Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Program Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Program Manager leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of conservation programs that protect wildlife populations and their habitats. This role combines field science, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, grant and budget management, and team leadership to deliver measurable conservation outcomes. The ideal candidate balances rigorous data-driven monitoring with pragmatic program delivery, partnership-building, and strategic fundraising to scale impact.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wildlife Biologist or Field Ecologist with 2–5 years of field monitoring and species survey experience
Conservation Program Coordinator experienced in project administration and stakeholder outreach
Environmental Scientist or Natural Resource Specialist with habitat assessment and permitting background

Advancement To:

Senior Wildlife Program Manager overseeing multiple regional programs
Conservation Director or Director of Wildlife Programs responsible for strategy, fundraising, and organizational partnerships
Natural Resources Division Manager or Head of Conservation Science in a governmental or NGO setting

Lateral Moves:

Habitat Restoration Manager leading large-scale restoration and mitigation projects
Protected Areas or Reserve Manager overseeing land management, enforcement, and community engagement
Natural Resource Policy Analyst focusing on policy and regulatory strategy

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, lead, and refine multi-year wildlife conservation programs that define clear objectives, measurable indicators, and timelines to restore populations and habitats while ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and funder expectations.
Design and manage rigorous species monitoring protocols, including population surveys, telemetry, camera-trapping, acoustic monitoring, and disease surveillance, ensuring data quality, reproducibility, and transparent metadata practices.
Prepare, submit, and manage competitive grant proposals and cooperative agreements; track deliverables, milestones, budgets, and reporting to foundations, federal agencies, and private donors to secure and sustain program funding.
Create and maintain program budgets, control expenditures, forecast financial needs, and implement cost-effective procurement procedures for equipment, contracts, and field operations while ensuring fiscal compliance with funder requirements.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate a multidisciplinary team of biologists, technicians, contractors, and volunteers; recruit talent, set performance objectives, implement professional development plans, and manage conflict resolution.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships with federal, state, and local agencies (e.g., USFWS, state wildlife agencies), Tribal governments, landowners, academic partners, and NGOs to coordinate permitting, shared monitoring, and landscape-scale conservation actions.
Lead environmental permitting and compliance efforts, including Endangered Species Act consultations, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) coordination, habitat conservation plans, and other regulatory submissions to ensure legal and ethical program delivery.
Oversee habitat restoration and management projects—planning, contractor oversight, invasive species control, revegetation, prescribed fire coordination, and post-restoration monitoring—to improve habitat quality and connectivity for target species.
Design and implement adaptive management frameworks that integrate monitoring results, applied research findings, and stakeholder feedback to iteratively refine conservation strategies and maximize ecological outcomes.
Coordinate and manage field logistics and safety protocols, including field safety plans, emergency response procedures, training, and equipment maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operations across remote and challenging field sites.
Develop and enforce data management standards and workflows—database design, QA/QC, data sharing agreements, open data practices, and integration with GIS and remote sensing products to support analysis and reporting.
Conduct and supervise applied ecological research, synthesize findings into technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and management recommendations that inform decision-making and broader conservation practice.
Lead community engagement and outreach strategies—including public presentations, stakeholder workshops, volunteer programs, and environmental education initiatives—to build support for conservation objectives and increase public stewardship.
Negotiate, write, and manage contracts and memoranda of understanding with consultants, universities, contractors, and landowners; oversee scopes of work, deliverable acceptance, invoicing, and contract close-out.
Coordinate GIS mapping and spatial planning efforts to identify priority habitats, migration corridors, and restoration opportunities; apply spatial analyses to guide on-the-ground actions and land-use decision-making.
Develop monitoring and reporting packages for boards, funders, and regulatory agencies that clearly communicate progress, outcomes, lessons learned, and recommended program adjustments using both narrative and quantitative metrics.
Ensure integration of climate adaptation and resilience principles into program design—assessing vulnerability, incorporating habitat connectivity, and prioritizing actions that increase species resilience to changing conditions.
Advocate for conservation priorities through policy engagement, testimony, technical assistance to land-use planners, and the development of policy briefs that translate scientific findings into actionable recommendations.
Lead invasive species detection and eradication campaigns by coordinating detection surveys, applying best management practices, prioritizing sites, and measuring treatment efficacy over time.
Implement volunteer and citizen-science programs that expand monitoring capacity, provide workforce support for restoration, and increase community buy-in while maintaining high data quality and volunteer safety standards.
Manage procurement and inventory of scientific equipment, vehicles, and supplies; develop maintenance schedules and asset-tracking systems to ensure operational readiness and cost control.
Serve as primary point of contact during wildlife emergencies (e.g., disease outbreaks, mass mortality events, oil spills), coordinating rapid assessments, response plans, interagency communications, and post-event monitoring.
Translate technical results into compelling communications—press releases, social media content, funding proposals, and stakeholder briefings—tailored to diverse audiences to build visibility and support for program goals.
Implement equity, inclusion, and Indigenous engagement practices in program planning and partnerships to ensure culturally informed conservation approaches and strengthen long-term stewardship relationships.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc ecological data requests, produce analytical summaries, and provide actionable recommendations to internal stakeholders and partner organizations.
Contribute to the organization’s strategic conservation planning by providing program-level inputs, risk assessments, and feasibility analyses for new initiatives.
Collaborate with fundraising and communications teams to translate scientific outcomes into donor-facing materials, grant narratives, and impact metrics.
Participate in cross-functional planning meetings, help set annual work plans, and support organizational compliance with internal policies and external reporting requirements.
Support volunteer coordination and training activities, maintaining volunteer databases, tracking hours, and recognizing contributions to sustain engagement.
Provide technical assistance and training to partner organizations, community groups, and landowners on best practices for species-friendly land management and monitoring techniques.
Assist in developing internal databases, dashboards, and tools to streamline monitoring, reporting, and decision-support functions across programs.
Participate in professional networks, conferences, and working groups to represent the organization, stay current on science and policy developments, and identify collaboration opportunities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Species monitoring and survey design (protocol development for transects, point counts, camera traps, telemetry, eDNA, and acoustic monitoring)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS, spatial data modeling, habitat suitability mapping)
Quantitative data analysis and statistics (R, Python, Excel advanced functions, occupancy and population modeling)
Grant writing, funder reporting, and budget management for Federal, state, and private grants (proposal development, budget narratives, compliance)
Environmental permitting and regulatory compliance (ESA, NEPA, Clean Water Act, state-level wildlife and wetland regulations)
Project management methodologies (workplan development, milestones, risk registers, contractor management, and procurement)
Habitat restoration techniques and best practices (native plant propagation, invasive species control, erosion control, prescribed fire planning)
Database management and data quality assurance (relational databases, metadata standards, data sharing agreements)
Remote sensing and landscape analysis (satellite imagery interpretation, LiDAR familiarity, change detection)
Field safety, risk assessment, and emergency response planning (OSHA-compliant safety plans, first aid/CPR, field incident reporting)
Contract development and oversight (SOWs, MOU negotiation, deliverable management)
Scientific communication and technical writing (technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, policy briefs)

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and program visioning with the ability to set priorities, mobilize teams, and achieve outcomes
Effective stakeholder engagement and coalition-building across diverse sectors and cultures
Strong written and verbal communication tailored to scientific and non-technical audiences
Problem-solving and adaptive management mindset when confronting uncertain ecological outcomes
Team development and mentorship skills to grow staff capability and retain talent
Time management and the ability to juggle concurrent projects and reporting deadlines
Cultural competency and sensitivity when working with Indigenous communities and local partners
Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills to manage partners, landowners, and contractors
High ethical standards and professional integrity in scientific practice and reporting
Attention to detail in data collection, documentation, and compliance processes

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (or higher) in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, or similar advanced study.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology
Conservation Biology
Ecology
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Science
Environmental Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10 years of progressively responsible experience in wildlife conservation, field monitoring, habitat restoration, or program management.

Preferred:

7+ years leading conservation projects or programs, including demonstrated experience in grant management, regulatory compliance, staff supervision, and partnership development.
Proven track record of securing external funding and delivering measurable conservation outcomes.