The Director of Corporate Engagement (DCE) - for TNC’s Latin America Region (LAR), identifies, prioritizes, and develops, in partnership with the region’s Conservation Program and Strategy Leads, main partners and LACC (Latin American Conservation Council), significant regional corporate initiatives and partnerships to promote and support The Nature Conservancy’s main conservation strategies and iconic landscapes in Latin America to contribute towards our 2030 conservation targets, the sustainable development goals, and Convention on Biological Diversity. This position will be based in Mexico, Brazil and/or Colombia, and will dedicate 70% of the time to support the Business Unit and 30% the Region implementation.
This position is part of the Market Transformation HUB, a team that will support mature strategies and iconic landscapes to reach a scale that matters by 2030. Focused on our market-based solutions (like water funds and green growth compacts, among others), the team will catalyze strategic changes in public policy, corporate stewardship, innovative finance, technology and innovation, and marketing and communications for scalability and impact. This position will lead and build a team to effectively activate the corporate sector for transformational change. In partnership with the LACC, the HUB creates a network will of new partners that will complement our capabilities using a system change approach and allow TNC to bring more financial resources and innovation to our solutions and places. We will monitor progress towards our 2030 goals, the sustainable development goals and Convention on Biological Diversity, using an impact and levers dashboard.
Strategic leadership:
- S/he leads, designs and implements the Corporate Engagement lever in the Market Transformation HUB in support of the conservation strategies and iconic landscapes. S/he will have a strong background and experience working in the private sector, with technical skills in monitoring and reporting on environmental, social and financial indicators. S/he has experience on how corporations’ function and how nature can be effectively mainstreamed in their financial and operational decisions. S/he will work with science, finance and conservation teams to crystalize the value proposition by company, if necessary, and economic sector, making the business case on why to invest in nature. S/he sets the agenda and, through leadership or participation in task-related teams, supervises and cultivates the Corporate pipeline in the Market Transformation HUB to ensure deployment of TNC staff and services for engagement support to deliver on priority targets in LAR’s Key Performance Indicators to demonstrate annual progress and big wins for conservation.
Team leadership and operational effectiveness:
- S/he owns the Market Transformation Corporate Dashboard for Latin America and will partner with the Director of Development Operations and Director of Conservation Strategies to ensure its progress and reporting. S/he monitors and assesses the need for dedicated corporate engagement support in the region and will coordinate and hold annual capacity-building and planning events with corporate and policy staff. S/he will need to prioritize bringing new funding to build the Corporate Engagement capacity in local Conservation Programs in six priority countries – Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile – as needed, diversifying their angle of knowledge and experience (Ex. standards, value propositions, alliances, corporate innovation/technology).
Transformational partnerships:
- S/he will identify, engage and build a set of projects and long-term partnerships with global/regional entities or corporate leaders that will help advance the corporate engagement agenda in areas such as common standards, reporting, supply chains and coalition development. S/he will be the main center for the interactions of Latin America regional donors and partners, such as WBSC or economic sector associations and key corporate leaders and for relevant regional or international corporate discussions on business and conservation.
Fundraising and external engagement:
- S/he, in close partnership with the Director of Proposal Development and his/her team, will work with Conservation Programs and strategy leads to prioritize key opportunities for corporate donor cultivation and funding. As part of the Market Transformation HUB core leadership team, he/she will make recommendations to the Director of Proposal Development on best donor matches for elements of LAR’s Revenue Strategy with the main objective of ensuring that we achieve (with other Corporate staff, Conservation leads, and Conservation Program staff) our corporate and public funds revenue targets. S/he supports public and corporate (associations and specific key corporate leaders) donor cultivation and funding opportunities across Strategy Leads and Conservation Programs at a Regional Level, aggregating and orchestrating different strategic initiatives as a coordinated corporate donor strategy.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- In close partnership with Conservation Programs and Worldwide Office, develops, coordinates, supports and regularly reports on progress on the corporate agenda for Latin America. S/he owns the Market Transformation HUB Corporate Dashboard.
- Engages and works closely with LACC members and their networks.
- Ensures corporate leverage is well embedded in mature conservation strategies and that they have robust and well documented theories of transformational change linked directly to the Market Transformation Corporate Dashboard.
- Works closely and in coordination with the Director of Public Policy and Government Relations in Latin America on key leaders of industries and government.
- Represents Latin America Region in regional and global corporate initiatives, challenges and opportunities.
- As the regional spokesperson for LAR’s corporate-related efforts, promotes TNC’s Conservation Strategies within centers of corporate development in LAR and Globally, such as among universities, task forces, and significant international forums.
- Helps fundraise and build the corporate staff in the Conservation Programs.
- Supervises one or more Senior Corporate Advisors and may supervise other staff working on corporate funding opportunities in the regional level. Works with Conservation Leads and Conservation Program Directors to develop work plans for corporate work in Latin America. In the first-year places emphasis on water security, smart infrastructure and sustainable foods (including fisheries) and climate as a cross-cutting strategy.
- Identifies and develops agreements and workplans with regional and international organizations that support in-country corporate and conservation work, in accordance with Conservation Program agreement.
- Is a member of the Market Transformation Hub.
- Manages the LAR Regional Corporate budget.
- Requires a significant amount of travel within the relevant geography.
- Fluency in English and Spanish and/or Portuguese.
- Demonstrated experience building strong relationships across an organization and with partners such as corporations, public agencies, donors, and/or volunteers.
- Experience managing and supervising a large multi-disciplinary team and managing a program budget.
- Experience working with current and evolving political, legislative, sustainability, and/or conservation trends on an international, regional, country or sub-national level.
- Experience in directing or participating in complex negotiations and presenting to and communicating with government officials, corporate executives, board members and others.
- Experience designing, implementing and directing multiple and multifaceted projects, setting deadlines and ensuring program accountability.
- Experience communicating complex processes and ideas effectively to a variety of audiences within and outside an organization.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience appreciated.
- Master’s degree preferred
- Experience with corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability, or creating shared value.
- Outstanding analytical and project management capabilities. Demonstrated ability to successfully develop and implement complex projects in an unstructured environment.
- Outstanding written and oral communication, negotiating and organizational skills.
- Independent and self-motivated with the ability to participate effectively in a remote team environment.
- Fundraising experience.
- Management experience including ability to motivate, lead, set objectives, and manage performance of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Expert knowledge of current and evolving political, corporate and conservation trends in Latin America and the world. Preferred candidates will have a regional reputation for leadership in corporate and conservation sectors and can demonstrate existing relationships with a network of relevant corporate leaders.
- Proven track-record of developing and implementing strategic initiatives with demonstrable corporate sustainable wins.
- Ability to lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams with members based in different countries around the region.
- Superb communication, presentation and writing skills; ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups including key legislators and other government officials, corporate executives, major donors, board members and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity
- Works effectively in high-tension situations and maintains composure under pressure. Diffuses high-tension situations comfortably.
- Creates and communicates a compelling vision; practices the Conservancy’s core values.
- Commands attention can change tactics midstream and manage group processes during presentations or discussions.
- Develops constructive and effective working relationships inside and outside the Conservancy.
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.