Ocean Innovation Project Advisor

The Ocean Innovation Project Advisor assists in the development and implementation of a key strategy to drive collaboration amount partners to identify and test and adopt new technologies to address key conservation challenges and support progress towards TNC 2030 goals.

**ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS**

The Ocean Innovation Project Advisor supports Global Oceans and regional leadership by managing the Ocean Innovation Challenge to:

- Identify conservation challenges to tackle with new technology and assess key enabling conditions that support successful development of solutions for improved ocean health.
- Drive collaboration among stakeholders, governments, communities, and identified startups to test and adopt solutions.
- Launch and operate a network of purpose-designed pilots to validate technology-led solution pathways that ensure tangible impact and return to conservation.
- Build a portfolio of solutions to be integrated across TNC and partner sites.
- Advance widespread adoption and scaling of suitable technologies to achieve TNC 2030 goals.

They serve as a key liaison and informational contact between the global strategy team and other TNC staff, as well as external partners. They advise TNC communications, marketing and philanthropy staff on issues related to the Ocean Innovation Challenge or other priority projects to ensure that TNC’s internal and external communications accurately reflect the strategy and conservation goals.

**RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE**

Lead the overall design and strategy execution to deliver the workplan and successfully launch the new Global Ocean Innovation Challenge between The Nature Conservancy and key partners (including the Ocean Tech Accelerator, Ocean Exploration, local NGOs and government).

Activities include:
**1. Project Planning & Management**
- Establish project workplans, deliverables, project management structure, clear roles and expectations of TNC (global and field teams) and partners, schedule for donor reporting, metrics, and outcomes.
- Clarify plan and roles needed to articulate and collect relevant project and internal reporting metrics (e.g., conservation metrics, site requirements, donor requirements) and oversee reporting.
- Lead development and management of budget, spend-plan, and identification of fundraising needs to complete project based on agreed roles and activities.
- Oversee execution of project, monitoring and evaluation of program deliverables to ensure outcomes are met and ensuring it is delivered on time and within budget, ensuring that stakeholders are kept informed as appropriate.

**2. Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination**
- Serve as the main point of contact for the project among internal and external project partners.
- Serve as liaison and core node between TNC’s field teams and project technology partners.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key project partners, including project team, investors, industry partners, and government agencies.
- Support in engaging potential new donors to support the Ocean Innovation Partnership and stewardship of existing donors to the partnership.
- Lead effective coordination and engagement with TNC field staff (initial pilot in Indonesia) and project partners to ensure alignment with organizational goals, support field team to secure project staff in region to support project delivery.

**3. Program & Event Execution**
- Support design and execution of key events (e.g., Global Ocean Innovation Challenge workshops) in close coordination with project partners and TNC staff.
- Working closely with TNC field staff and project partners, ensure pilot projects with technology startup companies are applicable in and relevant to local context.

**4. Technical & Strategic Guidance**
- Identify and clearly articulate problem sets the Ocean Innovation Partnership intends to solve.
- Provide conservation guidance and advice to technology partners.
- Communicate business and technology considerations to TNC’s conservation programs and partners.
- Support identification and alignment of pathways to scale pilot to replicate in other regions.

**5. Reporting & Communications**
- Working closely with development team members, lead development and completion of donor reports, donor stewardship, and develop project communications.

**6. Scaling & Learning**
- Develop a strategy for scale and sustainable growth of successful pilots.
- Capture learnings from all pilots.

**MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS**
- Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, international relations, international development, social science, natural science, ecology or related field and at least 5 years related experience, or equivalent combination.
- Experience in research, critical analysis, evaluating information from divergent sources and compiling it into cohesive reports.
- Experience in managing projects with global stakeholders with diverse skills and expertise, with a proven ability to bridge these.
- Experience writin