Jobs, Career Resources, and Leadership in Conservation
I curate high-impact career and leadership resources for people working in conservation, environment, and sustainability fields, from those just starting out to senior leaders thinking about influence, mentorship, and legacy.
This page draws on nearly two decades of my work across nonprofits, academia, multi-sector partnerships, and science-policy spaces. It is not just about jobs; it is about how people move through systems of power, funding, and decision-making to create real impact.
The resources below are designed to help you think strategically about your next chapter and to be an agent of positive change.
A note for senior leaders: If you are in a position of influence, please consider sharing these resources with your networks. Access to information and opportunity is uneven, and those of us with platforms and connections can help open doors.
This page draws on nearly two decades of my work across nonprofits, academia, multi-sector partnerships, and science-policy spaces. It is not just about jobs; it is about how people move through systems of power, funding, and decision-making to create real impact.
The resources below are designed to help you think strategically about your next chapter and to be an agent of positive change.
A note for senior leaders: If you are in a position of influence, please consider sharing these resources with your networks. Access to information and opportunity is uneven, and those of us with platforms and connections can help open doors.
Resources I curate
I share jobs, funding opportunities, and career insights on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Follow me there to stay up to date.
I created a large, curated list of scholarships, fellowships, and funding opportunities that support people across career stages, from emerging professionals to established leaders exploring new directions or mentoring others.
I created a large, curated list of scholarships, fellowships, and funding opportunities that support people across career stages, from emerging professionals to established leaders exploring new directions or mentoring others.
Interviews and profiles about my career and leadership
These interviews and profiles reflect how I think about leadership, advocacy, and career evolution.
- Exploring Career Opportunities in Ecology 8 (starts at 35m50s), Ecological Society of America
- Telling It Like It Is, Nature Conservancy of Canada
- Learning from a Leader in Conservation, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
- Episode 41: Aerin Jacob, PhD, Conservation Scientist, Best of the WWEST Podcast
- Trade talk: Habitat helper, Nature
- Meet a Wilburforce Fellow: Dr. Aerin Jacob, COMPASS Science Communication
Papers about conservation careers
These papers provide insight into how conservation careers actually work.
Early-career focus:
Early-career focus:
- Blickley et al. 2013. "Graduate student's guide to necessary skills for nonacademic conservation careers". Conservation Biology.
- Chapman et al. 2015. "Being relevant: Practical guidance for early career researchers interested in solving conservation problems". Global Ecology and Conservation.
- Lucas et al. 2017. "A view of the global conservation job market and how to succeed in it". Conservation Biology.
- Muir & Schwartz. 2009."Academic research training for a nonacademic workplace: A case study of graduate student alumni who work in conservation". Conservation Biology.
- Smol. 2016. "Some advice to early career scientists: Personal perspectives on surviving in a complex world". Ideas in Ecology and Evolution.
- Zavaleta et al. 2017."Expanding career pathways in conservation science". Conservation Biology.
- Gewin. 2005. "Save the world and keep a career." Nature.
- Goodrich et al. 2020. "Who are boundary spanners and how can we support them in making knowledge more actionable in sustainability fields?" Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.
- Hatch et al. 2022. "Boundary spanners: a critical role for enduring collaborations between Indigenous communities and mainstream scientists". Ecology & Society.
Resource centres, interviews, and blog posts
These are practical, field-tested resources for building skills, networks, and confidence at different career stages.
- Green Careers Centre, including guides on networking, mentorship, and skills
- Building community: How to support BIPOC in green careers, Starfish Canada
- Exploring Ecological Careers series, Ecological Society of America
- Interviews with conservationists from around the world, National Geographic
- Getting a Job in Wildlife Biology, Stephanie Manka
- Field Research in Ecology and Evolution Diversified (Ontario, Canada)
- So you want to save the world, Mark Tercek
- Resources for Black ecologists. British Ecological Society
Job boards
These sources consistently post paid, substantive roles across career stages:
Canada
Canada
- Canadian Black Scientists Network
- Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (mostly academic)
- Eco Canada
- Good Work Canada
- Green Careers Centre
- Facebook groups: Canada-wide, Prairies, Ontario, Maritimes
- Policy Jobs TO (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area)
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science
- WorkCabin
- Conservation Job Board (mostly USA)
- ECOLOG listserv (mostly USA)
- Land Trust Alliance (USA)
- Society for Conservation Biology (mostly USA)
- Environment Jobs (UK)
- Texas A&M Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (mostly USA)
- Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (mostly western Canada and USA)
- CPAWS Yukon is a leader in transparency
Compensation transparency
I advocate for salary transparency because it improves equity, respects applicants’ time, and strengthens applicant pools.
These resources support informed decision-making:
These resources support informed decision-making:
- Moms at Work's Pay Transparency Toolkit
- Why Show the Salary
- Hiring through a JEDI Lens by CPAWS National, with more from CPAWS Yukon
- Annual salary surveys (view and contribute anonymously)
- CPAWS Yukon is a leader in transparency
How I Approach Careers and Change
I view careers as part of a larger system where individual choices matter, but structures, cultures, and power dynamics also shape outcomes. My work helps people align evidence and values, move from expertise to influence, and support others while sustaining themselves.
Whether you are exploring your own next step or looking for ways to mentor, sponsor, or open doors for others, I hope these curated resources help you act with clarity and purpose.
Because of limited time and a strong commitment to equity, I prioritize one-to-one conversations, advice, and mentorship for people who self-identify as coming from under-represented groups, including BIPOC, queer and trans people, first-generation scholars, and immigrants. If that describes you, you are welcome to reach out through my contact page.
Whether you are exploring your own next step or looking for ways to mentor, sponsor, or open doors for others, I hope these curated resources help you act with clarity and purpose.
Because of limited time and a strong commitment to equity, I prioritize one-to-one conversations, advice, and mentorship for people who self-identify as coming from under-represented groups, including BIPOC, queer and trans people, first-generation scholars, and immigrants. If that describes you, you are welcome to reach out through my contact page.
