Project Director, Project Finance for Permanence

Office Location:

#Li-Remote

#PDN

The location for this position is flexible within countries where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO and has an already established office. This position is not eligible for relocation or immigration assistance. 

#Open until filled.

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube  or on Glassdoor.  

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:

Join us as we tackle the intertwined global biodiversity and climate crises by delivering durable, representative, effectively managed, and inclusive protections through the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) approach. PFPs enable governments and local communities, in partnership with funders and NGOs, to secure long-term management and financing for networks of conservation areas in the form of a deal with a single closing agreement. Accelerating the deployment and impact of this strategy is an organizational priority to deliver lasting outcomes across our 2030 Conservation Goals for Biodiversity, Climate, and People. The Project Director, Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) supports the development and implementation of a set of PFP projects, such as in the Mongolia PFP and a Great Bear Sea PFP, with matrixed teams over various stages of a project lifecycle that secure durable conservation outcomes.

The Project Director will take the lead on the development and implementation of one or several projects at a time within our portfolio of PFP projects. For assigned projects, they lead the overall project ensuring the successful delivery and closing of those projects in close partnership with country and regional programs and partners. They are the owner of the project, and responsible for developing a transaction acceptable to all parties. They play a key role in establishing and leveraging strong external relationships with government ensuring strong buy-in for the project. They are responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of the project, including the quality, strategic guidance, and integration across all components of a PFP – strategy, scope, conservation planning, community development, governance, finance, and government engagement.

The Project Director will work collaboratively with complex, cross-functional project teams and key stakeholders – notably TNC country and regional teams, Impact Finance and Markets, Development, External Affairs, and the PFP team to ensure the successful closing of PFP transactions. As the project director, they will critically assess project scope and objectives, ensuring all risks and dependencies are addressed in the project plan, and work with the project manager to assemble the project team to deliver successful project results. The Project Director will obtain go/no-go decisions at all project decision points from relevant decision makers and identify and obtain approval for project deliverables from the appropriate staff or teams. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Project Director will monitor and measure project progress, conduct corrective action as necessary, and communicate project status information to all stakeholders.

This position reports to the Global Portfolio Director, Project Finance for Permanence. The location for this position is flexible within countries where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO and has an already established office. This position is not eligible for relocation or immigration assistance.

We’re Looking for You:

The Global Project Finance for Permanence team consists of a dedicated globally dispersed group of experts dedicated to our mission. We’re looking for an individual with a passion for the mission of The Nature Conservancy – to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends – and who will enhance our ability to reach our 2030 goals.

We are looking for an experienced project director who is comfortable working at both a global and local level on large and complicated processes and projects within a matrixed organization, ideally with familiarity and experience across biological realms and extensive conservation experience.

Key responsibilities and scope:

• In close partnership with the in-country and global teams, advances a clear and maintains an integrated PFP project vision and scope.
• Be ultimately responsible for the Project’s quality and content, ensuring the project results in the desired conservation outcomes.
• Ensure government commitment to and active participation in the project.
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external partners. Serves as the primary Global PFP counterpart to the country program and other members the Global Protect Business Unit.
• Leads several cross-functional and matrixed teams to foster and maintain team cohesion and strong communication channels.
• Makes independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, ambiguous information, experience and judgment.
• Develop and review interim and final deliverables, support project teams in delivering work products at the required standard and in managing dependencies between projects.
• Keeps the leadership group informed of progress and updates, identifies obstacles and potential delays, proposes adaptive action and decisions required, ensures effective communication between the leadership group and project teams.
• Support efficient decision making at key decision points, working with relevant decision makers and the appropriate staff or teams.
• Assess project progress and risks, conduct corrective action as necessary, and resolve or proactively escalate challenges as needed.
• Perform issue resolution, negotiate trade-offs, manage conflicts, and collaboratively solve complex problems.
• They may advise TNC communications, marketing, and philanthropy staff on issues related to priority projects and related issues.
• Will be required to work across multiple time zones which may include working outside normal working hours.
• Requires willingness and ability to travel up to 50% both domestically and internationally, and to work occasional weekends and evenings.

What You’ll Bring:

• BA/BS degree and 7 years’ experience in conservation practice or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience directing a major complex program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines.
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and government agencies. Able to influence and work productively with these stakeholders.
• Experience writing and editing promotional and informational material.
• Experience presenting to and/or communicating with government or legislative staff, community or business leaders, program leadership and/or similar audiences
• Experience negotiating complex agreements, ideally with governments.
• Experience with financial management of very large programs and bringing these to a successful close.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline and 10 years of experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) (e.g., government relations, biodiversity, climate mitigation, community development).
• Experience developing business plans or major strategy assessments, particularly with deal structuring, and government negotiations.
• Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans with sub national and/or national governments.
• Experience working in a matrix organizational setting.
• Experience with innovative conservation finance and/or conservation trust funds.
• Strong strategic development skills.
• Strong English language communications skills, including ability to communicating clearly via written, oral, and graphical forms, and ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• Fluency in language other than English (e.g. Spanish, Portuguese, French).
• Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental and international affairs.
• Willingness to learn and develop expertise in new conservation strategies, economic drivers, management tools, and global affairs.
• Strong team player who can build relationships and work collaboratively across the organization, including with senior management, and with partners.

What We Bring:

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

Salary Information:

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position is generally within the range of $80,000 – $120,000 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience.