About the Center for Large Landscape Conservation
CLLC’s mission is to safeguard nature’s resilience by reducing habitat fragmentation, promoting connectivity-centered land management, and mitigating barriers to wildlife movement, with the goal of reconnecting large landscapes worldwide.
Nearly 20 years ago, CLLC’s visionary founder, Gary Tabor, created a critical new component of field conservation – connectivity science. He then established CLLC in order to have a dedicated organization focused on advancing ecological connectivity for climate resilience worldwide.
CLLC has been a leading voice at the forefront of connectivity science, all while growing its team, impact, and thought leadership. At this critical moment, both for the organization and for the fragile environments CLLC seeks to protect, there is a unique opportunity for its next leader to seize the moment and continue to build on CLLC’s strong vision in its next stage of development.
Connectivity:
Our planet’s ecological health depends on the seamless functioning of interconnected natural processes operating on a broad scale.
Wildlife undertake tremendous migrations to seek food and habitat – and, as climate patterns shift, wildlife are increasingly ranging into new areas in search of resources. This crisis is exacerbated by the rapid fragmentation of Earth’s landscapes by human-created barriers that obstruct wildlife movement.
Conservation biologists agree that one of the most effective strategies for protecting biodiversity in a changing climate is to ensure habitat is protected and connected at the landscape scale. Working at the intersection of science, policy, and implementation, CLLC has sparked a generational shift in conservation approaches that focus on connectivity – and puts our planet on the path to healing in our lifetime.
As human populations expand, the construction of roads and other barriers to wildlife movement are expected to double within the next 25 years – a 2016 study found that roughly 20% of the earth’s land surface is transected by roads, leaving the remaining 80% sliced into more than 600,000 parcels. As populations expand, and climate conditions continue to shift, wildlife are in a race against time to find suitable habitat as their native ranges degrade. The CLLC team, board, supporters, and global partners are rising to the challenge to respond to these shifts with increased pace, scope, and impact.
Programs:
CLLC drives bold, lasting, replicable conservation strategies that address landscape protections at scale. The organization’s work has included transformative conservation initiatives across North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
CLLC’s program areas include:
- Science: Advancing the science of connectivity conservation by generating original research, defining best practices, and serving as a hub for global initiatives.
- Policy: Driving impact at the regional, national, and global levels by educating decision makers, offering expert guidance, and drafting legislation and international resolutions.
- Network-building: Cultivating inclusive, cross-border networks that spark collaboration and promote knowledge-sharing among conservation leaders worldwide.
- On-the-ground projects: Empowering local communities, Tribes, governments, and nonprofits by providing hands-on guidance and technical support to strengthen conservation efforts.
Read more about CLLC’s US connectivity programs here and international programs here.
Core Values:
The CLLC team is guided by the following core values:
- Innovation: CLLC advances a bold new model of conservation that matches the scale of the planetary problems we face. With an ambitious approach that integrates multiple forms of science, policy, and practice, CLLC takes risks to pursue creative solutions.
- Inclusion: CLLC prioritizes building authentic relationships that are rooted in trust and bring together the voices and opinions of all people to improve community resilience and ecological integrity.
- Co-Creation: CLLC celebrates communities in managing and governing their own conservation institutions and resources, and work to support conservation efforts that are locally designed, culturally responsive, and ecologically sound.
- Respect: CLLC honors, learns from, and continually evolves to reflect the values, experiences, and perspectives of CLLC’s staff, partners, and people in the communities in which CLLC works and serves. CLLC cares about the wellbeing of their staff and support their personal and professional lives with flexibility and understanding.
Learn More: Learn more about CLLC at largelandscapes.org. Review the 2024 Annual Report here.
The Opportunity
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation will welcome a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as part of a thoughtfully planned transition from its visionary founder. This moment represents a powerful inflection point for CLLC—a chance to build on an extraordinary legacy while positioning the organization for even greater future impact.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will assume overall strategic and operational responsibility for CLLC’s ~$3.5 million budget and team of 20+ professionals.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing visionary, mission-aligned leadership and shaping a clear, actionable strategy that positions CLLC to maximize its impact in ecological connectivity and large landscape conservation. It
- Lead the continued evolution of CLLC, strengthening its internal systems, processes, and infrastructure, as it continues its successful growth trajectory.
- Building and nurturing its high-performing, mission-driven team, while cultivating a strong and cohesive organizational culture rooted in collaboration and learning.
- Ensuring the continued excellence of CLLC’s programmatic work and aligning it with evolving strategic priorities.
- Serving as the organization’s lead ambassador and fundraiser, cultivating relationships with key philanthropic, governmental, nonprofit, academic, and community stakeholders.
- Overseeing financial strategy and stewardship, including meeting revenue goals and ensuring the sustainable management of resources.
- Providing thought leadership in the field, contributing meaningfully to the advancement of large landscape conservation and connectivity science.
- Partnering effectively with the Board of Directors to shape and execute on strategic priorities.
This is a unique opportunity for a bold, forward-thinking leader to help shape the future of landscape conservation—building on a strong foundation while driving meaningful organizational evolution and growth.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality, and characteristic, the following offers a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:
Organizational Development & Change Management
- Nimble and adaptive leader, skilled at guiding organizations through change and evolution.
- Brings experience in organizational design and executive leadership.
- Skilled at building and maintaining systems that promote efficiency, clarity, and cohesion.
Team Leadership & Culture Building
- Strong manager of people and teams; able to set clear roles, give feedback, delegate effectively, and hold others accountable.
- Demonstrates high emotional intelligence, humility, and active listening skills.
- Committed to supporting, empowering, and developing staff.
- Cultivates a collaborative, inclusive, respectful, and equity-centered culture grounded in trust.
Strategic & Action-Oriented Leadership
- Strategic and aspirational thinker with a systems-level perspective.
- Capable of developing a clear, compelling vision aligned with CLLC’s mission and direction.
- Skilled at translating vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
- Willing to take thoughtful, calculated risks in pursuit of maximizing CLLC’s impact.
- Decisive and goal-oriented; able to set priorities and drive execution.
Fundraising & Relationship Building
- Brings a strong track record of fundraising, including securing unrestricted and large-scale support, and diversifying revenue streams.
- Capable of building authentic relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, foundations, environmentalists, academics, government leaders, and private sector partners.
- Compelling communicator, storyteller, and presenter; able to advocate for connectivity conservation in ways that inspire engagement and action.
Passion for the Mission & Field Credibility
- Humble yet confident; low-ego leader who earns trust and respect.
- Deeply curious and committed to lifelong learning; grounded in the science behind CLLC’s work.
- Present and engaged leader who demonstrates deep commitment to the organization and its people.
- Ideally brings experience and networks at the national and/or international level.
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Location and Travel
CLLC is seeking a Bozeman, Montana-based CEO (including someone excited to relocate to Bozeman) who is eager to join the team at the organization's headquarters and build the culture of the team in person.
Additionally, the successful candidate will be willing and able to do a moderate amount of domestic and international travel (~15-20%).
Compensation and Benefits
Salary for the role is anticipated to range from $190,000-$220,000, commensurate with experience.
CLLC values its employees and offers a benefits package designed to support their well-being and professional growth. Benefits include:
- Health Insurance: CLLC covers 100% of all employees’ health insurance premiums.
- Retirement Savings: A 401(k) retirement plan with a 5% match that is 100% vested immediately.
- Time Off for Work-Life Balance: Paid vacation, personal, and holiday time to recharge and enjoy life outside of work.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Alicia Salerno. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
CLLC works to actively cultivate an inclusive workplace and value the leadership, skills, and perspectives of people from diverse backgrounds. People of color, LGBTQ+ persons, and people from other historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.