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Executive Director, Conservation Planning

Global Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society, United States, New York

Description

Wildlife Conservation Society

Job Description

Location: FlexibleDepartment, Division: Global Conservation ProgramReports to: Executive Vice President, Global ConservationSalary Range: Salary referenced below is for the United States. Actual salary offer will be based on the currency and market in which the candidate resides.

Position Objectives:The Executive Director of Conservation Planning at WCS is a key position within the Global Conservation Program, responsible for leading spatial planning initiatives and promoting best practice in the field of conservation decision making across WCS programs around the world. The ideal candidate will be well versed in the principles of systematic conservation planning and other means of planning, monitoring and managing, and evaluating tradeoffs between conservation and competing values. They will also have extensive practical experience applying those principles in a range of real-world contexts, collaborating with decision makers to enable better choices and have greater conservation impact in terms of protected area planning and management, land- and sea-use planning, and adaptation and mitigation planning.

The Program seeks to enhance the conservation impact of WCS programs by working to:
Inform and influence the overall direction of WCS’s conservation planning and other strategies through the application of world-class science, planning and analysis
Work directly with WCS’s field programs to provide technical, analytical, project, and programmatic support to WCS country programs, including training and capacity building
Lead and support large global initiatives and collaborate with global programs (e.g., Intact Forests, Nature’s Strongholds, Key Biodiversity Areas, Markets, Species, etc.) and external partners to enhance conservation planning strength and increase organizational impact
Test and pilot “Big Ideas” with conservation planning applications – develop proof-of-concept methods and paradigm-shifting ideas that are derived from and benefit WCS and the larger conservation community
Conduct innovative and cutting-edge science – publish novel science in high profile peer reviewed journals to push the boundaries of this emerging scientific discipline, often on topics of immediate and far-reaching conservation and development concern
Perform targeted technical tasks for staff throughout the Global Conservation Program
Provide defined technical input to individual projects – as requested by field and thematic program leadership
Principal Responsibilities: A) Thought leadership, science and analysis to inform WCS programs
Lead ground-breaking science that advances WCS’s mission, supporting and building on WCS’s programs’ work, focused on conservation planning using innovative analytical, statistical, and modelling techniques
Support project teams by conducting advanced spatial analysis, designing data collection and monitoring protocols, prioritizing geographic areas for conservation action, and providing practical conservation recommendations related to management and policy
Develop, organize, and maintain large spatial databases
Consult and collaborate with GCP staff on best practices in conservation planning and spatial analysis, including delivering custom spatial data products, synthesizing the latest scientific research, and providing thought leadership on science-based projects
B) Project development and fundraising
Lead overall fundraising for Conservation Planning annual budget and strategy
Identify and design new projects and assist program staff with grant/proposal writing and other fundraising activities to support the continued growth of the program
Engage with WCS’s global programs, and particularly the thematic and regional programs, on a regular basis to identify collaborative funding opportunities and provide support
Work with external partners to identify new collaborative funding opportunities
C) Project management
Lead, prioritize, and coordinate work across multiple projects, set realistic timelines and budgets for task completion, and develop timely progress reports for donors and external stakeholders at specified project milestones
Maintain and build upon collaborative engagements with project partners
Manage and mentor the Conservation Planning team to support career advancement and manage the Conservation Planning budget to ensure efficient and high standard of deliverables and project outcomes
Coordinate with thematic, regional and country directors where appropriate
D) Planning and decision support
Lead conservation planning processes for WCS programs and partners by guiding decision makers and stakeholders through the geo-spatial and other relevant planning process
Work with WCS programs and external stakeholders to identify and assess current status, trends and trajectory of key drivers of change (e.g., land cover change, demographic change, economic development, climate change, etc.), and use the information to develop spatio-temporally explicit scenarios that inform robust conservation interventions
Support decision making about the optimal and sustainable use of environmental and financial resources, and explore trade-offs between the objectives of multiple stakeholders using decision support tools (e.g., Marxan, Zonation, prioritizR) including newly developed tools, informed by the best available science
Analyze trade-offs in design of conservation strategies and interventions, and provide robust recommendations based on a range of scenarios and likely outcomes
Work with science and conservation staff from around the world to identify priority areas for conservation
Compellingly communicate WCS’ Conservation Planning capacity, experience and ideas to external stakeholders, funders, partners
Build capacity within WCS on the use of spatial planning tools and objective-based planning processes
Develop training materials and lead workshops for internal and external audiences that contribute to the mission of WCS
Communicate science, outputs, and outcomes widely, including in peer-reviewed papers, white papers, project reports, presentations for WCS staff and project managers, and through online maps, data viewers, and websites, as well as to non-technical audiences
Promote data and tool sharing through partnerships with government agencies and other organizations
Qualification Requirements

Qualifications:
Advanced degree (Master's/PhD or equivalent) in landscape ecology, conservation biology, natural resource management, environmental economics, or other relevant discipline
10+ years of professional experience, including the direct application of conservation planning to address real world problems in international settings
5+ years of management experience.
Strong spatial analysis skills in one or more geospatial platforms (e.g., ArcGIS, R, GRASS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine)
Proficient in use of programming languages (e.g., R, Python) to analyze large volumes of data and automate routine tasks
Experience leading conservation planning, structured-decision making & scenario planning processes in both terrestrial & marine realms
Familiarity with incorporating climate change and adaptation into conservation planning
Familiarity with the principles and practices of the mitigation hierarchy, net positive impact and biodiversity offset design, including using conservation planning analyses to inform policy design & application of the mitigation hierarchy
Demonstrated ability to produce concise written summaries of analytical findings and communicate complex science verbally and in writing to a broad variety of audiences
Strong record of publishing in high impact scientific journals
Demonstrated ability and experience in project development and fundraising
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work with globally distributed colleagues, partners and diverse stakeholder groups to promote buy-in to planning processes
Ability to prioritize competing needs and communicate/balance between direct and indirect supervisors
Ability to lead/work on multiple project teams simultaneously, often across different time zones
Experience working internationally
Demonstrated ability to thrive in an organization characterized by a multi-cultural, science and mission-driven workforce
Preferred:
Ability to speak and work in at least one other major language relevant to WCS scapes (e.g., Spanish, French)
Knowledge and direct experience with the species and ecosystems, conservation issues, and solutions across WCS’ portfolio
Familiarity with international environmental treaties and policies
Please submit a CV, detailed cover letter describing specific experience in the skills listed above or other relevant skills not mentioned and contact information of three references.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. EOE/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled.

Salary Range

$133,000-$150,000