Principal Associate, Protecting Australia’s Nature

Application Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026

Please include both a CV/resume and a cover letter to the attention of Human Resources with your application.

Protecting Australia’s Nature

Australia is the only nation on Earth that also spans a continent. Because of its isolation over many millions of years, Australia is one of 17 nations in the world to be considered “megadiverse” because of its exceptional biodiversity. In 2007, Pew began its conservation work in Australia, and as our program matured, we formed partnerships with First Nations communities and local conservation partners to advance place-based protections. Central to our work with First Nations people is ensuring there is equity in the delivery of our conservation objectives and program goals and that we support the growth of Indigenous led conservation.

Pew is a results-oriented organization. In Australia we lead and partner on innovative and collaborative advocacy that has led to the declaration of the world’s largest network of marine parks, the doubling of Outback land protected in Australia’s National Reserve System and securing of more than $1 billion in funding for Indigenous land management. While efforts have expanded Australia’s terrestrial and marine protected areas, the ecological health of Australia’s landscapes is threatened by a range of pressures, including invasive species, habitat loss, overfishing, water extraction, and climate change. Australia’s key environmental indicators continue to decline, including the conservation status of threatened and endemic species. Recently, Pew’s Protecting Australia’s Nature team and our partners have expanded our goals to encompass a continental focus, aiming to extend protection to critical terrestrial, marine, and freshwater systems by drawing on a robust network of influence both federally and in the states where we campaign.

The Environment Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change.

Position Overview

The principal associate, Protecting Australia’s Nature, plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of both Queensland and national protected area campaigns within Pew’s Protecting Australia’s Nature project, including significant involvement in the Protect Beautiful Queensland campaign and the Our Natural Legacy campaign at the national level.

Reporting to the Queensland Manager, Protecting Australia’s Nature (based in Brisbane), the principal associate will have a primary focus on leading outreach to rural and regional stakeholders to build relationships to support campaigns to increase the area of private land in protected areas and improve policy support for landholders undertaking conservation. The principal associate will also contribute to other protected areas campaigns within the project, particularly through First Nations engagement, alongside communications, policy development, and broad stakeholder engagement.

This position is based in Pew’s Brisbane, Queensland, Australia office. This position participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to work from home the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four remote working “flex weeks” per year.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring and compassionate.

• Play a critical role in the delivery of Private Protected Area advocacy across Queensland through strategic landholder, stakeholder, and First Nations engagement.

• Initiate and deliver a program of landholder outreach and engagement providing case studies and champions to strengthen campaigns and increase impact.

• Liaise with the Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) to support and coordinate efforts on the national private protected area initiative under the Our Natural Legacy campaign.

• Support the delivery of the Protect Beautiful Queensland campaign by providing support to First Nations and stakeholders in response to new public policy initiatives.

• Contribute to new evidence-based policy solutions in support of Pew’s Queensland campaign goals.

• Take the lead on various campaign responsibilities with a high degree of independence and autonomy.

• Assist with the development of campaign plans and budgets and manage project expenditure within budget.

• Plan, organize, and implement stakeholder meetings, conferences, and other events.

• Work collaboratively with communication and outreach staff to identify and develop partnership opportunities with external organizations that will inform and advance the project’s goals.

• Represent the project and Pew by organizing, attending, and speaking at in-person and online meetings and conferences, including preparing materials for distribution and making presentations.

• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives.

Requirements

• A clear, effective communication, writing, and presentation style.
• Experience working with Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander Peoples and First Nations communities.
• Experience working with landholders and remote, regional, and rural communities to foster common ground and build conservation support.
• Experience building trust with stakeholders and partners to foster collaboration on aligned goals.
• Willingness to contribute to the development and delivery of advocacy and campaign strategy, actions and tactics.
• Analytical skills and experience synthesizing and summarizing public policy developments and focusing on the essence of an issue.
• Experience working with complex conservation issues and developing sophisticated communications.
• Skill in thinking strategically and creatively, adjusting to changing circumstances, remaining attentive to details, and exercising sound judgment in problem-solving.
• Demonstrated time- and project-management skills, including meeting multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization.
• Aptitude to apply a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to projects and campaigns that require support across the political spectrum.
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental or related fields or equivalent industry experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to conservation supported by six years of relevant experience.
• A valid driver’s license is essential; 4WD experience is desirable.

Key attributes and preferred experience

• Develops and manages productive and collaborative relationships.
• Works effectively with colleagues and leverages a variety of technical systems to advance complex projects to successful completion with measurable results.
• A primary focus on achieving campaign outcomes.
• Skilled at informing and influencing internal and external audiences through written and oral communications.

Travel

This position requires domestic and occasional international travel for work purposes.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Pew is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other protected characteristics.