Deputy Director Sustainable Food and Water Job Listing at The Nature Conservancy in United States of America (Job ID JR103087)

Description

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC                                         

The Deputy Director Sustainable Food and Water (Provide Business Unit) under the direction of and working closely with the Provide Global Managing Director, provides strategic and substantive management for the Provide Business Unit (BU) of the Conservancy. They will assist the Global Managing Director with efforts to ensure efficient and effective implementation of Provide strategies to meet 2030 and transformational goals to address the biodiversity and climate crisis. They oversee all aspects of the Provide Team portfolio management processes including strategy reviews, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), equitable conservation and adaptative management processes. They will be responsible for building strong internal partnerships in order to ensure the execution of the Provide strategies globally across multiple programs and business units. They will advance key initiatives needed to scale impact across Provide strategies in such areas as durable funding and financing and will represent TNC with external stakeholders necessary to advance scaling through others and raise the funds necessary to meet our goals.

Working closely with the Global Managing Director and the Associate Deputy for Strategic Operations, the Deputy Director will support team a team culture and operational environment that enhances both impact and a positive working environment.   Duties are outlined below:

Conservation Portfolio Management & Performance: They will oversee the Global Provide strategy portfolio management process and assist the Managing Director to manage the conservation outcomes and performance of the broader team.  They will lead the strategic planning process for the team and work with the Provide Conservation Council to create annual conservation and work plan with outcomes and prioritization that aligns with organizational outcomes. They lead the development of measuring programmatic success and adaptive management to ensure mission advances. They advise on mechanisms to ensure the quality of our outcomes and adherence to our values.  They supervise the MEL Manager, Equitable Conservation Advisor, and Portfolio Management Officer.  They are the point of contact to the Deputies organization wide and the Conservation Team of the CCO. They partner with the Global Managing Director to position the work of the Global Provide Team to build a positive, collaborative, integrated, and disciplined approach to achieve program impact at a scale and pace that matter.

Accelerate Execution: They will strategically build internal relationships that will advance the goals of the Global Provide Team and of the Conservancy. They will work closely with colleagues in the regions, Global Teams including Protect, Tackle Climate Change, Global Communications, Impact Finance and Markets (IFM) and Policy and Public Funding (PPF), and supporting functions to ensure strong engagement and alignment across the Conservancy. Build and leverage relationships with a wide range of people, including senior managers, donors, public and private sector colleagues, and partners. They work with and integrate conservation and business plans with the Global Central Support Team, Provide Director of Operations and Finance Manager on the Provide BU People plan, staffing and workforce planning, budget preparation & management to ensure financial and employee sustainability. They are champions of integrating TNC's Values into all conservation and business strategies and the development of a diverse and inclusive team. 

Fundraising and External Partnerships: Partner with the Global Managing Director and Provide-embedded Director of Development, PPF Public Funding Center and Finance Manager to manage a team approach to fundraising goals, strategy development and the cultivation and solicitation of philanthropic, corporate and public funding opportunities as appropriate. The Deputy Director will attend specifically to the development of new pipeline of public donors to support Provide priority strategies, supporting the Portfolio Management Officer in coordinating strategies and actions with PPF.  Develop broad concepts to position Provide internally and externally for greater salience, influence and funding. Participate in donor meetings when appropriate.

Durable Funding and Innovative Finance:   Working directly with Impact Finance and Markets (IFM) and Public Policy and Funding (PPF), drive an agenda to accelerate the testing and deployment of context sensitive mechanisms that provide durable funding, and/or create financing pathways that support scaling solutions.  A portfolio of solutions should be refined and replicated by building on examples in Provide and elsewhere in TNC, such as policy-based domestic funding reform, blended and concessional finance, sovereign and corporate debt restructuring, blue and green bonds etc.  The Deputy Director will be responsible for creating a prioritized set of opportunities and organizing appropriate teams around these priorities.

Collaborating with the Global Managing Director, and the Associate Deputy for Strategic Operations, they support the development of Provide internal communications to ensure transparency, fluid collaboration, and clarity around decisions. They will be a Point of Contact to the Provide team for cross-TNC internal conservation communications.  They partner with the Director of Communications (embedded for Provide BU) to develop clear, concise, and timely external communication materials that reflect the priorities of the Provide BU to ensure we have a consistent set of key messages that resonate with a variety of audiences and influencers. At times, they may serve as a key spokesperson for the Global Provide Team.

Special Projects: At the discretion of the Global Managing Director, they will develop and/or manage key strategies/projects of the Global Provide team, requiring excellent team management and facilitation skills and an ability to lead and speak on behalf of the Provide Global Managing Director. They will manage these and related staff at the discretion of the Global Managing Director.

• Manage the Global Provide BU Conservation Council on key issues related to Global Provide under the direction of the Global Managing Director and at times, acting on behalf of the Managing Director.

• Serve as a catalyst for adaptive, creative approaches and ideas; encouraging big-thinking and responsible risk taking.

• Conceive, design and manage complex and diversified projects that span Provide and ensure program accountability.

• Conceive and lead new programs/initiatives that will ensure program and organization-wide goals are achieved.

• Private and public fundraising and engagement in developing new pipeline of donors to support Provide BU priorities.

• Direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive projects.

• Work with the Provide Associate Deputy Director for Strategic Operations to integrate HR and Finance and Operations to ensure that programmatic commitments (financial and otherwise), TNC policies and procedures and organizational values are met and managed for ethical compliance.

• Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive and emotionally charged information.

• Make strategic decisions which may have program-wide impact and may bind the organization financially or legally.

• Manage strategic initiatives through collaboration with stakeholders in order to enhance conservation performance in accordance with short and long-term priority objectives.

• Maximize opportunity to act independently and resolve complex issues within program area.

• Minimize legal risk to the Conservancy and ensure legal compliance with applicable country, state and local regulations.

• Responsibility and accountability for meeting strategic goals and objectives.

• Supervise 3 staff with the possibility of additional staff as projects and initiatives emerge

• Travel frequently – up to 30% of time and at times on short notice, including weekends.

• Bachelor's or Graduate degree in business, law or science and 5 years' related experience working at a senior level, or equivalent combination.

• Experience managing, influencing and motivating a multi-disciplinary team and serving as a member of a senior management team.

• Experience conceiving, implementing, and overseeing strategic initiatives.

• Experience in financial and budget management.

• Fundraising experience, including one or more of the following: identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors.

• Experience presenting to diverse internal and external groups such as donors, partners, and internal audiences from different functions

• Experience working across complex organizations and with cross-functional teams across multiple organizational levels

• Experience negotiating complex, high profile or sensitive agreements

• Experience working with diverse groups of staff and partners, both public and private

• Excellent written and verbal fluency in English

• Extensive management experience including ability to motivate, lead, set objectives and manage performance of a multi-disciplinary team at a global, matrixed organization. Ability to foster an environment of creativity and professional growth.

• Knowledge and experience in key areas such as conservation, science, innovative funding mechanisms, fundraising and communications

• Familiarity with the political/cultural environment of the country(ies) in the relevant global programs.

• Ability to support and influence with consistent and clear messages and information; well-organized, self-directed and a relationship builder

• Experience working at a senior level to help identify, evaluate and coordinate high profile, complex work, policies, large and long-term programs with broad organizational impact;

• Experience developing broad funding strategies, including policy-based funding, blended finance and public funding.

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience highly appreciated

• Experience and ability to lead effectively and work strategically in a decentralized and geographically dispersed team.

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position is generally within the range of $167,000-$230,000 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate's qualifications, specific skills, and experience.

The Nature Conservancy's mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We're rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it's career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there's many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant's unique experience. Please apply – we'd love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you'll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into 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 and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We're proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

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.