Senior Director, Conservation

Roles & Responsibilities

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which include a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there are lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight into TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job.Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “You’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Senior Director, Conservation Finance & Climate Policy leads the conservation & climate finance policy team of the Policy and Public Funding Business Unit, which designs and implements the public finance policy agendas and partnership strategies to support global and regional teams’ strategies. Working with major public institutions, governments, US government agencies that work internationally, multilateral agencies, international NGOs, international public officials, influential individuals and multiple TNC units, the Senior Director will position the Conservancy with international opinion and policy leaders and institutions as a leading organization for global conservation and climate finance policy work.

This includes advocating national and/or global conservation and climate finance policies and programs, cultivating partnerships and launching specific initiatives of importance to the Conservancy’s global, national, divisional and field programs. They work with key Conservancy staff leading programs or projects to provide an understanding of the range of public funding, policy, and/or corporate engagement opportunities and to assist in successfully leveraging those opportunities. They serve as a subject matter expert on conservation & climate finance policy, transformative collaborations, and advise senior management on strategic options for the Conservancy’s involvement in such programs. They also develop and implement national legislative and/or international policy initiatives to advance the Conservancy’s conservation goals through finance policy.

They will work closely with the leadership of Policy and Public Funding, Global priority teams, Executive Leadership Team and Regional Managing Directors and Regional Policy and Public Funding leads to support the development of a globally integrated conservation and climate finance policy agenda focused on the organization’s highest conservation and climate priorities to achieve TNC’s 2030 goals. They will support TNC’s efforts to create transformative new opportunities for TNC and will provide leadership for increased collaboration between TNC and international organizations in the conservation and climate finance policy realm.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

· Lead the Conservation and Climate Finance Policy Team of the Policy and Public Funding Business Unit.

· Provide advice to Ministries of Finance and related government organizations on the public and private financing policy options for conservation and climate finance options available to governments to implement nature and climate finance policies.

· Provide thought leadership support and analysis to TNC teams to ensure long term sustainable financing for conservation and finance policies at a national scale is increasingly available to governments in the countries TNC operates.

· Contribute to the design of feasible and effective financing strategies for major country programs and projects such as TNC’s Nature Bonds and Project Financing for Permanence from a public finance perspective.

· Strengthen TNC’s international strategic alliances and partnerships with governments, multilateral institutions, international NGOs

· Stay abreast of global developments related to conservation and climate finance and provide thought leadership on how they should influence TNC’s international priorities and strategies.

· Serve as a leading external spokesperson for TNC and lead TNC delegations at international events, meetings and forums to advance conservation and climate finance policy.

· Manage staff with responsibility for overall unit and individual performance management, training, and career development.

· Establish clear directions and set stretch objectives for staff.

· Serve as a member of the Policy and Public Funding Management Team and Policy Leadership Team.

· Build effective working relationships with peer TNC leadership personnel to integrate policy considerations into conservation and climate efforts across the organization.

· Ensure staff compliance with policies and procedures, including all lobbying, contractual and legal regulations and standards.

· Develop and administer departmental budget and operating within budget guidelines to ensure sound financial performance, exercising authority to modify budget based on changing circumstances.

· Ensure that sufficient public and private funds are raised to meet program needs by working with Philanthropy and other Policy and Public Funding staff in the cultivation and direct solicitation of donors (private, bilateral and multilateral government) to meet fundraising goals.

· Represent the organization and their operational team’s strategic interests in interactions with national and international agencies, legislative bodies, corporations, and bilateral and multilateral financial institutions and treaty bodies to promote our conservation policies.

· Collaborate with the Managing Director of Public Funding to help secure increased, sustainable public funding from global donor/lending institutions and foreign governments to support TNC’s conservation goals outside the United States.

· Advance global strategies on biodiversity and climate finance.

We’re Looking for You:

The challenges facing our planet today require comprehensive solutions that address the well-being of people and nature and lay the foundation for future conservation efforts. Promoting policies that provide benefits to both people and nature is critical to securing lasting conservation outcomes. The work and expertise of The Nature Conservancy’s Policy and Public Funding programs are integral to this effort. The Policy and Public Funding business unit is helping to shape the government policies that help make possible achievement of transformative conservation outcomes to address climate change, enhance the protection of lands, waters, and the ocean, and provide food and water sustainably. We have an awesome task at hand, and the work that you do here will have a direct impact on our success.

We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably, and helping make cities more sustainable. To implement these priorities, we collaborate actively in a non-confrontational manner with public sector agencies, NGOs, academia, business, and the finance sector.

What You’ll Bring:

· Bachelor’s degree in economics, public finance or a related field and 10 years of related senior-level experience.

· Experience with public finance, particularly as it relates to conservation and climate finance in multiple countries.

· Comprehensive experience advising multiple governments on the development and implementation of conservation and climate finance strategies.

· Experience with fundraising, including private donors, foundations multilateral agencies, bilateral agencies and corporations.

· Experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives, preferably linked to conservation, climate or sustainable finance.

· Experience managing and supervising a large multi-disciplinary team and managing a program budget.

· Experience working with current and evolving political, legislative, corporate, and conservation trends on a national, regional, and/or international level.

· Experience in directing or participating in complex negotiations and presenting to and communicating with government officials, corporate executives, board members and others.

· Experience designing, implementing and directing multiple and multifaceted projects, setting deadlines and ensuring program accountability.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Strong understanding of, and preferably experience with, Public Expenditure Reviews highly desirable.

· Master’s degree appreciated; PhD preferred.

· International experience living and working in multiple countries, and preferably multiple regions, for a minimum of five years.

· Senior management experience including ability to motivate, lead, set objective and manage the performance of multi-disciplinary teams.

· Proven communication and presentation skills. Experience communicating with and presenting to diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.

· Experience in budget management.

· Ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups including key public policy decision-makers and other government officials, corporate executives, major donors, board members and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity.

· Works effectively in high-tension situations and maintains composure under pressure. Diffuses high-tension situations comfortably.

· Creates and communicates a compelling vision.

· Commands attention can change tactics midstream and manage group processes during presentations or discussions.

· Demonstrated ability to develop constructive and effective working relationships inside and outside the organization.

What We Bring:

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tabon nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ

Tell employers what skills you have

International Organizations
Budget Management
Public Policy
Fundraising
Public Finance
Public Sector
Philanthropy
Climate
Conservation Issues
Directing
NGOs

---