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THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
VICE PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Nature Conservancy is engaged in a search for a Vice President, External Affairs, located at the national headquarters in Arlington, VA.

Organizational Overview: A Pioneer in Conservation Leadership

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) TNC is one of the world's leading on-the-ground conservation organizations, and its scale and influence is growing. TNC have protected more than 117 million acres, and its new Campaign for a Sustainable Planet sets forth an agenda that will protect millions more acres in the most critical and imperiled habitats by 2015. Outside the United States, TNC works in 34 other countries. The scale of TNC’s work continues to grow, catalyzed by global agenda, as does its capacity to implement conservation solutions through policy avenues and other non-traditional mechanisms.

TNC manages one of the most effective private philanthropic organizations in the world, raising more than $400 million annually. They have a robust membership program, growing on-line donor community, and one of the most successful planned giving programs in the country. Total TNC assets are now in excess of $5.5 billion, have grown 27% over the last 2 ½ years and total revenue, fueled by endowment growth and land transactions, has exceeded $1 billion in each of the last two fiscal years.

For more information on TNC’s conservation programs, please refer to The Nature Conservancy’s website: www.nature.org.

Vice President, External Affairs

The Vice President, External Affairs reports to the Chief Conservation Strategies Officer, and works closely with the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Conservation Programs Officer, Chief Philanthropy and Marketing Officer, General Counsel and Regional Managing Directors. As a senior Conservancy leader, s/he will represent the organization at major national and international events.

The Vice President, External Affairs, The Nature Conservancy’s top policy-related position, is responsible for establishing the organization’s global policy agenda, partnership strategy and public funding program. Working with major public institutions, governments, multilateral agencies, NGOs, public officials and influential individuals, the Vice President, External Affairs will position the Conservancy as a leading organization for global conservation work. Based on an understanding of the Conservancy’s on-the-ground conservation work and how the Conservancy’s action complements the work of other NGOs, governments and conservation organizations, s/he will establish and articulate a clear vision of the Conservancy’s unique role for advancing conservation in the global policy arena.

Responsible for directing the work of the Conservancy’s U.S. and international policy units, as well as its external polling and public education efforts, the Vice President, External Affairs will work closely with the leadership of the Conservation Strategies Division, the Executive Team and the Regional Managing Directors to lead the development of a globally integrated policy agenda focused on the organization’s highest conservation priorities. S/he will lead TNC’s efforts to create transformative new initiatives in the policy realm and will provide leadership for increased collaboration between TNC and governments, non-profits, and international public funding organizations around shared objectives for conservation and natural resource management.

The Vice President, External Affairs will also increase public funding opportunities and ensure that they are aligned with TNC’s unprecedented 8-year private fundraising campaign that commenced in 2007, developing and supporting public fundraising goals commensurate with the scale of that campaign. External Affairs also will collaborate with staff leading private fundraising efforts to leverage private funds to increase public commitments.

TNC’s Vice President, External Affairs, is responsible for directly managing a staff of more than 40 people and indirectly orchestrating the work of dozens of policy and public funding staff in TNC’s field-based conservation offices in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. S/he will work with teams to develop and manage global partnerships; contribute to the development of public lands strategies; support global, regional and local policies that advance conservation priorities; develop and manage strategies for working with partners, including business, commerce and trade professionals, on policies and public funding opportunities; and secure public funds from countries around the globe, with a focus on advancing the goals of the cross-cutting strategy teams in the Conservation Strategies Division.

The Vice President, External Affairs will also work with the Board of Directors and its committees on global conservation issues, strategies and opportunities and will present TNC’s overall policy agenda to the Board for approval annually.

Specific responsibilities of the Vice President include, but are not limited too:

• Work closely with Nature Conservancy staff, senior government officials, public agencies, elected officials, NGOs, and international financial institutions to develop and/or support high-level policies and initiatives that reduce or eliminate threats to priority conservation areas or threats that impair ecological processes important to biodiversity protection, including that develop and support strategies and initiatives that result in the effective management of public lands.

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for all External Affairs priorities, with direct management responsibility for the Director of U.S. Government Relations, the Director of International Government Relations and the Director of Conservation Campaigns.

• Develop and maintain productive and effective relationships with a broad spectrum of major partners, including at the top levels of government, international organizations, business, and the NGO community.

• Manage the organization-wide implementation of high-leverage strategies for the most influential global government and business institutions that can help advance/impede biodiversity conservation.

• Secure sustainable public funding from global donor and lending institutions, governments (and in some cases private sources) to support global conservation goals.

• Recruit new team members to develop new policy-driven and public funding strategies to reduce or eliminate large-scale threats to priority conservation sites in the marine, freshwater, forest trade and other priority sectors and threats like climate change and energy development that cut across sectors.

• Work closely with the President/CEO and COO to engage the Board of Governors to help advance global strategies. Represent TNC at international events, meetings and forums that advance biodiversity conservation.

• Contribute to organization wide strategies developed by the Executive Team.

The Vice President, External Affairs should ideally embody the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• Recognized as a global leader in field of expertise by peers, government and business leaders.

• Experience in at a high level in the international or domestic policy arena and in the public or private global funding sector, with a strong preference for multi- and bi-lateral experience. Private-sector finance experience is also desired. A proven ability to generate highly-leveraged outcomes.

• Fifteen or more years of global experience at a senior level management/leadership position in conservation, business, diplomatic or government service. Significant diplomatic experience or high-level management experience desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, complex projects, activities and situations and lead talented, motivated staff.

• Excellent and proven leadership and management history.

• Masters Degree in Public Policy or related field, JD, or MBA preferred.

Compensation

Compensation for the Vice President, External Affairs includes a competitive base salary, significant performance-related bonus potential, and an excellent package of health and pension benefits.

To Apply

Interested candidates should send their resume via e-mail to: Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company, at resumes@explorecompany.com attn: TNC VP-EXT.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer
 

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