Senior Director, Conservation Impact - WWF International
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 devastating impacts of climate change and nature loss. The situation today is worse than the darkest predictions of just ten years ago, pushing billions of people to the edge and threatening lives and livelihoods. At WWF, we are facing our biggest crisis – and our biggest ever opportunity – to create a better future for people and nature. With over 60 years of experience and an active presence in more than 100 countries, we work to achieve both on-the-ground and global policy action, from protecting and restoring species and their habitats, to transforming markets and policies toward sustainability.
Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from conservation science and advocacy to HR and finance. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us tackle this enormous global challenge and drive the urgent conservation impact needed to restore our planet.
What We Do
We are an independent conservation organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and the ecosystem. From individuals and communities to businesses and governments, we are part of a growing global movement calling for bolder action on climate and nature, demanding that world leaders set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. WWF works to address the most dominant drivers of nature loss through system-wide changes in how food and energy are produced and consumed, and in how financial systems are structured. By implementing change in every country, we aim to drive visible and positive impacts on the ground, helping to restore nature in the most critical places around the world, from the Amazon to the Coral Triangle.
Engaging everyone means addressing the barriers to participation faced by some groups in society, including local communities. Conservation will only be sustainable if it is owned by, and benefits, local people. That’s why Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be at the centre of action on climate and nature. WWF is committed to using its resources and global network to support these communities in creating together the most effective solutions where they live.
Humanity is still in time, we have a clear pathway to solve this crisis. At WWF, we call on everyone to join the global movement, change how we live, and take action now.
LOCATION: This role can be based in WWF International Hubs, subject to ability to contract. The vacancy being posted is a WWF International vacancy, even though the position might be hosted in a local office, WWF International still exclusively handles their own vacancies, for this reason please do not contact the local offices.
1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT
The WWF Global Conservation Division aims to unite WWF Offices around the delivery of a common conservation strategy. It comprises the Office of the Chief Conservation Officer (OCCO), the leaders, teams and related network communities of the four Global Practices, Global Policy Impact (GPI), Corporate Engagement, Resource Mobilisation and the People & Places Department (PPD). These departments work together in an integrated manner to encourage, inform, support, and facilitate the optimal convergence of conservation functions across the WWF Network. The Chief Conservation Officer (CCO) is responsible for: a) for the direction and coherence of the global conservation strategy, b) for ensuring that the impact of the strategy is measurable, and c) for the effective delivery of the functions of each department within the Global Conservation Division.
2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS
Working closely with the Chief Conservation Officer, theDirector Conservation Impact (DCI) will be primarily responsible for providing leadership in strengthening Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) within the WWF Network. He/she will be responsible for the development and implementation of the Roadmap 2030 Impact Framework within the WWF Network; convene key stakeholders to review and redefine targets and indicators and related baselines; help socialize WWF’s Impact monitoring system within the Network; and lead strategic discussions around the results of impact monitoring at different scales. She/he will collaborate closely with colleagues of the Global Science Team, the Global Operations Division and Country Office Management (which is responsible for country office systems and reporting) to ensure that WWF International has a bespoke high-quality impact measurement and reporting system for delivering Roadmap 2030. Lastly, the DCI will function as a thought leader on Monitoring Evaluation and Learning in the WWF Network to facilitate cross network exchanges and learning, develop network communities and initiatives and if necessary network standards to ensure strong MEL capacity within the Network. The Director, Conservation Impact will operate with considerable flexibility to the highest professional standards.
3 Major Duties and Responsibilities
- Provides strategic leadership for the development and implementation of the Impact Framework for WWF’s Roadmap 2030 strategy. They will work with colleagues in other Divisions and the Global Science Team, and stakeholders from across the Network to develop and implement a bespoke high quality impact measurement and reporting system for Roadmap 2030.
- Serve as in-house expert on program performance evaluation working closely with Country Directors, Conservation Directors, Practice Leaders and their program/project teams.
- Manage multidisciplinary team of technical experts to support the delivery and roll out of the Roadmap 2030 Impact Framework.
- Works in close collaboration with the Director, Impact Measurement and Senior Director, Country Office Management to ensure an integrated and harmonised approach to Impact measurement for the Country Offices of WWF International.
- Engender a culture and environment that enables and results in close collaboration: Creates and manages structures that link and help integrate the Practices, departments of the Global Conservation Division and other relevant stakeholders such as the Chief Scientist in the whole of network impact measurement approach.
- Working closely with the WWF Knowledge Management Community, provide thought leadership on Monitoring Evaluation and Learning with the Network; develop Network communities and initiatives on MEL as well as Network MEL standards as appropriate.
- Lead in timely analysis of WWF impact data and provide timely reporting to the Executive Team (ET), Director General (DG), Global Conservation Committee (GCC) and other executive governance structures as requested as well as for key WWF publications e.g. Global Impact Report.
- Strengthen institutional partnerships and promote dialogues on MEL with key partners and stakeholders through joint work and inter-agency sharing of MEL knowledge.
- Monitoring external trends in monitoring, evaluation and learning for biodiversity and conservation to inform continuous improvement and adaptive management of WWF’s work in close collaboration with the Global Science Team.
- Represent WWF in internal and external fora and processes concerned with biodiversity and conservation impact measurement and reporting, and conservation standards where appropriate.
- Supporting the GCD, the WWF Conservation Directors’ Forum and other WWF structures in MEL on an ad hoc basis as may be required by the CCO
4 PROFILE
Required Qualifications.
- Master's or PhD degree in natural resource management, environment, conservation management, bioregional planning, social sciences, development studies, Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation or in relevant fields.
- 15 years of practical experience in MEL methodologies, project cycle management, Impact framework and strategy, Data analysis and report writing, of which 5+ years should be at the managerial level.
- Advanced training in Monitoring and Evaluation and experience with Result-based management. Familiarity with PPMS or Open Standards for Practice of Conservation would be considered an advantage.
- Advanced and proven experience with data analytics and utilising monitoring and evaluation data for impact reporting.
- Knowledge of using Microsoft suite tools (word, excel etc.) is a must. Experience using more advanced tools such as PowerBI, Tableau, R, Python, etc. is an advantage.
- Experience in applying Knowledge Management and learning principles.
- Fluent in English, with excellent oral and writing skills; other languages an advantage.
Required Skills and Competencies.
- Specialist knowledge related to metrics, indicators,data development, knowledge management and the analysis of results that are capable of measuring impact in an organization like WWF.
- A strong familiarity with strategy and related tools such as Theory of Change, results based frameworks and performance measures relevant to WWF’s work.
- A good understanding of nature and its conservation and especially its relationship to human development and well-being.
- Analytical thinking, with strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, negotiation and networking skills.
- Knowledge of biodiversity/conservation standards, metrics and indicators.
- Ideally, familiarity with working in an NGO and/or Network organization.
- Experience of working in an international and/or inter-cultural environment.
- Experience of knowledge management and sharing platforms and tools.
- Reliable, flexible and with a problem-solving attitude
- Ability to work in distributed and virtual teams and workspaces.
- Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.
5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Internal.
Works closely with the CCO, Practice Leaders and other leaders within the Global Conservation Division, Regional Directors, Conservation Directors, Director Impact Measurement, Global Science Team and key Network stakeholders. Collaborates closely with Country Office Management and the Performance Unit in the Division of Finance and Quality Assurance; Engages with the Global Science Team,
Engages with DG, ET, SLT, GCC, CEOs and Country Directors in the WWF Network.
External.
Interacts with relevant academics and MEL experts in other organizations. Participates in MEL associations focused on improving conservation impact.
Please upload your covering letter and CV in English. Priority will be given to applications with both documents indicated. For candidates based in England, the approx salary range is 92k - 100k GBP gross annually. The final offer will be based on candidate's profile and internal salary equity.
Deadline for applications: 14 May 2025
If you do not hear back from us by 20 June 2025, it means that unfortunately you have not been selected for an interview.
Work permit restrictions may apply.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
At WWF, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every individual feels valued and respected. We believe that a diverse workforce will help us to achieve our mission to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing fair and unbiased consideration for all candidates regardless of their background. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and join us in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Other details
- Pay Type Salary