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Deputy Director, Last Wild Places

This job is no longer available

Washington, DC, USA
Full-time

The National Geographic Society is an impact-driven global nonprofit organization that pushes the boundaries of exploration to further our understanding of our planet and empower us all to generate solutions for a more sustainable future. For 130 years, we’ve funded groundbreaking scientists and explorers and shared their findings with the world. We sponsored Hiram Bingham as he brought back stories from Machu Picchu, documented Robert Ballard’s quest to find the Titanic, and supported Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzee behavior.

Last Wild Places is one of National Geographic Society’s six strategic initiatives and envisions a world with intact large wilderness that contain the bulk of biodiversity on our planet, are resilient to climate change and help us to mitigate it, and continue to provide for humanity. Our goal is to preserve the world’s last wild places and this includes not only preserving areas that are intact, but also ‘rewilding’ areas that may have suffered some human impacts.

We’re searching for a highly qualified Chief of Staff to work closely with the Executive Director (ED) and core team of Last Wild Places. The Chief of Staff will be responsible for (1) serving as strategic advisor and counsel to ED, (2) assuming day-to-day responsibility for the initiative, and (3) creating and maintaining cross-departmental relationships to enable initiative success. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in a leadership and management role, with a special focus on executive-level advising, and interdepartmental, inter-institutional, and international collaboration.

Objectives of this role:

  • Oversee strategic projects from development through successful execution under the guidance of senior LWP team
  • Assist and communicate with ED in decision-making, program management, and initiative implementation
  • Review, design, and execute on improvements to organizational structure, find knowledge and skills gaps and help address them
  • Improve current processes and coordinate organizational procedures for optimized efficiency and productivity
Areas of Responsibility: 

Project Management of Last Wild Places Initiative (50%)

  • Work with the ED to assess and develop new projects and partnerships. Working with the Sr. Director of Operations, ensure projects are being designed to meet organizational objectives, identifying clear measures of success and timelines for deliverables.  
  • Provide technical input in the development of multi-year program plans and budgets, including work plans with Last Wild Places partners.
  • Working with the Sr. Director of Operations, responsible for the technical execution of programs and budgets across divisions and to meet outputs, outcomes and impacts within stated timeframes.
  • Work with the Sr. Director of Operations to develop and maintain a project logic model to inform project workplan.
  • Maintain repository of project information/resources for team members to access and update as needed.

Direct support of the ED (25%)

  • Setting strategic priorities: Helping the ED identify the areas where he must direct his focus and identifying metrics for success. Revisiting regularly and evaluating progress.
  • Helping to managing ED’s time: working with Sr Director of Operations and Director of Public Affairs, looking at long-term travel calendar, evaluating opportunities and determining fit with priorities.
  • Meeting preparation and follow up: reviewing upcoming meetings to ensure the ED has all of the information needed to be as productive as possible and sending out agendas or documents to meeting attendees as necessary.
  • Reviewing internal and external communications together with the Director of Public Affairs, and Marketing & Engagement manager.
  • Monitoring information flow, ensuring efficient involvement of ED in a project or decision-making process.
  • Represent the Last Wild Places program internally and externally in place of the ED, when appropriate.
  • Stay abreast of trends and competitors in relevant fields, contributing strategic and tactical recommendations for setting programmatic direction.

Internal and External Coordination and Communication (20%)

  • Identify, cultivate and maintain productive, ongoing relationships with high-impact communities and partners.
  • Oversee efforts to increase awareness of program and associated outcomes. Identify key opportunities for amplifying the program objectives.
  • Regularly track and report on progress, indicators, and impact for the project. Communicate relevant information across the organization.

Representation and Relationship Management (5%)

  • Support other departments and teams for external partnership relationship management (sponsors, partners, media, etc.).
  • Build and develop relationships with all employees for increased efficiency and effective responsiveness into existing operations, and help to define new operational strategies, working with ED and LWP management on special projects
Educational Background: 
Bachelor’s Degree. Master’s degree in Business Administration or similar field preferred.
Skills/Experience: 
  • 7+ years in a business or executive management role, preferably in an international organization
  • Proven experience organizing and directing multiple teams and department
  • Excellent communicator in written and verbal form
  • Extremely versatile, dedicated to efficient productivity
  • Experience planning and leading strategic initiatives
  • Poised and able to remain calm and productive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
  • Proven success in an international organization coordination role
  • Nimble business mind with a focus on developing creative solutions
  • Extensive experience dealing with political, business and thought leaders
  • Fluent in a least two foreign languages

Organization Info

National Geographic Society

Overview
Headquarters: 
Washington, DC, United States
Founded: 
1938
About Us
Mission: 

The National Geographic Society was founded in 1888 with a mission to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge." As one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet.

Listing Stats

Post Date: 
Nov 12 2018
Active Until: 
Dec 12 2018
Hiring Organization: 
National Geographic Society
industry: 
Nonprofit