Programme Director (Conservation Finance) at Wildlife Conservation Society

The Program Director Will Be Responsible For

• Oversee the management of the project; maintaining regular contact with GFCR, the UN Mult-Party Trust Fund and United National Capital Development Fund;
• Develop an efficient and transparent system for vetting and approval of projects for submission for funding;
• Ensuring WCS evaluation of coral reef and community benefits prior to investment and prioritization of projects to support thus ensuring that supported projects meets both conservation and financial criteria (with support from WCS regional marine team and two project scientists);
• Work with partners to develop a pipeline of feasible projects that could receive investment from the program and coordinate submission of proposals to UNCDF, or to Pegasus capital for larger feasible investments;
• Developing an incubator process for smaller-scale projects that need support in developing an investable or scalable plan;
• Development of partnerships with conservation and finance groups nationally, regional and globally. Conduct regional and global presentations on the work as opportunities arise. Engage with national and regional partners including governments, businesses, NGOs, and communities.
• Coordinate with partners to explore effective approaches for disbursing funds/investing in projects, including potential development of a Special Purpose Vehicle that can leverage funds from multiple investment sources;
• Tracking project deliverables and targets and ensure the donor receives high-quality reports on the work (including any work produced by the project marine scientists)
• Undertake actions necessary to ensure the success of the program and manage project budgets under the Miamba Yetu project (GFCR funded);
• Contribute to WCS’s regional development of financial sustainability strategies as needed and as opportunities arise including Madagascar and Mozambique.
• Ensure that the Miamba Yetu program contributes to supporting WCS’s regional marine strategy.

Qualification Requirements

• The successful candidate will have at least a master’s degree in business, finance or related area of study.
• In addition the candidate will have experience in conservation or environmental issues, ideally related to marine conservation.
• The candidate should have at least five years of relevant finance or investment experience, along with several years of experience in program management.
• Strong writing and verbal English skills are essential.