Senior Officer, Conservation and Financial Planning, Enduring Earth (PFP – Project Finance for Permanence)

The Environment Portfolio

For more than 25 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment.

Pew has worked in the United States and Canada since 1990 to protect vast stretches of wilderness and more recently expanded our land conservation efforts to Australia’s Outback and Chilean Patagonia. Safeguarding these places offers an opportunity to conserve wildlife habitat, shorelines, and landscapes for current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems.

Enduring Earth

Enduring Earth is an unprecedented collaboration between Pew, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and ZOMALAB, the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton. Enduring Earth works alongside nations and communities to accelerate conservation worldwide, to help address the climate and biodiversity crises and support community economic development and well-being. Enduring Earth seeks to protect and conserve our planet’s ocean, lands, and freshwater – and secure long-term financing for conservation, economic diversification, and community prosperity. This is built on a commitment to uphold the rights of people and create opportunities for sustainable growth.

The Enduring Earth initiative is built around the innovative Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) conservation finance mechanism. A PFP is a financial model that brings together governments, Indigenous peoples and local communities, funders, and other partners to secure long-term conservation, full and sustained funding, and community benefits. Through this approach, protected places stay protected because they are collaboratively designed, locally-led, nationally supported, sustainably funded, and highly accountable.

The Enduring Earth partnership aims to complete 20 PFPs by 2030, leveraging unprecedented conservation and community development outcomes. Pew is currently advancing five PFPs and is seeking a senior officer to support the program.

Position Overview

The senior officer, conservation and financial planning will join a dynamic team that aims to accelerate the development and execution of PFPs in a diversity of geographies. The senior officer will report to the Project Director, Enduring Earth and work closely with field teams, and other departments to develop robust long-term financial models for PFPs to ensure durability and financial resiliency of conservation and community development projects. Each PFP requires a suite of key milestones, including: a science-based conservation and community development plan; a detailed financial model for achieving this plan; and sustainable financing mechanisms. This position will focus on developing financial models for achieving conservation and community development plans, while supporting the overall PFP planning efforts.

The position is located in Washington, DC, and will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will have flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the project’s related goals.
• Work with a range of stakeholders and conduct research to collect, clarify, and analyze financial and other data relevant to the financing of PFPs.
• Work with partners to develop detailed long-term financial models, including: anticipated costs; mapping of costs to funding sources and timing; projections of returns for conservation trust funds and related investments; and cash flows.
• Work with partners to develop various financial scenarios based on relevant information, such as PFP activity scope, macroeconomic factors, implementation period duration, funding contribution schedules, and costs.
• Work with partners to cost out long-term financing, post PFP-implementation phase, incorporating assumptions such as inflation, cash flow and other factors.
• Ensure financial models include analyses of pertinent risks, such foreign currency risk, sovereign risk, and market risk. Financial models will be designed to analyze funding sensitivities to the various types of risk.
• Train PFP teams as needed in financial planning and modeling.
• Support PFP teams by developing materials that can be used to communicate about the financial model with key partners, including governments, NGOs and Indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Work with partners to develop the conservation and community development plan, including goals, strategies, activities, and assumptions, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans, and ensure the financial model is pegged to the plan.
• Travel to project sites as needed and support multi-stakeholder consultation workshops to develop detailed conservation and financial plans.
• Collaborate with finance professionals from across various organizations on the development, design, and implementation of priority initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required in a finance or conservation-related field.
• Generally 10 years of applicable experience is required, of which, at least 2 years of experience in financial modeling.
• Proficient in program budget development, including data collection and analysis.
• Advanced in Microsoft Excel.
• Detail-oriented with excellent quantitative, analytical, oral, and written communication skills.
• Must be client-focused and enjoy problem solving and working with diverse teams across different time zones.
• Some experience working with developing countries preferred.
• Experience working with field teams.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint and research.
• High degree of flexibility, and ability to work against deadlines (including some nights and weekends), and under frequently changing circumstances.
• Effectively interacts with individuals working in different roles and countries; capable of guiding team members, including working with a high degree of cultural sensitivity.

Travel
Travel, including internationally, may be required for this position.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.