Global Director, Global Policy Impact

Position description

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working at WWF could be your opportunity of a lifetime.
All around the world, people are waking up to the deepening crisis of nature loss. A growing realisation that nature is our life-support system. And that nobody will be spared from the impacts of its loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge. Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from HR and finance to advocacy and conservation science. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us create a better future for people and wildlife.
What we do
We are an independent conservation organisation, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.

We are recruiting the role of Global Director, Global Policy Impact for our International Secretariat to help us achieve our ambitious goals, and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.

The Department for Global Policy Impact supports WWF’s mission by leading and coordinating the global policy work in the Network. It seeks to influence and shape priority global conservation policy efforts, linking global, regional, and local policy levels, critical to biodiversity conservation and successful climate regulation. Led by a Global Director, the Policy Impact Department will build on existing WWF resources and work closely with the Network to drive a powerful, focused, strategic WWF policy influencing at the global stage, closely linked to national and regional contexts. 

MAJOR FUNCTIONS
The Global Director, Global Policy Impact is accountable for leading policy advocacy and deal-making at the global level in pursuit of our mission and will work closely with the Director General, other GCD Departments, the Network and in coalitions of external partners. 
Working closely with policy, advocacy, and campaigning specialists from across the WWF Network and in close engagement with policy specialists within WWF’s Practices and Regions, the Global Director of Global Policy Impact is accountable for a department that will predict, track and influence global biodiversity and climate policy agendas, along with the priorities and associated negotiations that take place between countries, corporates, and Civil Society.
The role helps drive prioritization and implementation within national governments by WWF offices, supporting the WWF Network (National and Country offices) in working with their national governments to shape global frameworks and deliver effective national strategies, deal-making and other linked actions for biodiversity and climate.
The Global Director, Global Policy Impact requires a deep understanding of the global policy stage, negotiations processes and tactics, political economy, the levers of change, and the stakeholders who must be won over to make a real difference. The role is tasked with ensuring that the groundwork is done to make this happen. 

Major Duties and responsibilities

1. Takes a proactive influencing and engagement approach, by adopting clear positioning, messaging and tactics around key global policy development that shapes the next big transformations that will deliver on WWF’s mission and Roadmap to 2030.
2. Works closely with the Director General to lead and champion WWF’s advocacy at the Global Policy stage, including at the Heads of State and Senior Government level and at the technical negotiation level. Represents the Director General when needed and necessary.
3. Engages and helps build coalitions with key external partners and stakeholders in pursuit of WWF’s policy advocacy priorities.
4. Accountable for and leads the development of a multi-year policy and advocacy strategy and tactical work plans that help deliver WWF’s Roadmap to 2030 and defines priorities and responsibilities, effectively allocating resources and adapting internal ways of working to support these priorities.
5. Coordinates cross-cutting policy and advocacy work for the WWF network, as defined by the Policy & Advocacy annual/multi-year work plan. Supports National Offices and Country Offices with advocacy tools, assesses gaps in resources and capabilities across the Network that act as barriers to effective policy impact, and ensures that:
   • positions, priorities, objectives and tactics are clear and understood;
   • WWF is appropriately and equitably represented;
   • The groundwork to build relationships and connections with other stakeholders and players is in place;
   • Time and resources are allocated and prioritised to drive successful outcomes.
6. Drives specific flagship policy focus areas directly, in collaboration with others.
7. Drives focus, positioning, alignment and engagement with UN Global Conventions and other key global agreements and forums. Works with the Network to identify priorities, develop positions and standards and coordinates norms for participation in convention meetings and associated advocacy for the improved efficiency of global processes themselves.

Acts as a point of contact between global and national policy development by building strong relationships with key actors in different locations including Regional and Country Policy & Advocacy Directors and their teams, Practice Leaders and Policy Managers, Communication Departments across the Network, and Partnership and Resource Mobilization teams; strengthens cross-functional integration (e.g. with Network communicators) around policy impact.

Required Qualifications 

• University degree in global policy, international relations, politics, development or related studies and 18-20 years of work experience at progressively higher levels of internal and external responsibility
• At least 15 years of proven experience in international global policy and advocacy work.
• Significant proven experience in leading advocacy, negotiation, and deal-making teams.

Policy and Advocacy Skills

• Proven experience in high-level global policy and advocacy
• Well-recognized in the global policy field with direct high-level access and experience in negotiations and advocacy.
• Deep understanding of global geopolitical dynamics and strategic relationships and behaviours, understanding of decision-making at global, regional, and multilateral levels, including the roles of actors, news and domestic and external pressures in decision-making, with a global view across the Global South and North.
• Proven skills in strategic planning, developing tactics, negotiation, and advocacy, including an ability to analyse political dynamics that drive positive results; ability to establish and maintain constructive, strategic, and high-level relationships with external political players and negotiators.
• Deep knowledge of environmental issues and the politics influencing public and private institutions at national and international levels to understand how they interact and influence each other and the public.

• Experience developing and executing innovative and highly leveraged advocacy strategies and policy-led campaigns targeting government leaders and global institutions. Expertise in campaigning techniques, policies, strategies, target audience analysis, structure, and impact
• Strong communication skills; excellent communicator who can deliver WWF messages on the global stage with different media outlets: the ability to communicate complex issues clearly to a wide variety of audiences across diverse channels (online, TV, print, radio, internal, donor, etc.).
• Superlative diplomatic, interpersonal and partnership skills; an ability to work, communicate effectively and build relationships with a broad spectrum of individuals at a high level within a broad range of cultural environments.
• Ability to create multiple knowledge products across various media and platforms (including developing funding proposals at scale), build capacity and manage staff to influence high-level decision-making.
• Fluency in English is essential; French and/or Spanish an asset.
• Knowledge of WWF’s organisational structure, goals, policies, and activities is an advantage.

 
Management and leadership skills

• Exemplary leadership and management skills; proven ability to build and lead a team of highly motivated and well-qualified staff and to foster the integration of diverse, multi-disciplinary actors into focused initiatives addressing clear targets.
• Well-honed radar, ability to see over the horizon and take quick action to take opportunities or mitigate upcoming problems, strong crisis management skills.
• Experience in managing learning, knowledge management, capacity building, strategic planning, and budgeting.

​Value Alignment
Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration

Working Relationships
Internal

• Works directly with the Director General.
• Acts as a point of contact between global policy, regional and national policy specialists, by building strong relationships with key actors in different locations. Builds strong working relationships with:
  • Regional and Country Policy & Campaigns Directors and their teams
  • Practice Leaders and Policy Managers
  • Communications Departments at WWF-I and WWF Network offices
  • Partnership and Resource Mobilization teams
  • Key Network CEOs and Leaders

External: 

• Global institutions, key policy stakeholders and partners, and external agencies
• Global and regional stakeholders at senior executive level in governments, institutions, CSOs, multilateral fora and conventions and other bodies

LOCATION: Flexible in one of WWF Internationals Hubs.

Application instructions

All applications will be managed exclusively by our retained search partner Perrett Laver.

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