Innovative Finance for Inclusive Conservation Lead
Job Title: Innovative Finance for Inclusive Conservation Lead
Job Family/Level: Specialist
Reports to: Country Rep – WWF Perú
Work Location: Latin America, preferably Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia
Revised Date: November
Major Function
The Innovative Finance for Inclusive Conservation Lead will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, designing fundraising concepts and proposals, negotiating with existing and potential donors, and closing deals to enable the long-term financial and environmental sustainability of Indigenous territories and other protected and conserved areas in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with an emphasis in the Amazon. The Specialist will support two main conservation initiatives within WWF’s LAC division and WWF’s Amazon Coordination Unit (ACU), including the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) portfolio (sustainable funding models for protected and conserved areas), and the Amazon Push (a network effort to achieve zero deforestation, no illegal gold and 80% of the Amazon conserved by 2030).
The overarching goal of PFPs is to attain a new paradigm of area-based conservation finance to achieve the effective management of protected areas, Indigenous Territories, and a wider range of area-based conservation mechanisms. The LAC portfolio of PFP includes protected area centered projects undergoing implementation in Brazil (ARPA), Colombia (Herencia Colombia) and Peru (Patrimonio del Peru), and undergoing design in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Belize and Mexico. The LAC portfolio will innovate in seeking to establish sustainable finance projects for Indigenous territories, free flowing rivers, biodiversity corridors, jaguar conservation units, and other relevant areas.
Led by WWF’s Amazon offices, operationalized by ACU, and embraced by the WWF Network, the Amazon Push is a coordinated and inclusive effort to scale up ambition, investment, and collective action for the Amazon, leveraging WWF’s extensive knowledge and experience in the biome and the current favorable political context to deliver transformational change through three “Big Wins” to avoid the Amazon’s ecological tipping point.
For established PFPs, the Specialist will identify and engage new funding prospects, and design, negotiate and close funding deals, working in close collaboration with the country offices responsible for each PFP. For new generation PFPs, the Specialist will lead a codesign process, ensuring the engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local communities, and coordinating with potential funders and the PfP teams at WWF. For the Amazon Push, the Specialist will lead and support fundraising efforts to achieve the 3 Big Wins (zero deforestation, no illegal gold and 80% of the Amazon conserved by 2030) through a rights-based and inclusive conservation approach, and to strengthen ACU’s overall programming.
The Specialist will work under the leadership of the ACU and will be supported by its team.
Required Qualifications and Experience
This position is full-time. Travel may be required.
Contact: Please apply until December 31, 2023, at the following link: https://bit.ly/45iN4Ki
Job Family/Level: Specialist
Reports to: Country Rep – WWF Perú
Work Location: Latin America, preferably Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia
Revised Date: November
Major Function
The Innovative Finance for Inclusive Conservation Lead will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, designing fundraising concepts and proposals, negotiating with existing and potential donors, and closing deals to enable the long-term financial and environmental sustainability of Indigenous territories and other protected and conserved areas in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with an emphasis in the Amazon. The Specialist will support two main conservation initiatives within WWF’s LAC division and WWF’s Amazon Coordination Unit (ACU), including the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) portfolio (sustainable funding models for protected and conserved areas), and the Amazon Push (a network effort to achieve zero deforestation, no illegal gold and 80% of the Amazon conserved by 2030).
The overarching goal of PFPs is to attain a new paradigm of area-based conservation finance to achieve the effective management of protected areas, Indigenous Territories, and a wider range of area-based conservation mechanisms. The LAC portfolio of PFP includes protected area centered projects undergoing implementation in Brazil (ARPA), Colombia (Herencia Colombia) and Peru (Patrimonio del Peru), and undergoing design in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Belize and Mexico. The LAC portfolio will innovate in seeking to establish sustainable finance projects for Indigenous territories, free flowing rivers, biodiversity corridors, jaguar conservation units, and other relevant areas.
Led by WWF’s Amazon offices, operationalized by ACU, and embraced by the WWF Network, the Amazon Push is a coordinated and inclusive effort to scale up ambition, investment, and collective action for the Amazon, leveraging WWF’s extensive knowledge and experience in the biome and the current favorable political context to deliver transformational change through three “Big Wins” to avoid the Amazon’s ecological tipping point.
For established PFPs, the Specialist will identify and engage new funding prospects, and design, negotiate and close funding deals, working in close collaboration with the country offices responsible for each PFP. For new generation PFPs, the Specialist will lead a codesign process, ensuring the engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local communities, and coordinating with potential funders and the PfP teams at WWF. For the Amazon Push, the Specialist will lead and support fundraising efforts to achieve the 3 Big Wins (zero deforestation, no illegal gold and 80% of the Amazon conserved by 2030) through a rights-based and inclusive conservation approach, and to strengthen ACU’s overall programming.
The Specialist will work under the leadership of the ACU and will be supported by its team.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- Demonstrated professional experience (over 10 years) in conservation or sustainable development, and in the design, structuring and closing of complex financial deals.
- Degree in conservation finance, environmental economics, or related fields within the natural or social sciences, and a strong capacity to translate financial concepts into worksheets and other tools.
- Fundraising experience, particularly involving large sums.
- Executive relationship management experience.
- Understanding of climate change, sustainable development, and conservation issues.
- Experience working with Indigenous People’s and Local Communities or leading participatory fundraising efforts.
This position is full-time. Travel may be required.
Contact: Please apply until December 31, 2023, at the following link: https://bit.ly/45iN4Ki