Global Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Fellow at Conservation International

POSITION SUMMARY

CI seeks a Global Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Fellow to integrate equity, inclusion, and diversity in conservation. Reporting to the Vice President of Project Delivery and Monitoring (PDM) and working closely with the Senior Director of GEDI. The GEDI Fellow will have a unique opportunity to partner in the development of CI’s organizational GEDI plan.

Leveraging their expertise in field-based conservation and the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the GEDI Fellow will scope the key drivers of imbalance in the projects where CI works around the world. This may include identifying substantive barriers related to colonialization, weak governance or corruption, or lack of inclusion or discrimination of vulnerable or underrepresented populations. The Fellow will clearly define and frame what GEDI within conservation looks like to advance our mission of achieving fair and equitable conservation and human well-being results. The successful candidate will have the knowledge and collaboration skills to evolve and partner on our institutional GEDI effort with other key stakeholders.

The GEDI Fellowship is part of the Lui-Walton Technical Fellowship program, which requires a two (2) year commitment. The program engages experts to provide fresh thinking and extensive leadership to CI's programs around the world. CI provides opportunities to expand the breadth of the Fellow’s professional skills and experience through collaboration with a global network of subject matter experts across disciplines.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop an understanding of current programs, practices, and policies that underpin GEDI-related efforts both within CI and extending through our project work in 28 countries.
• Learn from, partner, and build on our work to advance internal GEDI practices, our rights-based approach and safeguards project design and implementation efforts, and our Gender Program and Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program.
• Assess CI programs to define the entry points and good practice standards for integrating and embedding equity, inclusion, diversity in conservation.
• Scope interventions and potential activities to be considered by CI field projects.
• Work with CI field projects to both examine and adjust the operating assumptions underlying the theory of change, providing guidance and lessons learned to improve them.
• Develop and test project activities with indicators that address GEDI imbalances in select countries to support lessons learned and amplifying of results across the organization.
• Support the design and roll-out of CI’s safeguard system by guiding GEDI-related policy and compliance, including guidance on how to set up safeguard screenings and conduct project compliance reviews.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position may be based in one of CI’s major offices such as Belgium, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Nairobi, Singapore, or Arlington, VA United States
• The position may require up to 15% international travel and field site visits when COVID-restrictions are lifted.
• Ability to work alternative hours to meet, consult and advise staff in multiple timezones
• Ability to work extended hours to meet deadlines

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree and field-based experience equivalent to 7+ years of professional experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, and field-based conservation or equivalent combination
• Theoretical and practical GEDI and conservation experience with an ability to work comfortably and help further CI’s mission of benefitting conservation and human well-being
• Expert oral and written communication skills, specifically as it relates to communicating to a variety of internal and external stakeholders about diversity, equity and inclusion, and connections to the conservation agenda.
• Comfortable presenting to large, diverse audiences. 
• Ability to speak English and ideally one of CI’s other primary languages: English (required) and Spanish, French, Portuguese or Indonesian
• Comfort, confidence, and success in working with different cultures from around the world and working with historically underrepresented groups.
• Organizational perspectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion work, and an appreciation of the complexities of inter/intracultural interaction.
• Critical perspectives on the history of the conservation movement, such as processes for nurturing decolonial actions, as well as other drivers of GEDI imbalances, such as corruption/weak governance, etc.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills, and demonstrated ability to understand, evaluate, and interpret a broad range of social/cultural, political, historical, economic, scientific, and non-technical information used in environmental conservation, management, and governance.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex and ambiguous information into actionable strategies and plans.
• Able to develop and assess the theory of change, workplans/action items, and scopes of work related to GEDI and conservation.
• Familiarity with social and environmental safeguard concepts and application in the context of wider project management experience.
• Ability to work independently
• Adaptive management skills and flexibility in problem-solving

Preferred

• Direct experience with or significant knowledge of the people and processes that direct international organizations with field operations in developing countries.
• Academic experience in GEDI desirable, or otherwise able to demonstrate strong competence in GEDI theory with some research experience.