World Wildlife Fund is hiring an
World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Executive Director, Leadership Development Program for Global Conservation.
Major Function
WWF seeks a founding Executive Director (ED) who will oversee the development and execution of an environmental leadership development program that seeks to cultivate, nurture, and inspire a new generation of global environmental leaders to protect the world’s most vital ecosystems. It aims to provide long-term support, mentorship, camaraderie, and experiential learning for a diverse set of early-to-mid-career promising conservationists.
The role will call on education, conservation, and operations skill sets. A successful candidate is an educator at heart, deeply committed to cultivating talent, building tightly-bonded learning cohorts, and working with curricula related to conservation and leadership. On the operations side, the ED will stand up and manage a global program. Critical skills include collaboration and coordination, judgment and decision making, effective interpersonal and cross-cultural communication, management of dynamic personnel and operations, and scaling from a vision to a highly effective program. The ED will engage directly, and frequently, with the CEO and Leadership Team of WWF-US, in addition to a small group of trusted advisors. The ED also will also play a lead role in identifying and cultivating participants, mentors, and donors. Because this is a global fellowship program, a successful candidate will bring extensive cross-cultural and/or international experience.
Implementing the vision of the leadership development program in coordination with the CEO of WWF - US and WWF leadership. The ED will be responsible for building a high caliber organization that cultivates promising future conservation leaders. The ED will craft, maintain, and periodically update, in conjunction with WWF-US leadership and an advisory board, a dynamic vision of how to best equip young leaders with the capacities they need to create enduring change in their home ecosystems. Key tasks include directing, planning, and implementing policies, objectives, or activities of the program to ensure continuing success and maximal beneficial impact of the program.
Hiring and management of staff for the leadership development program. The ED will oversee the hiring process, in the first quarter of 2023 of additional staff — including an Education Director and an Administrative Coordinator. These roles will subsequently report to the Executive Director.
Building and engaging an effective advisory board. The leadership of the program will seek regular input from an advisory board made up of distinguished conservation practitioners and educators. The ED will oversee quarterly meetings of the board and will demonstrably leverage the board’s wisdom and input constructively, in close collaboration with the CEO.
Recruitment of Fellows. The leadership development program will onboard a new cohort of participants each year, such that the ED will oversee recruitment as an ongoing process. Recruitment duties will include extensive outreach to conservationists and conservation organizations globally, broadcasting the Fellowship and growing its name recognition, seeking nominations, and overseeing the review and acceptance of Fellows' applications. We expect recruitment to begin in the Americas for 2024 and expand geographically thereafter. International travel is likely to be an important component of this element of the job.
Recruitment of Mentors and Experts. In parallel with the recruitment of Fellows, the ED will spearhead the recruitment and retention of a cohort of Mentors and Experts — seasoned conservation practitioners who will guide and advise Fellows during their time on the Fellowship and beyond.
Fundraising and budget management. The ED will direct financial and budget activities to secure funders, fund operations, establish operating metrics and goals, coordinate the development or implementation of budgetary control systems, and build an endowment. The ED will be the primary point of contact for major funders, along with WWF-US CEO, EVP of Development, and senior leadership.
Creation of a vibrant long-term network. The program is designed to be an enduring and dynamic community of global conservation leaders and a hub for cutting-edge conversations around the environment. Once several cohorts of Fellows have passed through the program, the ED will oversee the creation of programming and resources for program alums, including an annual conference, discussion forums, and sector-based affinity groups.
Location
Ideally, a successful candidate would be located in Washington DC. Exceptional candidates based elsewhere will be considered but would be expected to make regular visits to Washington DC.
WWF is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and requires all US-based staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. WWF will consider requests for accommodation from the vaccine requirement based on disability, medical contraindication, sincerely held religious belief, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
To Apply:
As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. WWF values diversity and inclusion and welcomes diverse candidates to apply.