The NASCA Fresh Water Coordinator manages the Fresh Water Strategy for NASCA Conservation Program, covering ongoing and new projects in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.
S/He is responsible for the overall planning and implementation of a comprehensive Fresh Water strategy to significantly contribute to water security in cities through direct actions, policy transformation, business collaboration, private and public investment, communications and technology. S/He will promote innovative financial mechanism, Water Funds, to improve collective action aiming for water security. S/He will apply state of the art methodologies, such as Desired State for Water Funds, to secure high-quality results in feasibility, design, creation, operation and consolidation phases of Water Funds to achieve success in Water Funds expected impacts.
S/he will work under the supervision of the Deputy Director of NASCA and in close coordination with NASCA´s Executive team (composed by NASCA´s Director, Operating Unit Director, Deputy Director, Science, Finance and Operations, Revenue, Legal, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications). S/he will also work in close collaboration with LAR Fresh Water Operation Unit.
The NASCA Fresh Water Coordinator positions TNC through different channels as the best ally to propose solutions to improve water security. S/He defines long-term conservation strategies, builds and develops technical, strategic and scientific capacity to ensure the success of the Water Funds, promote strategic partnerships with public and private organizations seeking to identify opportunities to scale up fresh water protection and negotiates complex and innovative solutions with government institutions and other relevant actors. The Fresh Water Coordinator supports NASCA through the following functions:
- Supervises and manages multi-disciplinary professional and administrative and staff working towards the achievement of the Fresh Water Strategy impact and performance indicators in selected geographies in NASCA.
- Supports NASCA executive team in developing key partnerships with public & private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices for the Fresh Water Strategy.
- Assumes direct responsibility for the achievement of the Fresh Water strategy impact and performance indicators and ensures compliance with the goals outlined in NASCA yearly planning process
- Manages the Fresh Water Strategy budget in close collaboration with the Finance and Operator manager of NASCA
- Leads the NASCA Fresh Water Team follow up and keep the team informed about NASCA executive team guidelines
- Works in coordination with the executive team in strategic planning, including the preparation of reports that TNC requires to present internally and externally
- Promotes, establishes and maintains links with other national projects and international programs to achieve the conservation objectives of the Fresh Water in NASCA
- Build strategic partnerships with other Conservation Programs and Operational Units within TNC.
- Identifies and minimizes risks for the execution of projects.
- Builds relationships with key stakeholders such as institutions, cooperation agencies, private businesses, multilateral banks and other relevant actors to enable compliance with the goals in each of the phases of the Water Funds
- Look for new project opportunities aligned with the objectives of the Fresh Water Strategy
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
Strategic Planning
- Prepares the annual strategy planning with the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy team and updates annual work plans and budgets.
- Structures key impact and key performance indicators for NASCA Fresh Water Strategy in close collaboration with the science team and the Deputy Director of NASCA. Provides input for the Lands Regional and Global Units related strategies. Ensures alignment of NASCA Fresh Water Strategy, indicators with LAR and LACC key indicators.
- Structures the revenue plan and revenue strategy for NASCA Fresh Water Strategy in close collaboration with the Deputy Director and the Finance and Operations and Revenue teams of NASCA
- Ensures coherence and alignment amongst projects and the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy key indicators during project design and implementation for this strategy.
- Builds synergies between the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy and other conservation strategies in NASCA such as the Lands Strategy and the Infrastructure Strategy to ensure optimization of resources and high-level conservation results.
- Makes strategic use of global and regional capabilities at TNC to strengthen the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy
Financial Sustainability
- Makes recommendations for modifications to the projects’ budgets and, where appropriate, submit proposals for budget revisions to the Finance and Operations and Deputy Director
- Supports, as required, the NASCA revenue team in the fundraising strategy to secure financing for the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy. This includes development of proposals.
- Assume direct responsibility for managing the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy budget by ensuring:
- Project funds are disbursed properly;
- Expenditure is in accordance with the work plans and donor agreements;
- Annual budget, proposal budgets and financial reports are developed and worked in close coordination with the finance department
- Work together with the Revenue Team in the implementation of the Revenue Strategy to ensure financial sustainability of the strategy;
- Financial procedures/regulations are properly applied in the projects;
Fresh Water Strategy Implementation
- Ensures that all projects activities are carried out following the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy´s indicators and budget for achieving the desired outputs.
- Provides overall technical guidance and supervision of all projects’ activities.
- Facilitate projects’ decisions amongst the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy team members.
- Monitor the progress of the projects carried out by experts, consultants, subcontractors and partners.
- Promotes and maintains links with other national projects and national and international programs.
- Coordinates and participates with the Deputy Director in monitoring and evaluation exercises and audits to evaluate the success and implementation of the Strategy and implements the necessary modifications to the strategy.
- Ensure that the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy´s projects use best practices and experiences to achieve impact and performance indicators.
- Organize workshops, consultations or meetings required for the design and implementation of the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy.
Administrative
- S/he will be responsible for performance management, training and career development of her team.
- S/he will draft TORs for key inputs of the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy and submit these to the Deputy Director for clearance and approval.
- Organizes the recruitment of consultants, other agencies and experts for the projects, including preparation of TORs for all technical assistance needed and supervise their work.
- With respect to co-implementing partners and external project implementing agencies/ sub-contractors:
- Ensure that these agencies mobilize and deliver the outputs in accordance with their letters of agreement or contracts, and
- Provide overall supervision and/or coordination of their work to ensure the production of the expected outputs in coordination with the Deputy Director.
Reporting
- Regularly reports to and keeps the NASCA´s Deputy Director up-to-date on progress and implementation issues of the NASCA Fresh Water Strategy.
- Organizes, prepares and submits reports at least once every quarter and annual reports, as required by TNC and donors.
- Prepares and attend annual review meetings/reports.
- Ensures that all information is available in a timely manner for the CP on CP’s activities within the SFSS, including activities of private and public sector that impact the projects.
- Prepares NASCA Fresh Water Strategy progress reports and organizes review meetings and evaluation missions, in coordination with the Deputy Director.
- Ensures the timely submission of work plans, reports, outputs and other deliverables to NASCA management team for review and evaluation, as appropriate
Marketing and Communications
- Supports the development of educational materials, promotional and marketing in relation to projects objectives, accomplishments and other topics relevant to the projects.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Knowledge in water conservation practices and integrated resources management
- Experience working with a wide range of people, corporate executives and government officials.
- Experience negotiating complex agreements.
- Supervisory experience of at least 5 years with groups of more than 6 people.
- Experience in building practical relationships with stakeholders from public and private sector
- Ability to design, implement and manage multiple and complex projects, establish and meet deadlines to ensure program responsibility.
- Experience in developing and managing multiple projects and timelines.
- Experience working with computers, including database management.
- Oral and written communication skills in Spanish
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- University degree in environmental sciences, natural resource management, integrated water resources management or related fields.
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong team building skills
- Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Ability and willingness to travel frequently and on short notice, sometimes on weekends.
- Resolves complex problems independently with minimal supervision.
- Gains cooperation from outside parties to accomplish program goals.
- Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.
- Under minimal supervision, makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and judgment.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Preferably post-graduate degree
- Familiarity with donor funded development projects is an asset.
- Substantial experience in leading teams.
- Supervisory experience of at least 6 people.
- Excellent working level of English language in listening, writing and speaking.
- Knowledge of current trends and strategies in conservation and fresh water protection.
- Knowledge of fresh water management conservation practices and conservation science.
- Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.