Conservation Trust Fund Senior Advisor (Location Flexible)

Who We Are

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 working in more than 75 countries and territories. 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 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’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.

Your Position With TNC

The Conservation Trust Fund Senior Advisor will work with TNC staff to design, develop, establish and operationalize Conservation Trust Funds that will source and manage funding for conservation and management actions as a core pillar of TNC’s Project Finance for Permanence and debt conversion program in operation around the globe. This will include working with local TNC staff to lead multi-stakeholder processes to determine objectives, establish operational documents and legal frameworks (in both common law and civil law countries) for operations, and develop appropriate governance structures for these Conservation Trust Funds. The Senior Advisor will also be responsible for monitoring and evaluation of Conservation Trust Fund activities, conducting capacity building for local TNC staff and stakeholders and compiling and disseminating best practices across the organization. The Senior Advisor will also work alongside TNC’s Conservation Trust Fund staff to provide services to non-debt conversion program activities, including other innovative sustainable financing mechanisms that are a TNC priority where Conservation Trust Funds play a key role.

Essential Functions

The Conservation Trust Fund Senior Advisor will work primarily with local TNC staff in country and regional programs to lead multi-stakeholder processes to (i) determine the overall objectives and legal structure of CTFs; (ii) create legal founding documents and operational documents (in both common law and civil law countries); (iii) develop appropriate governance structures for CTFs; (iv) support start-up operations of CTFs; (v) advise on sustainable finance mechanisms that could help to capitalize CTFs; and (vi) support the monitoring and evaluation of CTF activities. The Advisor will provide guidance to other related CTF staff working on Durable Protection Strategies across the three realms (freshwater, marine and terrestrial) and will support capacity building for local TNC staff and stakeholders, and compile and disseminate best practices across the organization and across PFPs. The Senior Advisor will collaborate closely with other TNC staff working on CTFs outside the PFP and Sustainable Debt Initiative.

The Senior Advisor will also collaborate with TNC Global teams (particularly other members of the Durable Protection Strategies - PFP Team, the Global Oceans Team (Blue Bonds) and NatureVest staff), as well as regional, in-country and Senior Advisor teams. The CTF Advisor will also collaborate with staff from the Enduring Earth partners, other TNC partner organizations, such as multi-lateral and bi-lateral institutions, other conservation organizations, donors, investors, national governments, and local stakeholder and rightsholder groups in countries where we work. The CTF Advisor will bring sophisticated business, financial, legal, and public affairs experience and expertise, including facilitation, cross-cultural communication, conservation finance mechanisms, and project management, to the design and implementation of this work.

Responsibilities and Scope

• Leads all aspects of the conservation trust fund ‘pillar’ in the Project Finance for Permanence and Sustainable Debt Program from design through to operationalization in alignment with the broader strategic timings of each proposed transaction.
• Implements, manages, and trains local and regional TNC staff toward the development of new and existing Conservation Trust Funds.
• Manages and implements multiple global projects.
• Travel associated with this position is expected to be approximately 40% of the time.
• Ensures the programmatic work is collaborative and well-integrated across the organization and strategy.
• Makes independent decisions frequently based on analysis, experience and judgment.
• Ensures programmatic commitments, TNC policies and procedures, financial standards and legal requirements are met and managed for compliance.
• May direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
• May support other TNC teams working on complex, high profile innovative financing mechanisms with a conservation trust fund component.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 7 years’ experience with conservation trust funds or similar entities, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience developing and implementing complex projects and strategic initiatives in an unstructured environment.
• Experience leading and managing large scale projects, including working with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience communicating with and training staff and a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, non-government organizations, and local community groups.
• Experience negotiating complex agreements.
• International work experience.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 40% of the time.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and/or multi-cultural experience appreciated.
• 10 years of experience in conservation finance and trust funds related work
• MBA, MPIA, Law, or similar degree with significant coursework in conservation finance.
• Strong team player who can build relationships and work collaboratively across the organization and with Conservancy partners.
• Experience working with governments, multi-lateral, and/or bi-lateral institutions preferred.
• Ability to work effectively across teams and time zones and juggle multiple projects at once.
• Ability to successfully develop and implement complex projects in an unstructured environment.
• Outstanding analytical and project management capabilities.
• Superior written and oral communications.

What We Bring

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

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

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

Where legally permissible, TNC requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated and willing to keep up to date with vaccines that protect against COVID-19.   By accepting an offer of employment, you agree to comply with this requirement, unless you are entitled to a legally mandated exemption.