The Associate Director, Conservation Solutions is a full-time position based at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)’s Center for Global Conservation at the Bronx Zoo. The position will work closely with the Vice President and join a small team in New York to support the rapidly growing Conservation Solutions division within WCS’ Global Conservation Program. The overall function of this division is to strengthen WCS’ cross-cutting capacity to address global drivers that impact WCS field programs across the globe. Four strategic initiatives current address at set of key drivers that transcend any individual site, program or project: Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Markets, Communities, in additional to a fifth foundational initiative focused on Science and Spatial Planning. Each individual initiative is managed by a strategic lead and dedicated staff located outside of New York and globally distributed.
Conservation Solutions achieves its mandate by partnering with the 3,000+ WCS field staff across 60 countries in additional to external organizations to deliver at multiple scales: WCS land/seascapes, country and regional programs, and through global policy, nongovernmental and private sector fora. In addition to delivering targeted technical support for WCS field programs, Conservation Solutions is charged with developing and managing the implementation of a series of global partnerships, including, but not limited to the Science for Nature and People Partnership, Intact Forests, Trillion Trees, Conservation Enterprise Development Program, Collaborative Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Partnership, the WCS/Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Climate Adaptation Fund and the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group.
This position leads Conservation Solutions’ New York based management team and will represent all aspects of the program’s portfolio. The position will require an ability to articulate WCS’s conservation strategy for external audiences, promote our goals and objectives, and establish partnerships and collaborations to further WCS’s conservation mission.
Position Objectives:
· Oversee the program development and administration of the Conservation Solutions program, including initiatives that address climate change mitigation and adaptation, markets, livelihoods, and science and spatial planning.
· Facilitate the integration of Conservation Solutions strategies with the WCS field programs managed by Africa, Asia, Americas and Marine Programs in the New York office and across the institution.
· Develop and lead strategic communications to raise the profile of Conservation Solutions competencies and achievements both within WCS and to targeted external audiences.
Principal Responsibilities:
· Overseeing the program development and administration of the Conservation Solutions programs will require the incumbent to:
o Serve as key representative between strategic leads and NY-based WCS functions, including communications, public relations, development (individual and private foundation fundraising), and program development for both domestic and international government funding sources.
o Actively engage with external entities (especially other non-governmental organizations, corporations, private foundations, individuals) to support the development of partnerships and funding support.
o Work with Development staff in New York and with field staff to prepare and lead proposal processes, approvals and eventual contracting.
o Maintain regular contact with, and coordinate all reporting to, funding sources including federal agencies, private donors, foundations and corporations. Prepare and edit narratives, accounting reports and other summaries.
o Support management of multi-institutional partnerships with external entities that promote WCS’s conservation mission.
o Coordinate with Conservation Solutions strategic leads to support staffing, design, review and implement projects at all levels.
- Ensure that Program activities are on-track with objectives and timelines as proposed in project proposals and documents.
o Actively engage with the program manager and program assistant to ensure that the Conservation Solutions funding and programs are strategically aligned to best support program growth, impact and leverage.
· Facilitating the integration of CSS programs and skills with the WCS field programs will require the incumbent to:
o Understand Conservation Solutions strategies and the specific technical skills that can support WCS field programs. Contribute technical expertise to the advancement of specific projects.
o Communicate regularly and effectively with NY-based staff working with the Asia, Africa, Americas and Marine programs to understand their needs and ways in which cross-divisional collaboration can be enhanced.
o Support the planning and priority-setting of regional programs so as to understand global connections and explore multi-regional conservation ideas.
o Represent priorities and needs of Conservation Solutions programs in Africa, Asia, Americas and the Ocean.
o Develop coalitions of both WCS field staff and those external to the organization to advance and support the work of Conservation Solutions priorities.
· Develop and lead strategic communications designed to raise the profile of WCS’ Conservation Solutions competencies and achievements both within WCS and to targeted external audiences.
o Work internally across WCS to build the brand of Conservation Solutions strategies and how they align with WCS’ mission, demonstrating the impact towards the WCS 2020 goals.
o Work closely with staff to help define priorities that both deliver on conservation outcomes and can be effectively messaged both internally and externally.
o Work closely with communications and development staff to ensure that communications, branding and fundraising are aligned with programmatic priorities.
o Develop targeted external communications, including press-releases, web, social media, op-eds, and other forms of public outreach.
o Manage internal sharing of information, including synthesizing lessons learned from WCS’s and other conservation organizations’ activities.
Qualifications
The applicant will have a minimum of 7 years experience in the field of conservation, environment and/or international development. S/he will have written and spoken on issues related to conservation; be versed and experienced in the development of conservation programs; specific knowledge and experience in climate, markets and livelihoods programs; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; diverse fundraising experience; total fluency in written and spoken English, and preferably skills in other languages. Masters level degree in Environment/Sustainable Development/Policy or similar. The position is based at WCS headquarters in New York City, and includes potential for significant travel.
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