Position Title: Director for Forests & Climate Change, Andes-Amazon-Orinoco
Reports to: Regional Director, Andes-Amazon-Orinoco
Coordinates with: Executive Director, Forests & Climate Change
Location: Flexible within AAO Region
Position Objective:
The Andes-Amazon-Orinoco Director for Forests & Climate Change is responsible for leading the implementation of Forests & Climate Change (FCC) initiatives, programs, and projects in the Andes-Amazon-Orinoco (AAO) region. Priorities include REDD+ programs; high-integrity forest investment initiative pilot projects; FCC policy and governance initiatives; high-integrity peatland protection; support for regional and country program efforts to strengthen the management of conservation areas and indigenous peoples and local communities' land and resource rights.
Organization Background:
The Wildlife Conservation Society (“WCS”) is a New York not-for-profit corporation founded by statute in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society. WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through research, science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. That mission is achieved through our global conservation programs (WCS currently oversees a portfolio of more than 500 conservation projects in 65 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America, and the oceans between them) and through the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks–the Bronx Zoo; the New York Aquarium; and the Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park Zoos (the City Zoos)
Program Overview:
- The overarching goal of WCS’s Forest & Climate Change Program is to help realize the full potential of forests to deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation, along with global and regional biodiversity conservation, through a linked set of programmatic priorities: (1) Protecting Intact forests; (2) Preventing the expansion of deforestation and forest degradation; (3) Reforesting in and around priority landscapes; and (4) Building resilience to the impacts of climate change. We work both globally and in support of WCS field programs, including AAO, to achieve results at scale, using a varied, adaptive set of tools for impact:
- Using science, including spatial planning and monitoring, to identify priorities for action and measure our impact from a global scale down to specific landscapes, enabling more effective adaptive implementation;
- Supporting policy reforms to accelerate the implementation of each priority at national and regional levels, including through governmental, intergovernmental, and private sector initiatives;
- Catalyzing financial investment and innovation to enable effective and durable progress on each priority, and to help key geographies connect with favorable investment opportunities;
- Fostering economic alternatives at local and national levels to support green economic development for each priority in ways that both protect forests and promote human well-being;
- Building capacity within government and local community partners to effectively lead on implementation and delivery of each priority;
- Employing savvy strategic communications to support and amplify all of the above to inform key decision-makers and the constituencies that influence them.
Principal Responsibilities: Working with the AAO Regional Director, the FCC Executive Director, and their respective teams including country programs, and other relevant programs (e.g. Markets, Rights + Communities) the AAO Director for FCC will:
- Develop and refine an FCC strategy for the AAO region, and coordinate its implementation;
- Help build and lead an AAO FCC team;
- Lead working groups to deliver on relevant projects, programs, and initiatives, ensuring activity level work plans are established, followed, and routinely evaluated;
- Identify, prioritize, and pursue promising opportunities to support FCC program goals and strategy in AAO;
- Participate and as appropriate lead in development of successful proposals to fund AAO FCC priorities;
- Provide strategic and operational guidance to relevant regional and country teams on FCC priorities;
- Lead and participate in WCS engagement in relevant regional events and meetings, including development, dissemination, and advocacy of FCC briefings and;
- Develop and maintain productive working relationships with government counterparts, relevant civil society organizations and private sector in prioritized AAO countries;
- Liaise with other NGOs and regional partners working on FCC priorities in AAO;
- Manage, organize and convene events and meetings as required;
- Participate fully as part of AAO and FCC leadership teams.
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Qualification RequirementsJob Qualifications:
- Master’s degree or higher in a field relevant to Forests & Climate Change.
- Superior knowledge of forests and climate change issues in AAO.
- At least ten years, relevant, professional experience with at least five-years’ experience working on forests and climate change agendas.
- Effective management and leadership skills
- Multi-cultural skills and experience working virtually across cultures and time zones
- Ability to collaborate effectively in a complex, global, matrixed organization.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Fluency in English and either Spanish or Portuguese required; fluency in both Spanish Portuguese preferred)
- Commitment to delivering results for large-scale impact
- Successful project and proposal development experience an asset
- Willingness to work flexible hours and travel internationally as needed
WCS is an equal opportunity employer and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
Only short listed candidate will be contacted