Community Engagement Director

Responsibilities

• Serve on VLT’s senior leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Develop and implement an integrated Community Engagement strategy encompassing communications, education, events, partnerships, and public outreach.
• Establish goals and performance measures, evaluate results, and adapt strategies to strengthen community reach and organizational impact.
• Support the Executive Director and leadership team on public messaging, reputation management, and strategic communications.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, and accountable team culture.
• Develop regionwide engagement strategies that strengthen relationships with diverse communities and expand outreach to historically underserved and underrepresented audiences.
• Build strategic partnerships with community organizations, businesses, schools, public agencies, tribal communities, civic organizations, and conservation partners.
• Partner with the Conservation Director to facilitate, support, and expand VLT’s ecological literacy and engagement programs, public offerings, and communications.
• Facilitate and develop compelling stories that highlight VLT’s conservation, stewardship, and public access work, educational programs, volunteers, donors, partnerships, and community impact.
• Partner with Ventura Wild leadership staff to facilitate, guide, and support Ventura Wild and Nature by Design environmental education programs.

Requirements

• Passion for Ventura Land Trust’s mission and a commitment to science-based conservation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Nonprofit Management, Environmental Studies, Education, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, environmental storytelling, community engagement, nonprofit leadership, and/or related disciplines.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing staff.
• Commitment to work in a dynamic team environment with robust professional exchange, feedback, and collaboration.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills, with experience managing brand, reputation, community connection, and media relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to build authentic relationships across diverse communities and stakeholder groups.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities.
• Experience managing budgets, consultants, contracts, and vendors.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva, Salesforce or comparable CRM systems, website CMS platforms, and project management software.

Preferred

• Experience with land trusts, conservation organizations, and/or environmental nonprofits.
• A background in science-based conservation work and/or ecological storytelling.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing compelling ecological connection building and integrated communications.
• Familiarity with Ventura County communities, public agencies, and conservation issues.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.
• Experience with environmental youth and adult education and/or nature-based public programming.
• Experience with creative media like photography, videography, and/or graphic design.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, bereavement leave, and jury duty leave.
• Hybrid work environment with flexible scheduling.
• Employee-contributed 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Dog-friendly office for well-mannered pups.