Senior Director, Cultural Effectiveness & Strategic Initiatives in Washington, District of Columbia at National Audubon Society
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Job Description
Full time
Requisition ID: JR1155
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Position Summary:
The Senior Director, Cultural Effectiveness & Strategic Initiatives is a senior leader within the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB), reporting to the Vice President, EDIB. This role partners with EDIB leadership and cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Learning & Development/L&D, People & Culture/P&C, Marketing & Communication/M&C) to co-create the strategic direction, operating model, and enterprise integration of EDIB learning, engagement, and strategic programs across Audubon, and is responsible for their effective implementation and execution.
This position leads the design, evolution, and enterprise adoption of key EDIB initiatives, including the Staff Exchange Program, EDIB learning and consulting services, and the integration of employee engagement insights into organizational practices. This includes leveraging cross-functional staff exchanges to identify scalable best practices, strengthen collaboration, and support a more consistent One Audubon experience across the organization. The Senior Director ensures that EDIB programs are not only executed effectively, but embedded into how the organization operates, develops talent, and delivers on its mission.
As a member of the EDIB leadership team, this role provides strategic guidance to senior leaders, shapes enterprise-wide approaches to employee experience and inclusion, and drives alignment across People & Culture, Communications, and business units. The Senior Director is accountable for building scalable systems, strengthening organizational capability, and ensuring consistent, high-impact delivery of EDIB priorities. This role will supervise staff. This role requires a strategic, enterprise-minded leader who can operate at both the systems and execution levels—translating vision into sustained organizational impact.
This position is classified as hybrid, in accordance with Audubon’s “Where We Work” Policy. Hybrid employees are expected to work in an Audubon office every Monday and Tuesday and an additional two days each month of the employee’s choosing. Candidates should be located within commuting distance of one of Audubon’s offices, which include locations in:
Albuquerque, NM; Albany, NY; Anchorage, AK; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Columbia, SC; Fargo, ND; Fort Collins, CO; Lincoln, NE; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Palm Desert, CA; Roseville, MN; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Tallahassee, FL; and Washington, DC.
Compensation:
Salary range based on geo-differentials:
$139,000 - $157,000 / year = Albuquerque, NM; Charleston, SC; Columbia, SC; Fargo, ND; Fort Collins, CO; Lincoln, NE; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Salt Lake City, UT; Tallahassee, FL
$157,000 - $177,000 / year = Albany, NY; Anchorage, AK; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Palm Desert, CA; Roseville, MN; Sacramento, CA; Washington, DC
$174,000 - $196,000 / year = New York, NY; Oakland, CA
Essential Functions:
Enterprise Strategy & Leadership:
Set the strategic direction and long-term roadmap for EDIB learning, engagement, and strategic programs, ensuring alignment with the organization’s overall learning and development strategy, enterprise priorities and the EDIB Blueprint
Serve as a project manager and advisor to the VP, EDIB on matters related to employee experience and engagement
Drive enterprise-wide consistency in EDIB approaches, frameworks, and program delivery across departments and centers
Represent EDIB in cross-functional leadership forums; present to senior leadership and executive teams as needed
Staff Exchange Program (Enterprise Ownership):
Lead the strategic implementation, enterprise integration, and long-term sustainability of Audubon’s Staff Exchange Program as a key talent development, engagement, and organizational effectiveness initiative
Partner with EDIB leadership and key stakeholders (e.g., P&C, L&D, Operations, and business leaders) to establish program governance, selection criteria, success metrics, and scalable operating models aligned to enterprise priorities, employee development, engagement, and retention outcomes
Oversee the design and execution of staff exchanges across departments, regions, and functions, ensuring each exchange includes clearly defined business objectives, measurable outcomes, and documented best practices that can be scaled across the organization
Partner with participating leaders and teams to evaluate exchange outcomes and translate learnings into actionable recommendations, operational improvements, and scalable business processes that support a more consistent “One Audubon” employee and organizational experience
Identify opportunities to standardize successful practices, processes, and approaches across teams and locations to strengthen collaboration, operational effectiveness, and enterprise alignment
Partner with senior leaders and key stakeholders (e.g., P&C, L&D) to embed the program into talent development, leadership development, succession planning, and retention strategies
Evaluate program impact and continuously evolve strategy based on organizational needs, employee feedback, operational outcomes, and enterprise priorities
Learning, Development & Consulting (Operating Model & Scale):
Partner with Learning & Development and enterprise stakeholders to design, implement, and sustain Audubon’s Inclusive Leadership Certificate Program (ILCP) as a core leadership development offering aligned to organizational values, employee engagement, and leadership effectiveness
Lead the annual planning, cohort management, facilitation strategy, and enterprise integration of the Inclusive Leadership Certificate Program, ensuring consistent participant experience, measurable learning outcomes, and alignment to enterprise leadership priorities
Establish and manage an annual ILCP certification cohort model that builds inclusive leadership capability across the organization and supports leadership development, talent pipelines, and organizational culture goals
Evaluate program effectiveness through participant feedback, engagement metrics, and organizational impact measures, and continuously evolve curriculum and delivery strategies based on organizational needs and leading practices
Define and lead the enterprise EDIB learning and consulting strategy, ensuring alignment with People & Culture and organizational priorities
Build and manage a scalable intake and delivery model for EDIB learning and consulting services across the organization
Ensure consistent, high-quality curriculum, facilitation, and consulting practices aligned with enterprise learning and development standards
Scale EDIB learning through tools, frameworks, and self-service resources that increase reach and reduce duplication
Strengthen organizational capability by helping leaders and teams apply EDIB principles in day-to-day work
Employee Engagement (Enterprise Integration):
Coordinate and support organization-wide employee engagement processes, timelines, and action planning efforts across teams and stakeholders
Partner with the VP, EDIB and enterprise stakeholders to help translate engagement findings into actionable organizational priorities and solutions
Support alignment between engagement action planning efforts and broader organizational programs, tools, resources, and business priorities
Coordinate tracking, reporting inputs, and cross-functional communication efforts related to engagement progress, milestones, and outcomes
Program Governance, Measurement & Continuous Improvement:
Establish and maintain metrics, tracking, and reporting processes to assess program effectiveness, adoption, and impact
Support clear documentation, reporting, and communication of EDIB program outcomes and progress to leadership and stakeholders
Identify opportunities to improve systems, streamline delivery, and incorporate leading practices in EDIB, engagement, and organizational development
People Leadership & Team Management:
Lead, coach, and develop direct report(s), ensuring clarity of roles, priorities, and performance expectations
Foster a high-performing, accountable team culture aligned with EDIB values and organizational goals
Ensure team deliverables are executed with quality, timeliness, and alignment to enterprise priorities
Provide direction, coaching, and performance management to ensure high-quality delivery and team effectiveness
Maintain and foster culture of safety
Other job-related duties as assigned
Qualifications and Experience:
10–12+ years of experience in EDIB, organizational development, learning & development, or related field
Demonstrated experience operating at a senior leadership level, influencing strategy and enterprise initiatives
Experience designing and scaling enterprise leadership development, certification, or cohort-based learning programs that drive measurable organizational impact
Ability to translate employee experience insights, data, and best practices into scalable operational improvements and enterprise-wide strategies
Proven ability to design and lead enterprise-wide programs and operating models that drive consistent execution and impact
Experience advising and partnering with senior leaders and executive teams
Strong people leadership experience, including building and developing high-performing teams
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose issues and drive effective solutions with initiative and sound judgment
Strong project management, exceptional judgment, and influencing skills.
Experience implementing and evaluating learning programs, including tracking progress, managing change, and documenting impact
Experience integrating employee engagement data into organizational strategy and action
Ability to lead through influence, navigate complexity, and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders
Exceptional communication, facilitation, and strategic thinking skills
Fluency in Spanish and/or French preferred
Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values
National Audubon Society Competencies: This role will also be accountable to apply and develop the following competencies.
Building Trust: Take actions that give others confidence in your intentions and see you as a truthful and reliable person who follows through on promises and commitments.
Coaching: Guide and develop individuals within the organization, nurturing their professional growth and enhancing performance for the future.
Decision Making: Make decisions based on comparative data and input from various sources, incorporating diverse viewpoints and insights for a holistic understanding.
Leading and Facilitating Change: Be effective in guiding, managing, and supporting organizational or systemic transformations, including considering diverse needs and perspectives.
Strategic Leadership: Demonstrate creative problem-solving skills and articulate strategic vision to help team members and the organization achieve long-term goals.
EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates.
Accessibility Statement
The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at