Senior Director, Blue Climate Program

Location: This position is open to CI Offices in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Description: 

The Senior Director, Blue Climate Program, provides high-level strategic and programmatic leadership to the Conservation International (CI) Blue Climate program within the Center for Oceans and across a highly distributed and networked team at CI. They play a central and visible role in building and maintaining CI’s global leadership in ocean-climate conservation through ensuring the development and delivery of high-impact, high-quality, innovative programs to achieve CI’s vision and goals for ocean – climate solutions for biodiversity and communities including Blue Carbon, Coastal and Ocean Adaptation, Green-Gray Infrastructure, Coastal Resilience and Ocean-Climate policy. 

The Senior Director is an essential member of the leadership team for the CI-wide Blue Climate program. As part of the highly-collaborative Blue Climate leadership team, the Senior Director develops and leads the vision and strategic direction of the program.  The Senior Director is specifically responsible for ensuring alignment, coordination and maximum synergy of a highly-networked, high-performing team that spans multiple divisions and geographies across the institution and requires strong collaboration around resourcing and execution. As such, the role is responsible for senior-level program management; developing and ensuring implementation of flexible and adaptive team management tools; ensuring strong team cohesion; and developing, implementing and supporting program strategies, initiatives, and outcomes that advance CI’s blue climate goals. 

The Senior Director collaborates with staff throughout CI to ensure the blue climate program forms an integral part of achieving organization-wide goals. They continuously represent CI to engage and influence key external stakeholders including government and NGO officials, donors, and other parties that are critical to program success and achieving CI’s Blue Climate and broader ocean goals.  As needed, the Senior Director builds and leverages strategic alliances with NGOs, businesses, or other entities that can further CI’s blue climate and related mission.  

As part of CI’s Blue Climate leadership, the Senior Director, Blue Climate Program, is responsible for fundraising for Blue Climate programs across CI, including maintaining strong relationships with current donors and actively pursuing new sources of funding, in partnership with CI’s development staff. They play a leading role in facilitating communication and ensuring coordination in fundraising including leading, reviewing, and providing input on proposals. They partner with CI programs and external partners to secure program funding for regional and field activities.  

The Senior Director, Blue Climate Program is also a key member of the leadership team within the Center for Oceans and a significant contributor to defining the broader goals and priorities for the Center and CIs Oceans programs. They lead and contribute to Center wide programs and priorities. 

The Senior Director, Blue Climate Program directly manages staff within the Center for Oceans and provides strategic leadership to interdisciplinary networked teams. They are a highly respected team leader who can direct, align and inspire staff from across the institution to achieve the goals of the Blue Climate Program. They are a mentor, collaborator and partner to the blue climate program leads and is the essential connector and integrator for a high performing distributed team. They provide broad programmatic, budget, and technical oversight and ensures program compliance with CI policies, program and funding agreements, and local requirements.