Director, Operating Model - WWF International

Zeist, Netherlands

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.

WWF International global recruitment team are exclusively managing this vacancy. We kindly ask that you do not contact the local office on this position.

LOCATION: Flexible with preferred locations WWF International HUBS

1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT

To build a thriving, future-ready WWF workforce by ensuring that people at all levels have the skills, capabilities, and development pathways needed to deliver the WWF Strategy.

Embed WWF’s core values and standards to strengthen the culture and create the right working environment across the Network.
Develop and maintain P&C standards, policies, systems, and platforms that attract, develop, and retain the right people for the organisation.
Create the conditions for high performance, ensuring that staff can perform at their fullest potential and maximise their contribution to WWF’s conservation goals.

2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS

The Director, Operating Model will architect WWF International approach for Workforce Planning, Organisation Design. This role will be focused on Organisational Development where you will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution, requiring expertise in organisational design principles.

You will also lead Strategic Workforce Planning in collaboration with the Senior Director People & Culture; you will define how we approach organisational design and workforce planning across WWF then make it happen. You'll build capability in our SBPs while personally leading high-impact initiatives that shape how we work

3 Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Architecture

Design and implement scalable, WWF-wide organisational design, team effectiveness and workforce planning frameworks aligned to business objectives and growth trajectory.
In coordination of Senior Director P&C translate business strategy into organisational structure, capability requirements, and workforce implications.
In collaboration with the Talent Development Director, you will develop predictive workforce models that identify talent gaps and risks, and future capability needs across critical roles and functions.

Framework Development & Enablement

Create organisational standards, tools, and methodologies for organisational design and strategic workforce planning that can be deployed consistently across WWF.
Build organisational design and workforce planning capabilities in P&C business partners and people leaders through training, coaching, and hands-on facilitation.
Establish governance processes and decision frameworks that ensure organisational changes are data-driven and strategically sound.

Execution & Advisory

Partner directly with senior P&C business partners to diagnose organizational effectiveness challenges and design fit-for-purpose solutions.
Lead high-visibility organisational design projects that restructure teams, clarify accountabilities, and optimise spans of control.
Serve as primary designer and project lead on enterprise-wide organisational development and effectiveness initiatives with significant business impact.

Data-Driven Insights

Manage people Analytics manager to translate workforce data into actionable insights on organisational health, talent distribution, and structural efficiency.
Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms that give leaders visibility into workforce composition, turnover risk, and readiness for future needs.
Apply evidence-based approaches to test and validate organizational design decisions before implementation.

4 PROFILE

Required Qualifications

Advanced degree in relevant field (for example: Advanced Diploma in Strategic L&D CIPD Level 7), Organizational Development, Leadership, Psychology, or related field.
Significant experience (10+ years) in Business Administration, Management, Organisational Design, Operations Management, leadership development, or a related field within international organisations.
Senior level of progressive experience in organisational design ideally in complex, matrixed environments.
Senior experience leading organisation wide organisational development and effectiveness initiatives with measurable business impact.
Demonstrated expertise across multiple OD disciplines: organisational design, workforce planning.

Required Skills and Competencies

Exceptional business acumen with ability to connect organisational design decisions to financial outcomes and operational performance.
Advanced project management skills with track record of delivering complex, multistakeholder initiatives on time.
Strong analytical and systems thinking abilities; comfortable working with workforce data and translating it into strategic recommendations.

Influence & Collaboration

Proven ability to facilitate difficult conversations and build consensus among senior stakeholders with competing priorities.
Executive presence and credibility to advise senior leaders on sensitive organizational topics.
Thrives in ambiguity, able to move forward when parameters are unclear, information is incomplete, or priorities are shifting, while bringing structure and clarity to complex situations.
Collaborator who can navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in complex organisational environments.
Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

Senior Director P&C, Executive Leadership Team, Senior Business Partners, Talent Development Director, Head Comp&Ben.

People Analytics Manager, Global & Regional Business Leaders, Finance, IT / HRIS, OD Team, Legal & Employee Reps.

External

NGO peer Networks, Academic Research Institutions, Workforce Analytics/Planning Tool Vendors.

HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your covering letter and CV in English. Priority will be given to applications with both documents indicated.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 2 June 2026 (midnight CET)

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