WWF’s half-century of conservation success is rooted firmly in science; it informs and underpins everything we do. The scientific rigor we bring to our work is unmatched in the nonprofit conservation sector. Building on this legacy, WWF is recruiting a team of Global Science Leaders to advance the organization’s mission to build a future where people live in harmony with nature.
We are hiring scientists to shape an interdisciplinary research agenda and apply it to accelerate WWF’s goals in Climate & Energy, Food, Forests, Freshwater, Oceans and Wildlife. We seek an interdisciplinary team of science leaders to advance a coordinated effort that will deliver science for tangible conservation results at a speed and scale commensurate with the trends that undermine them. The Leaders will report directly to the WWF Chief Scientist and are key members of WWF’s Network Science Team.
The Forest Scientist (Lead Scientist) will provide scientific leadership for WWF’s Global Forest Practice. The Lead Scientist will be a key partner to the Chief Scientist and the Forest Practice Lead, providing thought leadership, science direction for goal setting, scientific analysis in support of strategy development and the management of internal and external science talent to support the Global Forest team in advancing an ambitious agenda. The Lead Scientist will serve as a member of the WWF Global Science Leadership Team to provide expertise and support for interdisciplinary analyses to advance cross-functional strategies. This is an unparalleled opportunity for a dynamic, strategic thinker who is passionate about WWF's mission and has demonstrated success in leading rigorous scientific research to support issues related to forest conservation.
Position responsibilities include:
- Works with leadership and colleagues to ensure that goals, strategies, and estimation of impact are grounded in, and informed by, the best available science, providing scientific and policy-relevant science expertise and promoting innovative research and synthesis of research
- Conducts and supports colleagues in conducting research in a conservation-relevant science discipline and publishes in high-profile journals for impact and stays abreast of the scientific literature and shares important findings with staff
- Disseminates latest scientific knowledge across the WWF network and externally, and in coordination with knowledge management leads
- Builds and maintains an extensive network of science professionals and partnerships – with key conservation NGOs, government agencies, academics, and other groups – for the purposes of science collaboration, research and to advance WWF’s priorities
- Represents WWF and promotes our conservation goals, activities and scientific thought leadership in conservation
- Leads and supports science and fundraising efforts, in collaboration with science and practice staff, to support the network’s Forest Practice
- Develops, analyzes and manages operating plans and grant budgets
- Travels internationally on a frequent basis to represent WWF at meetings, workshops, conferences, and for the purposes of site visits and/or field-based research
- Broad knowledge and expertise in social, financial, economic and/or legal aspects of deforestation; modeling of causes and dynamics of land use and land cover change associated with forestry, agricultural production, infrastructure and mining;
- Sophisticated understanding of large-scale trends in impacts of deforestation and forest degradation, as well as the major opportunities and threats that must be addressed
- At least 8-12 years’ experience leading collaborative conservation research projects and integrating science into large-scale strategies and program designs
- Demonstrated experience leading and fundraising for major initiatives
- Demonstrated ability to convene and direct high-level scientific capacity to inform forest conservation issues
- Ability to work effectively with individuals across cultures and time zones
- Extraordinary communication skills—written, oral, strategic—in particular, the ability to communicate openly and inclusively in response to diverse points of views; experience leveraging the full range of modern media to realize programmatic goals
- Vision—the ability to think and act on a global scale and identify strategic, focused areas for engagement
- Proven ability in the development and management of strategic partnerships and alliances