WHO WE ARE

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER

The Director of the Global Aquaculture Program oversees all aspects of the Nature Conservancy’s Aquaculture Strategy, encompassing programs in 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region, Latin America, Africa, and North America. They provide strategic leadership and direction for the Conservancy’s work in aquaculture and overall conservation priorities to contribute to the Conservancy’s objective to Provide Food and Water Sustainably. The Director provides strategic leadership, engages colleagues in TNC’s oceans and regional teams, and supports the overall conservation priorities for the organization and achievement of the Conservancy’s 2030 Goals. This position reports to the Director of Global Aquatic Food Systems and is housed within the Global Provide Food and Water Business Unit.

The Director serves as the principal contact for government agencies, industry partners, other conservation organizations, foundations, and the academic community on the topic of aquaculture. They lead the development of conservation priorities and strategy on aquaculture, establishing measures of success for the aquaculture program and its contributions to the Nature Conservancy’s 2030 Goals.

They effectively lead, manage, and develop a diverse team across the organization on multiple continents to execute the strategy and generate significant conservation outcomes. They solidify the Conservancy’s position as a major conservation partner within aquaculture. They advance existing critical partnerships with public & private organizations and develop new, high-impact partnerships. Specific partners that are critical to program success include the UNFAO, the World Bank, NOAA, the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the World Aquaculture Society, and peer NGOs. They engage public support for conservation efforts and negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and industry to ensure smart and sustainable development of aquaculture that benefits people and nature.

The Director ensures the program is adequately resourced with funding and experienced personnel needed to achieve results. They will play a leading role in donor identification, cultivation, and stewardship for the program, including working with fundraising staff to work with individual, foundation, and corporate funders. The Director will also lead in securing public funding for the program and managing major public agencies and elected official relationships. They ensure the overall financial health of the aquaculture program and ensure donor/grant obligations are achieved. They identify science priorities and develop/ advance innovative scientific methods, analysis, tools, and frameworks to meet conservation objectives. They oversee all external and internal communication efforts on aquaculture, considering political sensitivities in coordination with the Global Communications team.

The Director focuses on growing and transitioning the aquaculture sector to achieve biodiversity, climate, and socio-economic outcomes. They work within a highly complex and matrixed program encompassing multiple geographies to direct strategy and resources and coordinate the work of other professionals, inside and outside the organization. Incorporates cross-disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives. They recruit, retain, and manage high-quality, effective multi-disciplinary staff responsible for performance management, training, and career development. They lead a robust and established network across various fields within aquaculture and globally, including government/policymakers, major industry players, the financing/investing community, and the philanthropic community. They are responsible for integrating GED&I considerations and TNC values into the strategy and their team. Their highly diversified work involves formulating and evaluating broad policies and/or long-term programs and making decisions that typically have broad organizational impact. They have a broad management and leadership responsibility internally and externally, including ten staff members within the direct reporting line. They lead fundraising efforts and are responsible for the program's overall financial health. They develop and manage key partnerships with major government, industry, and academic partners. They make independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, ambiguous information, experience, and judgment.

They may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. This position requires frequent travel internationally and domestically up to 30% and evening and weekend hours. The location for this position is flexible within countries where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO with an established office.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU

Have you ever asked yourself, “How can I make a difference?” but you don’t know where to go or have the time to do it? Welcome to The Nature Conservancy. You have found the solution, and now you can make a difference every day!

By joining our Provide Food and Water Sustainability team, you will become part of a group that is a force to be reckoned with a force for nature, a force for people, and a force for our planet. Our team consists of a dedicated group leading the conservation effort on multiple fronts and expertly bringing strategy and action together.

We’re looking for an individual with aquaculture conservation practice or policy experience who wants to make a difference for nature and people.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

·        BA/BS degree and ten years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.

·        Fundraising experience including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.

·        Experience leading a major program or project of strategic importance in aquaculture systems, including managing finances, supervising multi-disciplinary teams, and meeting deadlines.

·        Demonstrated success in leading teams of various backgrounds, viewpoints, and cultures.

·        Experience working with current trends and practices in aquaculture sustainability.

·        Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives, and managing performance.

·        Experience with both small-holder and industrial aquaculture sectors.

·        Experience developing partnerships with non-profit partners, community groups, and/or government agencies.

·        Experience building diverse teams and developing strategies that support local or indigenous communities.

·        Experience negotiating.

·        Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans at the country and international levels.

·        Experience with financial management of a large program.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

·        Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience is appreciated.

·        10-12 years experience in aquaculture sustainability or equivalent combination of education and experience.

·        Master’s degree in aquaculture, natural resource management, or closely related field.

·        Demonstrated experience practically applying scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes in aquaculture.

·        Experienced fundraiser with a track record of raising major grants ($1m+), engaging private foundations, individual donors, and public funding agencies.

·        Is a recognized leader/expert in the field of aquaculture, having led a program of a significant size within the area.

·        Demonstrated global-level expertise of aquaculture operations across a variety of geographic contexts, species types, production methods, and technologies, especially within the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and Africa.

·        Demonstrated global-level knowledge and practical experience in applying best practices in governance, regulation, and policy in the field of aquaculture.

·        Is at the forefront of the latest trends in aquaculture development in the areas of technology and innovation, science, and policy, as it relates to both small to medium-scale enterprise farms and large-scale industry.

·        Robust understanding of the environmental effects of aquaculture and the most promising/effective strategies and solutions to mitigate negative impacts while allowing for growth.

·        Exceptional communication skills via written, spoken, and graphical means in English.

·        Demonstrated experience successfully working on nuanced, controversial, and politically sensitive issues.

WHAT WE BRING

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

SALARY INFORMATION

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position in Arlington, VA is generally within the range of $122,800 – $165,900 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience. 

APPLY NOW

To apply for job ID 54836, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact [email protected].

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.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to [email protected] with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.