The Nature Conservancy drives innovation in conservation by leveraging the multiple benefits nature can provide in addressing global challenges – challenges such as climate change and meeting the resource needs of a burgeoning human population. In California, the Conservancy advances transformative conservation strategies across the marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms, all with an aim of developing models of conservation solutions that can be scaled across and beyond the state. Because market-based approaches are often integral to those strategies, TNC seeks a scientific thought-leader in economics to lead and manage TNC-California’s Conservation Economics and Finance Department, a talented and high-performing team with expertise in economics, conservation finance, market design and impact investing. This team provides technical and transdisciplinary expertise that empowers broader multidisciplinary teams to develop and execute strategies that change markets, policy, practice, and governance related to a range of conservation issues. Core to this work is the identification and quantification of the myriad co-benefits of conservation and revealing opportunities to effect behavior change and conservation outcomes through market interventions. The Director of Conservation Economics and Finance also drives a high-impact research agenda and publishes findings to disseminate insights and advances about incentivizing and systemically securing nature protection by aligning environmental and economic interests. This position reports to the Director of Science in California.
The Director of Conservation Economics and Finance:
- Provides executive and subject-matter leadership in a dynamic, fast-paced organization
- Collaborates with conservation teams advancing strategies in a variety of socio-ecological systems to ensure their efforts are supported with robust analytics, business acumen, and strategic relationships
- Supports strategy development to increase the pace and scale conservation, with an aim of demonstrating innovative market-based approaches that are effective in California and that can be scaled and exported for application elsewhere
- Recruits, manages, and develops a talented, high-performing team of economists and finance professionals
- Cultivates and manages strategic relationships, and serves as a principal contact for academics, industry and business leaders, government agencies, conservation organizations, and foundations
- Publishes in peer-reviewed journals, to disseminate insights and innovations from TNC work and to build TNC’s stature as a thought-leader in market-based approaches to conservation
- In partnership with philanthropy staff, leads in fundraising from public and private sources
- In partnership with marketing staff, utilizes strategic communications to advance conservation goals
- Holds overall responsibility for financial management of the Department, including setting financial goals, analyzing results, and taking corrective actions
- Negotiates complex agreements, often in political environments
- Manages financial, legal, and reputational risks to the organization and leads staff in risk identification, assessment, and management
- Communicates effectively and compellingly in oral, written and graphical forms; is called to speak publicly and to various audiences on a regular basis
- Travels frequently within California and occasionally outside of California, including internationally
- Provides leadership in economics and finance to the organization as a whole through strategic connections with NatureVest, TNC-North America and TNC-Global teams and strategies.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
- Develops, communicates, and drives a compelling vision for the Conservation Economics and Finance Department.
- Leads, manages, and motivates a multi-disciplinary and decentralized team.
- Designs, implements, and directs a portfolio of complex and diverse projects, coordinating the work of other professionals, inside and outside the organization.
- Incorporates cross-disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives, including science, technology, policy, and conservation practice.
- Resolves large-scale complex problems through targeted analysis.
- Makes independent strategic decisions frequently, based on analysis, experience, and context, often with broad organizational impact.
- Represents TNC externally and builds profile for TNC’s work in markets, and cultivates a network of industry and academic leaders.
- Persuasively conveys the mission of TNC to diverse groups including major donors, industry, board members, and media.
- 8 years related experience in the design, execution, and communication of use-inspired economics or conservation practice, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals, and coordinating the work of partners while meeting deadlines.
- Supervisory experience, including motivating, coaching, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
- Experience conducting original research and publishing in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups, resource user, and/or government agencies.
- Experience creating productive university partnerships.
- Experience networking with high-level conservation contacts.
- Experience and prior success in fundraising from both public and private sources, and cultivating and stewarding individual donors.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent negotiation and persuasion skills.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Significant experience in applied economics and conservation finance.
- Experience in designing interventions or incentives and implementing them with demonstrated impacts on the environment.
- Experience implementing valuation techniques to quantify ecosystem service benefits associated with land use, land management, and conservation.
- Understanding of the public policy landscape of conservation in California.
- Experience developing and executing strategies in and for a large NGO.
- Experience in organizational design, organizational behavior or change management.
- Experience developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technology innovations for conservation purposes.
- A strong record of peer-reviewed publications.
- Multi-language skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
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.