Director, Global Ocean Policy & International Relations

The Ocean Conservancy; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC is seeking a Director, International Government Relations to coordinate international policy advocacy across conservation programs. You will lead the IGR team and ensure OC presents a single, credible voice at Our Ocean, the UN Ocean Conference and UNEA.

This role requires 5+ years in international policy or diplomacy, strong coalition-building, and superb relationship management.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of international policy, diplomacy or government relations experience.
• Ability to build and run cross-team coordination systems without direct authority.
• Proven track record in building international coalitions and engaging governments.
• Familiarity with international policy venues (IMO, UNFCCC/COPs, UNEA, Our Ocean).
• Excellent relationship-management skills and diplomatic judgment.
• Strong written and verbal communication; synthesize cross-program info.
• Highly organized, able to maintain shared calendars and trackers.
• Collaborative, able to influence across program boundaries.
• Willingness to travel internationally for negotiations and partner meetings.

Responsibilities

• Directly engage governments and international institutions on Ocean Conservancy priorities.
• Manage IGR team: supervision, budget, annual workplan and reporting.
• Coordinate cross-program advocacy, diplomacy and coalition-building.
• Run internal coordination calls and global visibility updates.
• Maintain a shared international events calendar and planning tracker.
• Define country targets and ensure engagement decisions reflect priorities.

Skills

Policy advocacy

Diplomacy

Coalitions

Relationship management

Written & verbal communication

Cross-team coordination

Organizational systems

Collaboration across programs

International travel

Education

Bachelor degree in environmental policy or related field

Job description

Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC is seeking a Director, International Government Relations to coordinate international policy advocacy across conservation programs. You will lead the IGR team and ensure OC presents a single, credible voice at Our Ocean, the UN Ocean Conference and UNEA.

This role requires 5+ years in international policy or diplomacy, strong coalition-building, and superb relationship management.