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Director (or Senior Director), Conservation Impact

Employer
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Location
Washington D.C.
Closing date
Jul 13, 2020

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Sector
Nonprofit
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Project Management
Job Level
Senior level
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Full time

OVERVIEW
SFI® Inc. envisions a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests. Our mission is to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, non-profit organization that generates solutions through supply chain assurances, conservation outcomes, and supporting education and community engagement. SFI works with the forest sector, brand owners, conservation groups, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous peoples, governments, and universities. SFI standards and on-product labels help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. We oversee the SFI Forest Partners® Program, which aims to increase the source of certified forest products, and the SFI Conservation Grants Program, which fund research toward improved understanding of conservation outcomes from managed forestlands. We promote community engagement through the SFI Network, and foster students’ appreciation for and knowledge of the environment through our award-winning Project Learning Tree® program. SFI Inc. is governed by an independent three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social, and economic sectors equally.
To facilitate good decision-making, and to help make the case for the value of sustainability, SFI is working to quantify the conservation benefits of its work – specifically the connection between sustainable supply chains and important conservation outcomes relative to water, biodiversity and climate change mitigation. This

“Conservation Impact project” will help make the link between well-managed forests and the public benefits that affect each of us every day. To ensure objectivity and credibility, SFI engages a “Sounding Board” of diverse experts across the range of research, academic and conservation interests to help define and guide Conservation Impact work.
The Director (or Senior Director, commensurate with experience), Conservation Impact, will support SFI’s conservation programs by providing leadership of SFI’s Conservation Impact project, leadership of the Sounding Board, integration of new technologies across program areas and particularly toward measuring conservation outcomes, expansion of partnerships to illustrate the critical role of certification toward meeting supply chain and corporate sustainability goals, and nurturing partnerships in the community of conservation NGOs to advance the credibility and impact of SFI.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Conceptualize, strategize and manage partner relationships to advance understanding of conservation-related attributes of SFI’s footprint through its Conservation Impact work, including conceiving and implementing engagement with researchers, and building creative partnerships with outside organizations.
• Provide leadership relative to Conservation Impact and Sounding Board to ensure relevancy, utility and credibility of Conservation Impact results. Working with conservation team staff, conceive and manage periodic meetings of the Conservation Impact Sounding Board to ensure transparency, credibility and impact of the initiative.
• Effectively communicate the results of conservation impact, engage in partnerships to utilize such information, and ensure the relevancy of this work, including periodic presentations, development and execution of webinars to convey results, and coordination with communications staff to effectively convey outcomes.
• Strengthen relationships with key influencers and conservation groups, in close cooperation with the Chief Conservation Officer and other leadership staff of SFI.
• Conceive and manage projects and partner relationships to advance understanding of the relationship between sustainable supply chains and conservation outcomes.
• Develop leadership for technology strategies that advance critical objectives of SFI’s strategic direction, particularly relative to conservation, but also relative to SFI’s full scope of work as needed.
• Provide leadership on local, national (US) and global partnerships and projects of relevance to global sustainability, including strategy for engagement with IUCN, CBD, and other critical initiatives.
• Provide leadership to key elements of Conservation Grant program implementation, including development of
grant criteria, review of project submissions, shepherding contractual agreements, and engagement of grantees to maximize scale and understanding relative to climate, water, and biodiversity outcomes. • Provide support for fundraising in support of SFI’s conservation programs, and across program areas as required.
• Participate actively in the conception and implementation of creative approaches to advance the goals of SFI, and the Conservation Team in particular, and in an advisory role to the Senior Leadership Team, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS/PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The ideal candidate will bring:
• A belief in the contributory value of managed forests to the attainment of critical conservation outcomes.
• An extensive network of relationships across the range of research, conservation science and forest conservation communities, and practical experience in development of collaborative networks and implementation of conservation results.
• A drive to generate solutions; proven experience in solving complex problems and working strategically in a team environment with a variety of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop and lead collaborative efforts to achieve specific outcomes, experience in facilitating meetings or discussions to generate consensus and action.
• An incisive ability to knit together partnerships, toward developing and managing conservation projects.
• Strong presentation and language skills, and proven ability to develop written, oral and online communications that are compelling and linked to organizational objectives; facilitation experience preferred.
• A positive attitude and high energy.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and superior attention to detail.
• Active curiosity and engagement in ongoing learning—having and seeking depth of content knowledge and understanding.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects in a fast-paced environment, handling tasks with diplomacy, tenacity, patience and a drive for results.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to travel up to 50% of time.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
• Advanced degree in ecology, biology, natural resources management, environmental management, landscape ecology or related field.
• At least five years of leadership experience working in conservation science, forestry or sustainability, with experience in conceiving or managing research projects and/or working closely with researchers.
• Direct experience with conservation aspects of managed forests, and/or forest certification preferred.

HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this position, email a resume and cover letter to the attention of Paul Trianosky, Chief Conservation Officer, at jobs@sfiprogram.org. Subject line should say “Application: Director, Conservation Impact”. Applications are requested by May 29 but will be accepted until the position is filled.

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