mexico and to reinstate the Obama-era coal leasing moratorium. Stop destructive mining, including recent precedent-setting litigation against the Rosemont Mine in Arizona. Lead **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s public lands, biodiversity, and oceans strategies by developing advocacy campaigns that deploy all our organizational skillsets: litigation, administrative advocacy, state and federal lobbying, and communications. Public lands strategies seek to reform management of public lands to reflect their value as biodiversity refuges and carbon sinks rather than as properties to be exploited for fossil fuels, minerals, and timber. Biodiversity strategies seek to defend the web of life by protecting priority ecosystems, preserving, and restoring imperiled species, and addressing cross-cutting threats such as pesticide usage and water pollution. Oceans strategies seek to defend ocean wildlife, prevent over-exploitation of fish populations, and stop offshore fossil fuel production. Serve as a member of the Program Leadership Team, which sets the firm's overall programmatic goals and objectives, and allocates resources for achieving them through litigation, policy advocacy, and communications. Work with attorneys across the Litigation department to guide case selection, litigation strategy, and government advocacy so as to maximize our impact. Serve as a media spokesperson on high-profile issues within the Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans portfolio. Cultivate and maintain effective partnerships with clients and allied organizations. Ensure that equity, racial, and social justice considerations inform every aspect of our programmatic work. Supervise 5-7 the firm's Managing Attorneys, as well as other staff as necessary. (the firm's Managing Attorneys lead teams of up to 40 litigation staff that develop and implement litigation and advocacy strategies in a geographic region or programmatic area.) Provide the leadership, coaching, and feedback that they need to succeed. Recruit and evaluate candidates for Managing Attorney and other program positions. Help the firm achieve its goals for staff diversity, workplace equity, and inclusivity. Foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive work environment that improves employee satisfaction, morale, and retention. Build a learning culture in which teams celebrate victories, learn from setbacks, and share experiences to help each other succeed. Participate in all aspects of board relations, including providing updates and supporting the board litigation approval process. In partnership with the firm's Communications team, educate and influence supporters and partners to achieve our programmatic and fundraising objectives. Communicate as appropriate with policymakers through various public media, written materials, and face-to-face communications in order to influence policymaking at a state, local, and/or national level as appropriate. Build the firm's brand and external profile through public speaking, thought leadership, and media relations. Work with the firm's Development staff to identify and cultivate major donors, develop proposals and reports for foundations, and support other fundraising efforts. Communicate with policymakers to influence policy at a state, local, and/or national level. This may include approaches ranging from face-to-face communications to social media campaigns, and from personal outreach to the behind-the-scenes development and coordination of partner-led outreach campaigns. In partnership with the firm's communications team, educate and influence supporters and partners to achieve our programmatic and fundraising objectives. Build the firm's brand and external profile through public speaking, thought leadership, and media relations. Participate in all aspects of board relations, including regular reporting on program work and working with board members who are personally engaged in influencing federal policy. Work with the firm's Development staff to support fundraising efforts. Serve as a member of the firm's Senior Leadership Team, which works with the firm's President and Board of Trustees to set organizational policies and strategy (including financial strategy) and drive organizational change. Work with the firm's General Counsel and her team to ensure compliance with federal lobbying restrictions. Build organizational culture by modeling the firm's values of justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence. J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school. Licensed to practice law wherever located. A minimum of 10 years of legal experience, preferably including substantial litigation experience. A minimum of 5 years of management experience, preferably including executive-level leadership experience. Broad familiarity with environmental law and litigation, with deep expertise in federal laws applicable to public lands, wildlife law, and oceans protection. A track record of success developing and executing campaign strategies that secure change through litigation, policy advocacy, and communications. A network of relevant professional relationships (e.g. relationships with NGOs, government agencies, Indian tribes, and/or grassroots organizations) that can help **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. achieve its goals. Excellent management skills, including the ability to coach leaders, mentor staff, provide effective feedback, lead change in a large organization, and foster communication, collaboration, and mutual respect. Excellent legal writing and analysis skills. Excellent communication skills, preferably including experience as a media spokesperson. Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain partnerships, understand and influence stakeholders, listen to and learn from others, and motivate and inspire co-workers. Passion for the role of the firm's and its mission, including our commitment to furthering racial and social justice through our programmatic agenda. Excellent emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and cultural humility. Comfort with communicating with and through the media and supporters. Awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
Posted on November 9, 2022
Vice President, Litigation for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans

Anchorage • Bozeman • Chicago • Denver • Honolulu • Houston • Juneau • Los Angeles • Miami • New York • Philadelphia • Sacramento • San Francisco • Seattle • Tallahassee • Washington, D.C. • Remote

**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. is the nation’s largest, oldest, and most active public interest environmental law organization. Our team of over 550 staff—including over 190 litigators—wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect public health, address environmental injustice, defend magnificent places and irreplaceable ecosystems, transition our economy to 100% clean energy, and combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, tribes, individuals, and communities to address the environmental crises of our time. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Our Vice President of Litigation for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans (VP) will lead the organization’s public lands, biodiversity, and oceans strategies, and work together with our other Litigation Vice Presidents and Senior Vice President of Programs to coordinate strategy across all twenty of our legal teams. The VP will also supervise our Biodiversity, Oceans, Northern Rockies, and Alaska litigation teams, as well as 1-3 additional litigation teams based on the VP’s location and professional background. As a member of **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Program Leadership and Senior Leadership Teams, the VP will also develop **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s overall communications, lobbying, and administrative advocacy strategies and participate in decisions regarding organizational structure, budget, processes, and policies.

The position will report to **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Senior Vice President for Programs. We prefer candidates who would be based in one of **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s sixteen office locations but will also consider candidates who wish to work remotely.

Experience: A minimum of 10 years of legal experience, preferably including substantial litigation experience. A minimum of 5 years of management experience, preferably including executive-level leadership experience.
More on the organization

For fifty years, **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. has served as the legal backbone of the environmental movement. Our $135M annual budget supports 550 staff, including the nation’s largest team of environmental litigators, as well as state lobbyists, federal lobbyists, and communications professionals. Together, we have achieved a distinguished record of success in litigation and litigation-driven advocacy, as well as in informing and motivating our supporters and the general public. Our public lands, wildlife, and oceans campaigns include recent high-profile efforts to:

Defend our nation’s core environmental laws, including our successful defense of the Clean Water Act in the recent Supreme Court case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund.
Fight fossil fuel infrastructure, including our ongoing work on behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Defend wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including our successful effort to block a Trump-era hunting season for grizzlies and reinstate their Endangered Species Act protections.
Dramatically reduce onshore and offshore federal fossil fuel leasing through policy advocacy and litigation, including our successful efforts to overturn the largest offshore lease sale in history in the Gulf of Mexico and to reinstate the Obama-era coal leasing moratorium.
Stop destructive mining, including recent precedent-setting litigation against the Rosemont Mine in Arizona.

In the course of these campaigns and others, we have represented over 500 different clients, over a third of which focus on conservation and wildlife issues.

**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. has embarked on a transformational effort to diversify its staff, address internal inclusion and equity, and increase attention to racial justice in our programmatic work and in our movement. We are committed to improving who we are, what we do, and how we do it, both internally (by creating an inclusive and equitable workplace) and externally (by fighting for justice through our advocacy work). While numbers don’t tell the whole story, they do illustrate it: 44% of our staff are people of color, 35% of our clients work on environmental justice matters, and nearly a quarter of our clients are community-based organizations.

Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, DC.
Job Responsibilities:

Program and litigation leadership (40%)

Lead **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s public lands, biodiversity, and oceans strategies by developing advocacy campaigns that deploy all our organizational skillsets: litigation, administrative advocacy, state and federal lobbying, and communications.
**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s public lands strategies seek to reform management of public lands to reflect their value as biodiversity refuges and carbon sinks rather than as properties to be exploited for fossil fuels, minerals, and timber.
**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s biodiversity strategies seek to defend the web of life by protecting priority ecosystems, preserving, and restoring imperiled species, and addressing cross-cutting threats such as pesticide usage and water pollution.
**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s oceans strategies seek to defend ocean wildlife, prevent over-exploitation of fish populations, and stop offshore fossil fuel production.
Serve as a member of the Program Leadership Team, which sets **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s overall programmatic goals and objectives, and allocates resources for achieving them through litigation, policy advocacy, and communications.
Work with attorneys across the Litigation department to guide case selection, litigation strategy, and government advocacy so as to maximize our impact.
Serve as a media spokesperson on high-profile issues within the Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans portfolio.
Cultivate and maintain effective partnerships with clients and allied organizations.
Ensure that equity, racial, and social justice considerations inform every aspect of our programmatic work.

Staff management (35%)

Supervise 5-7 **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. Managing Attorneys, as well as other staff as necessary. (**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. Managing Attorneys lead teams of up to 40 litigation staff that develop and implement litigation and advocacy strategies in a geographic region or programmatic area.) Provide the leadership, coaching, and feedback that they need to succeed.
Recruit and evaluate candidates for Managing Attorney and other program positions.
Help **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. achieve its goals for staff diversity, workplace equity, and inclusivity.
Foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive work environment that improves employee satisfaction, morale, and retention.
Build a learning culture in which teams celebrate victories, learn from setbacks, and share experiences to help each other succeed.

External engagement, including board relations, organizational partnerships, policy advocacy, and fundraising (20%)

Participate in all aspects of board relations, including providing updates and supporting the board litigation approval process.
In partnership with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Communications team, educate and influence supporters and partners to achieve our programmatic and fundraising objectives.
Communicate as appropriate with policymakers through various public media, written materials, and face-to-face communications in order to influence policymaking at a state, local, and/or national level as appropriate.
Build **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s brand and external profile through public speaking, thought leadership, and media relations.
Work with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Development staff to identify and cultivate major donors, develop proposals and reports for foundations, and support other fundraising efforts.

External engagement, including policy advocacy, board relations, and fundraising (15%)

Communicate with policymakers to influence policy at a state, local, and/or national level. This may include approaches ranging from face-to-face communications to social media campaigns, and from personal outreach to the behind-the-scenes development and coordination of partner-led outreach campaigns.
In partnership with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s communications team, educate and influence supporters and partners to achieve our programmatic and fundraising objectives.
Build **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s brand and external profile through public speaking, thought leadership, and media relations.
Participate in all aspects of board relations, including regular reporting on program work and working with board members who are personally engaged in influencing federal policy.
Work with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Development staff to support fundraising efforts.

Organizational Leadership (5%)

Serve as a member of **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s Senior Leadership Team, which works with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s President and Board of Trustees to set organizational policies and strategy (including financial strategy) and drive organizational change.
Work with **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s General Counsel and her team to ensure compliance with federal lobbying restrictions.
Build organizational culture by modeling **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***.’s values of justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence.

Candidate Qualifications

Education and requirements:

J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school.
Licensed to practice law wherever located.

Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of legal experience, preferably including substantial litigation experience.
A minimum of 5 years of management experience, preferably including executive-level leadership experience.
Broad familiarity with environmental law and litigation, with deep expertise in federal laws applicable to public lands, wildlife law, and oceans protection.
A track record of success developing and executing campaign strategies that secure change through litigation, policy advocacy, and communications.
A network of relevant professional relationships (e.g. relationships with NGOs, government agencies, Indian tribes, and/or grassroots organizations) that can help **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. achieve its goals.

Skills:

Excellent management skills, including the ability to coach leaders, mentor staff, provide effective feedback, lead change in a large organization, and foster communication, collaboration, and mutual respect.
Excellent legal writing and analysis skills.
Excellent communication skills, preferably including experience as a media spokesperson.
Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain partnerships, understand and influence stakeholders, listen to and learn from others, and motivate and inspire co-workers.

Personal Traits and Attributes:

Passion for the role of **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. and its mission, including our commitment to furthering racial and social justice through our programmatic agenda.
Excellent emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and cultural humility.
Comfort with communicating with and through the media and supporters.
Awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
Ability to contribute to the development and retention of a diverse workforce and an equitable and inclusive workplace and culture.
Willingness to travel as necessary.
A positive attitude, a sense of humor and a willingness to have fun.

Salary and Benefits

We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits. **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity.

Compensation: Salary is based on experience and location.

Salary range in San Francisco, CA, New York, NY: $289,700 - $321,900
Salary range in Sacramento, CA, Seattle, WA, Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Honolulu, HI: $275,300 - $305,900
Salary range in Juneau, AK, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA, Anchorage, AK: $260,800 - $289,800
Salary range in Houston, TX, Tallahassee, FL, Miami, FL, Bozeman, MT: $246,300 - $273,700

To Apply

Interested, qualified applicants should submit an electronic copy of their resume and cover letter to the search consultants listed below:

Resume
One- to two-page cover letter that explains why you are drawn to this position and what prior -experience of yours lends itself to this role.

**MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW***. has retained the services of Russell Reynolds Executive Search. Please submit your resume and expression of interest to the Russell Reynolds Associates team at ****.

Company info

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