Job ID: 53242
Location: All International
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
OFFICE LOCATION
Arlington, Virginia, USA
Location anywhere TNC has an established office. Arlington, VA is our headquarters.
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WHO WE ARE
The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”
WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER
The Global Director, Nature Bonds oversees all aspects of a significant and matrixed ‘One Conservancy’ strategy to secure durable conservation and climate outcomes by structuring and implementing sovereign debt solutions. These approaches generate new funding for conservation and nature-based climate action and enable governments to achieve ambitious conservation and climate policy commitments, such as in the 2021 Blue Bond in Belize. The strategy is an evolution and expansion of TNC’s proven Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation program.
The Global Director, Nature Bonds leads the Nature Bonds strategy and sets overall conservation priorities and objectives. They oversee resource allocation across a highly matrixed and distributed global team with multiple business units. They enable different workstreams across field, external affairs, global strategy, and sustainable debt finance teams to execute across a complicated and dynamic portfolio of projects. They also support key scaling strategies to unlock billions for conservation and nature-based climate action through sovereign debt conversions. They are responsible for the overall delivery, reporting, sustainability, and effectiveness of this critical body of work towards TNC’s 2030 conservation goals.
This position is part of the Global Protect Lands, Waters, and Oceans Business Unit and reports to the Managing Director, Global Protect with oversight from the Nature Bonds Strategy Steering Committee, comprised of executive leadership from the different units that compromise the Nature Bonds strategy at TNC. The position has deep connections with teams across the Conservancy, including our experts from Country Programs and Regional Teams, External Affairs, Impact Finance and Markets, and Climate Change. They work with a management team that represents the various work streams across the strategy to ensure ultimate delivery of long-term, durable conservation outcomes.
The location for this position is flexible within countries where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO and has an already established office. This position is not eligible for relocation or immigration assistance. This position may require frequent travel (~30-50%) and evening and weekend hours.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU
Our Nature Bonds team consists of a dedicated group who are leading the conservation effort on multiple fronts across the globe and who expertly bring strategy and action together. We’re looking for an experienced strategy leader and strong manager with conservation and climate experience who wants to make a difference for nature and people around the world.
- Strategy Lead and Portfolio Management: Lead the integrated Nature Bonds strategy, including setting clear annual and long-term objectives aligned with TNC’s 2030 Goals, work plans, and budgets. Oversee a complicated and dynamic portfolio of prospective and closed projects and allocate resources appropriately to successfully deliver our conservation and nature-based climate outcomes. Oversee the integration of projects and leverage strategies to maximize conservation impact. Identify and resolve internal and external bottlenecks and barriers, mitigate risks, and identify pathways for improving the strategy outcomes. Make decisions at the strategy and portfolio level; elevates issues as necessary to the Steering Committee.
- Team Management: The Nature Bonds team is rapidly growing and highly matrixed, with 40+ staff from different departments, including but not limited to Country Programs and Regional Teams, External Affairs, Impact Finance and Markets, Climate Change, Global Protect, Global Science, and others. A key responsibility of the position will be to drive this transition to the expanded strategy, and larger, integrated team, in a clear and transparent way. The position also directly manages ~4 staff responsible for the overall strategy and portfolio management in coordination with the wider program and works closely with work stream leads that report into other business units. The Director will need to manage and oversee the strategy with both direct and indirect reporting lines; they will act as a leader, facilitator, and mediator to bring together the team under a shared vision and goals.
- Strategy Advocate: Engage key internal and external partners, including cultivating and stewarding donors, NGO and private sector partners, elevating strategic communications, and strengthening external partnerships. Work with experts across the team to establish the Conservancy as a major conservation and financial transaction partner; they may identify, develop, and delegate critical external partnerships. Works with senior and executive leadership to elevate work.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
• BA/BS degree and 15 years’ experience in conservation (or similar field) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience leading a program and managing a team, including supervising multiple staff directly and indirectly; motivating, setting objectives, and managing performance of direct reports.
• Experience designing, implementing, and directing multiple complex conservation initiatives or programs simultaneously across multiple countries, including managing finances, a multidisciplinary team, and coordinating the work of various partners while meeting deadlines.
• Fundraising experience (>$1m USD gifts), including identifying donor prospects, closing significant donor commitments, and donor cultivation.
• Experience negotiating and influencing sovereign government and stakeholders to come to mutually beneficial agreement.
• Experience communicating with and presenting to diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, media, external partners, or equivalent.
• Experience with conservation and/or climate finance.
• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Master’s or higher degree and 15+ years of experience in conservation (or similar field) or equivalent combination, with at least 8 years of senior program leadership and team management experience.
• Experience with matrix management, empowering, and delegating to a large, distributed team with direct and indirect lines of authority; demonstrated experience with motivating teams and individuals and adapting to shifting demands. Possess strong interpersonal skills and political savvy. Must be a team player.
• Experience designing, closing, and/or implementing large scale financing for conservation and/or climate. Experience prioritizing and sequencing a portfolio of high-profile conservation projects.
• Experience with strategic (long-term) and operational (short-term) planning based on measurable goals. Ability to track against plan and proactively adapt.
• Experience with purposeful communication with high-level contacts in government, environment, and finance sectors.
• Experience developing, managing, and stewarding complex partnerships and collaborative initiatives with non-profit partners, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and/or government agencies.
• Experience working in and with low- and lower-middle-income countries.
• Experience developing and implementing conservation policy and plans.
• Experience with start-up organizations and programs, building new teams, and/or scaling up programs.
• Knowledge of politics, economics, rights-based approach, and society with respect to environmental policy and initiatives.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet time sensitive deadlines.
• Strong communication skills; communicates clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other languages, French and/or Spanish highly desirable.
• Experience in linking science, policy, and practice to achieve tangible conservation and policy outcomes in freshwater, terrestrial, and/or marine environments.
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 Tab on 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!
This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.
APPLY NOW
To apply for job ID 53242, submit your cover letter and resume online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.
Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line
