Overview
World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Senior Director, Blue Finance.
Major Function
World Wildlife Fund-United States (WWF-US), one of the world’s leading environmental organizations, seeks a Senior Director, Blue Finance to deliver catalytic, innovative, and sustainable financing solutions to address Ocean conservation and climate priorities. WWF has an ambitious agenda regarding the threats impacting our Oceans at both the global and seascape level and requires a leader with expertise in blue finance to develop and lead a team to implement our new blue finance strategy. The Senior Director of Blue Finance will work to rethink the business-as-usual approach by catalyzing the redirection of mainstream finance into sustainable and restorative development pathways and working to design and develop financial solutions that support nature positive seascapes and the communities that depend on them.
The Senior Director will collaborate with the rest of the WWF US Ocean Team, other WWF US Teams, the WWF Network, and other critical stakeholders in finance to identify and develop scalable projects in ways that are environmentally sustainable, climate responsive, and socially equitable. The individual in this role must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment, executing quickly on a range of strategic and transactional responsibilities, as well as thinking critically to add value and solve problems.
Responsibilities
The Senior Director will undertake the following tasks:
- Develop and implement a blue finance strategy that seeks to shift capital away from harmful activities within key blue economy sectors (E.g. fishing, aquaculture, shipping, marine renewables, coastal development) and directs capital towards sustainable blue economy pathways, minimizing value at risk and strengthening environmental, social, and economic resilience.
- Directly engage financial institutions (FIs) – particularly banks, investors and insurance companies – who strongly influence and drive systemic behavior change and work with partners, such as UNEP FI Blue Finance Initiative, to encourage FIs to adopt and implement the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles and Ocean ESG criteria
- Work with partners, both FIs and other market actors to pilot financial products that position ocean ESG issues as core criteria (e.g. corporate bonds or loans; equity funds or insurance products); and continue to work with the network and external actors to put oceans at the heart of the emerging global sustainable finance architecture (e.g. the EU taxonomy, the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures; financial transition planning initiatives).
- Harness WWF’s knowledge of solutions to influence and catalyze how venture capital and angel investors support new blue businesses that fill key market gaps and catalyze change in a direction that is compatible with a climate and nature positive future.
- Develop and implement inclusive, scalable and replicable blue finance concepts, strategies and solutions such as those that pertain to fisheries improvement models; mangrove or other ‘blue forest’ financing models; or other seascape/natural capital priorities.
- Collaborate with WWF Impact, WWF-US Development, Policy and Government Affairs, Private Sector Engagement, Multilateral Finance teams, and the NBS origination teams.
- Serve as WWF US lead for contribution to the targets of and strategic engagement with the WWF Global Ocean Practice Blue Economy ACAI and WWF Blue Futures Initiative.
- Provide direction to WWF senior management in the development of partnerships and financial structuring models that mobilize both private and public capital for interventions that incorporate best practice at a seascape level into sustainable business models.
- Prepare and present detailed and compelling investment documentation for internal and external stakeholders as needed, including pitch decks, financial models and partnership structures.
- Manage direct team of staff needed to develop and implement the WWF US Blue Finance strategy.
Qualifications
- 10+ years demonstrated experience working in environmental, conservation, or development finance or minimum 7 years of engagement in Blue Finance
- Masters in a related field that includes conservation/development or sustainable finance.
- Track record in ideating, developing, and implementing blue/green finance strategies or structures
- Experience in making the case to and engaging financial sector on nature or climate related risks and dependencies
- Familiarity with ocean-related conservation issues and solutions in at least 2/3 ocean relevant sectors
- Deep relationships with key blue finance stakeholders including from multilaterals, impact funds, commercial banks, investors and insurers and critical stakeholders such as UNEP FI or UNPRI.
- Experience managing a team.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present arguments and analysis in a clear and succinct manner to WWF management, partners and funders
- Strong ability to take initiative with research and analysis and produce valuable results in conditions of uncertainty and working independently
- Work and deliver projects independently, proactively and under pressure
- Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams
- Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
- Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
- Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
- Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
- Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.
- Ability to travel, 10 to 15% of the year.
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:
- Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page**, Requisition #22175**
- Due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone
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.