The Deputy Regional Director, Latin America serves as the deputy to the Vice President, Latin America Region (LAR) providing scope to the VP/RMD to carry out the fundraising and representational parts of his work by; 1) managing the region’s strategically important conservation program geographies (Brazil, Southern Andes, Northern Andes & S. Central America, and Mexico & N. Central America) to create distinct, country-specific market strategies that translate regional and global conservation strategies to in-country project implementation; 2) coordinating the region’s finance and operations functions; and 3) representing the VP/RMD and at times being called upon to serve in his/her place. S/he serves on the LAR Leadership Team to help shape the strategic direction and vision for the region and works collaboratively with others to identify and develop initiatives that will effectively and successfully drive implementation of conservation strategies on the ground within the region’s respective program geographies and projects. To this end, the Deputy leads the team of core country/geography leaders to develop the market conditions for successful conservation implementation, collaborates with global strategy leads to integrate Shared Conservation (SCA) Priorities in-country, and makes go/no-go decisions on what strategies have the necessary country-level conditions for implementation.
The Deputy is also responsible for coordinating the region’s finance and operations functions, leading it towards a decentralized, country-level model of decision-making while at the same time creating country-program development plans to ensure funding and management is fully strategic to support the SCA and Once Conservancy. To do this s/he works with an inter-disciplinary team of professionals who provide technical leadership and support in a broad range of functional areas and conservation activities, in some cases directly, and in other cases indirectly managing their work. The Regional Director will collaborate with, and at times participate, on TNC-wide taskforces and working groups and be responsible for a variety of other important but less regular activities, such as: raising funds for broad initiatives or projects, leading efforts on proposal writing, donor cultivation and solicitation, and collaborating with other staff, as appropriate, on major funding initiatives.
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING:
- Cultivates the creative ideas of others to develop potential solutions to complex problems.
- Designs, implements and directs complex and diverse projects, encompassing multiple programs and coordinating the work of other professionals inside and outside the organization.
- Highly diversified work involves participation in the formulation and evaluation of broad policies and/or long-term programs, or making decisions, which typically have broad organizational impact.
- Direct major program of strategic importance to the Conservancy through management of multi-disciplinary teams.
- Negotiates complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING:
- Decisions may bind the organization financially or legally.
- Maximum opportunity to act independently.
- Errors in judgement could have wide scope and lasting effect.
- Decisions may affect organization’s public image.
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT – FINANCIAL AND SUPERVISORY:
- Broad management and leadership responsibility. Recruit, retain and manage high quality and effective multidisciplinary professional staff, with responsibility for performance management, training and career development.
- Overall responsibility for finance and operations of the region, including setting financial goals, analyzing results and taking corrective action.
- Overall responsibility for ensuring programs comply with TNC policies and external (donor, USG grant) requirements.
- May commit significant financial resources of the Conservancy.
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:
- Communicates professionally with a wide variety of people of different cultures for the purpose of developing, negotiating and/or implementing programs.
- Identify, cultivate and solicit major donors in support of program activities.
- Superb communications and presentation skills; ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC and regional programs and priorities to diverse groups, including donors, board members, partners and TNC domestic audiences.
- Commands attention, can change tactics midstream, and manage group processes during presentations or discussions.
- Effectively directs and/or participates in complex negotiations.
- Leverages constructive and effective relationships inside and outside the Conservancy.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:
- Willing to travel 25 – 35% of time, as needed.
- Work requires only minor physical exertion and/or physical strain. Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements.
- Ability to live in Argentina and/or LAR core country over time.
- 5 years senior level experience in international conservation field, or equivalent combination.
- Experience in leading and managing a large multi-disciplinary team, including managing senior level leaders.
- Experience in conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives from global to local levels
- Experience in financial and budget management
- Experience communicating with and presenting to diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.
- Experience in fundraising, including identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors.
- Fluency in English and in a predominant language of the Region if other than English
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:
- Ability to motivate, lead, set objectives and manage performance of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Ability to foster an environment of creativity and professional growth in a complex, multi-cultural environment.
- Excellent contacts throughout the region.
- Working knowledge of current and evolving trends in relevant disciplines.
- Extensive experience in global trends and geopolitical considerations shaping the region (e.g., multilateral investments, Chinese infrastructure investments, commodities supply chains)
- Familiarity with the political/cultural environment of the country (ies) in the relevant global programs.
- Experience working, living, and traveling globally in multiple countries and regions
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
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.