VICE PRESIDENT OF SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION

Our Story

Founded as—and still officially named—the San Diego Society of Natural History, our organization traces its roots to an enthusiastic group of amateur naturalists who came together in 1874 to study the unique flora and fauna of our region. Now known as the San Diego Natural History Museum (and affectionately referred to as The Nat), the organization focuses on the natural history and unique biodiversity of our binational region of southern California and the Baja California Peninsula.

The Nat houses more than nine million scientific specimens, a $15M annual budget, 180 employees, and welcomes more than 385,000 people to the Museum each year. We are a regional leader in biodiversity research, conservation, and environmental education. Beyond our Balboa Park home, we engage communities across the region through research, partnerships, and hands-on learning experiences that connect people with nature, and its deep history.

The world we live in is an amazing place. We want everyone to understand it better, enjoy it more, and love it as much as we do, so we’ll all protect it for the future. Because we believe that nature is the biggest exhibition of all.

• Leadership & Culture

As a member of the executive team, the VP of Science and Conservation will report to CEO, Judy Gradwohl, who joined the Museum in July 2016 as the organization’s first woman president and CEO, following more than 30 years at the Smithsonian Institution. Judy’s passion for, and wide range of experience in natural history research, science communication, and museum management has taken the organization to new heights.

Under her leadership, the Museum celebrated its 150th anniversary, completed a successful capital campaign, and developed a new strategic plan to carry the organization into the next 150 years. Our new mission “Conserving nature through science and discovery” underlines the importance of our regional science, research collections, conservation, advocacy, and community engagement, with a goal of conservation of native species and natural habitats in the region.

Role

As head of the newly endowed Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Science and Conservation (JCSC), the VP will join a convivial and dedicated science division of 55 exceptionally talented staff. With an annual budget of $5.2 million, the JCSC works collaboratively to advance scientific understanding and inform conservation efforts throughout our region through research, partnerships, community science, and engagement. With more than 9 million specimens representing Southern and Baja California and collected over the past 150 years, the JCSC safeguards, researches and augments this unparalleled collection. It also has an active program of field research, scientific publications and status reports for land managers, funded through research grants and contracts. In addition to staff, the division hosts students through paid internships and fellowships, and nearly 160 volunteers. Community science also continues to play an active role in our research.

The VP also serves as a strategic organizational leader, helping to shape The Nat’s vision for the next century. Working closely with colleagues across the Museum, this role ensures that science and conservation are integrated into every facet of The Nat’s work--from public engagement to advocacy to collections growth and stewardship to financial sustainability.

This position requires both visionary scientific leadership and organizational acumen, balancing field and specimen-based conservation-relevant research with strategic oversight, financial and business management, and cross-departmental, and Museum-wide collaboration.

Key Focus Areas

The VP will focus in five critical areas:

• Leadership: synthesize and drive JCSC’s mission, research, conservation activities, operations and business strategy. Oversee strategic planning, collections policy, and ensuring the quality and integrity of research. Represent science and conservation and JCSC team members in overall Museum policy discussions.
• Advocacy: serve as an ambassador, spokesperson and subject matter expert for The Nat through panels, public outreach, media interviews, accompanying and leading tours and stewardship events, and through authoring social media, publications, Op-eds and other written products.
• Strategy: participate in developing overall Museum strategy and strategic direction for JCSC research, collection management and conservation. Ensure that JCSC’s work supports Museum goals. Seek out and deepen relationships with collaborative partners to enhance our impact.
• Advancement: support efforts to expand and diversify revenue through grants, contracts, participation in donor stewardship, and other new and innovative sources, including our extremely successful PaleoServices and BioServices departments.
• Management: coach, mentor, and develop the JCSC team, including students and research associates. Champion professional growth, collaboration, and equity, and encourage capacity building within and outside the Museum.

As a key member of the executive team, the VP will have wide latitude to shape this role, guiding both the strategy and operational direction of the division. This includes advancing the priorities listed above, as well as integrating science and conservation across Museum activities, and cultivating the overall culture across the organization. The VP will also oversee The Nat’s business services, our well-established PaleoServices and BioServices departments, with a combined budget of $3.4 M annually.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop, manage and grow the JCSC annual budget, comprised of grant-funded and fee-for-service revenue. Manage the work of the division
• Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador for conservation and science to current and potential partners, the Board of Directors, elected officials, donors, media, and other Museum stakeholders.
• Initiate and review proposals to fund research and conservation, including community science, outreach and capacity building in Southern California and Mexico.
• Participate in the Museum’s overall strategy planning, policy and advocacy activities, priority setting, and budget development.
• Enhance cross-departmental collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing with other departments across the Museum.
• Monitor relevant scientific literature and conservation activities to ensure the Museum remains up to date with current trends and findings in the field. Monitor and support scientific research conducted by JCSC staff and associates.

Background and Qualifications

• Demonstrated executive experience successfully managing scientists and leading a scientific research or science-based conservation department, division, or organization. Ideally, experience includes working with natural history research and collections, and field studies.
• Familiarity with grant management, and ideally scientific contracting or consulting work.
• Strong leadership and business skills with an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to develop strategy, multi-task, motivate, set objectives, and manage the performance of a multi-disciplinary science and conservation staff. Ability to manage complicated budgets and lead a workforce with multiple income streams.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, staff, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including experience with major donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders, and an ability to identify new funding streams.
• Committed to the Museum’s mission, maintaining perspective, professional demeanor, and a sense of humor.
• An advanced degree in natural sciences, biological conservation science or a related field.  A Ph.D. is preferred but not required.
• Spanish-speaking is a plus.

Benefits & Features:

• Salary: $150,000 - $165,000, and eligibility for annual bonuses
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Health, Dependent and Transit.
• Life Insurance for annual salary up to $150,000.
• AD&D and Long-Term Disability.
• 403b with match.
• PTO: 10 paid days off, 10 paid sick days, 15 paid holidays.
• Park employee discounts at stores, coffee carts, and restaurants.
• Free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums and the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
• For more information on The Nat’s benefits please visit: https://www.sdnhm.org/about-us/employment/why-work-here [https://www.sdnhm.org/about-us/employment/why-work-here]

Location

This role will need to work primarily on-site in Balboa Park, but there is some flexibility for remote work when necessary. Because the mission region includes Mexico, travel to the Baja California Peninsula or mainland Mexico will be required.

Ready to apply?

Applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and a short (5 pages or less) writing sample. The search committee will start reviewing applications as they arrive, with a goal of initial interviews by January 12, 2026.