Job Search Location(s): Arlington, VA, United States, Singapore, Bogota-Colombia, Brussels-Belgium, Nairobi – Kenya, Sao Paulo – Brazil
ID: 1959
Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.
POSITION SUMMARY – This position is open to Arlington, VA, Singapore, Brussels-Belgium, Nairobi-Kenya, Bogota- Colombia, Sao Paulo- Brazil
We seek a VP of Restoration to lead and drive our rapidly growing, global restoration portfolio within our natural climate solutions team.
Our global restoration projects include 29 forest restoration initiatives spread across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Directly and through our partners, CI also implements rangeland restoration in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Lesotho. Across these initiatives, we emphasize scientific, financial, partnership, and other innovations to ensure the greatest impact for human communities and for our global climate.
The newly created position of Vice President, Restoration is a highly visible and strategic role driving our work in restoration science, conservation finance, implementation, policy, corporate engagement, fundraising, and communications.
The Vice President has extensive knowledge of and experience with climate change and restoration of tropical ecosystems, as well as demonstrated experience developing partnerships with the private sector, government, and civil society. They will lead a core team of technical experts that manage and support restoration-related internal programs and external engagements. They ensure compliance with CI policies, program and funding agreements, and local requirements. This position reports to the Senior Vice President of CI’s Center for Natural Climate Solutions.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As a key figure in the organization, the Vice President ensures that global programmatic restoration work plans, outcomes, and overarching objectives are achieved for nature-based solutions to climate change and for nature-positive economies. Responsibilities include strategy development, portfolio oversight and growth, partnerships, and resource mobilization.
- Establish and lead, in coordination and collaboration with CI’s programmatic and field teams, a global vision, strategy, work plan, and metrics for CI’s restoration work.
- Engage CI leadership, CI divisions, and external public and private partners as appropriate. Represent CI as a primary, trusted, and visible voice on a range of restoration issues externally with partners, donors, foundations, and government officials. Drive support for CI’s restoration program and strategy, including through targeted publications, networking, media, public speaking, crafting of restoration and climate messaging, and cultivating and engaging influential institutional partners. Establish, oversee, and support partnerships that accelerate restoration as a global climate solution, drive institutional thought leadership and contribute to the advancement of CI’s expertise and credibility on restoration issues.
- Position CI as a recognized and sought-after subject matter expert in climate change mitigation and adaptation, specifically including initiatives on restoration policy, finance, and implementation. Plan and oversee the delivery of high-quality content (papers, reports, internal documents, op-eds) targeted to advance and influence stakeholder understanding and support.
- Envision, identify, and develop novel high-quality restoration solutions with clear pathways to creating impact at scale.
- Grow and oversee a pipeline of investment-ready restoration projects focusing on sites with high climate mitigation value and co-benefits, identifying and overcoming barriers to scaling and success. Identify, foster the development of, and prioritize CI’s broader global portfolio of actions to advance science, policy, finance, and implementation for restoration.
- Directly supervise the Restoration Program in CI’s Center for Natural Climate Solutions, managing associated staff and budgets, mentoring and inspiring restoration staff, and overseeing recruitment to build and maintain a global team of experts.
- Direct financial and technical resources to programs and geographic areas where they are the most strategic for advancing the restoration strategy. Ensure financial sustainability of the global restoration strategy, supporting fundraising across CI global and regional/field programs via philanthropy, public institutions, private corporations, and markets, in collaboration with CI leadership and development staff.
- Maintain key donor relationships and ensure efficient reporting and compliance with donor and CI policies.
- Support private sector investments in transformative restoration activities while building a corporate understanding of strong programs investing in ecosystem restoration as a climate solution.
- Supervise a team of three staff.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work Location: Arlington, VA preferred. Candidates in the above-mentioned locations will be considered.
- Up to 30% travel time annually.
- Hybrid position. Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.
- For the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, all US-based Conservation International staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandatory vaccine requirement applies to all staff working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site in CI US offices. CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. Requests for reasonable accommodations or exceptions related to medical or religious reasons will be considered. Candidates are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Graduate degree OR equivalent experience in environmental sciences, restoration ecology, climate change, policy, or other relevant fields.
- At least 12 years of experience in restoration-related leadership. Proven leadership skills and success in effectively building, inspiring, mentoring, and engaging diverse teams in a multicultural environment.
- 5 or more years of experience managing teams of professional employees.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects or initiatives involving a broad range of internal and external stakeholders in multicultural contexts. A record of success partnering with, and influencing, key stakeholders and building strong partnerships across public and private sectors and civil society. Demonstrated success in working with a diverse and global organization.
- Deep understanding and working knowledge of ecosystem restoration and climate issues and priorities globally and in tropical contexts in particular, and consistent demonstration of restoration thought leadership in the form of scientific publishing, public communication, coalition building, institutional leadership, or other means.
- Proven track record of partnership, networking, and communications to support the restoration, as well as fundraising for a diverse set of public and private donors.
- Demonstrated success in strategy development, program, and project management of restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation activities.
- Ability to synthesize complex information and make recommendations for decision-makers internally and externally.
- Excellent oral and written skills in English.
- Ability to travel internationally and work in remote locations.
Preferred
- Ability to communicate in Spanish, French, and/or Portuguese.
To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.
See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE
Conservation International is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Vets/Disabled
