Head, Policy, Forests – WWF International

Environment House; United States; Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

WWF is seeking a senior policy leader to serve as Head of Policy, Forests, driving global forest policy and advocacy across the WWF Network and with external partners.

You will provide strategic leadership, identify opportunities, and mobilise offices and partners to advance forest conservation outcomes within WWF’s Roadmap 2030.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years’ professional policy experience in conservation, environment and/or development, including practical experience in international processes.
• Strong track record of delivering policy impact and influencing decision‑making at senior levels.
• Experience working in complex organisations and multi‑stakeholder environments, including leading through influence rather than direct authority.
• Understanding of forest governance, deforestation drivers, voluntary sustainability standards (including FSC), and relevant policy instruments is highly desirable.
• Fluency in English required; Fluency in French and/or Spanish would be an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead WWF’s global forests policy and advocacy agenda with strategic thought leadership and implementation.
• Act as adviser to the Senior Director, Forests and leadership team, supporting prioritisation and long‑term direction.
• Identify policy opportunities, risks and emerging trends affecting forest objectives and conservation.
• Shape policy narratives and approaches to strengthen actions on forests, climate, biodiversity, and human rights.
• Align policy priorities with finance mechanisms and funding strategies to accelerate implementation.
• Monitor and evaluate policy approaches and adapt strategies to changing contexts.
• Lead development of WWF policy positions and advocacy strategies across forest‑related issues.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Policy analysis

Influence & coalition-building

Communication & externalRepresentation

Network leadership

Results orientation

Judgement & collaboration

English proficiency

French/Spanish asset

Job description

Location: flexible

1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT

WWF’s Global Forests Programme works across the WWF Network and with external partners to deliver transformational impact by advancing four interconnected pillars of work: halting deforestation and conversion; protected and conserved areas; restoration; and sustainable forest management. The Forests Programme is one of four core teams in WWF’s Biodiversity Practice whose aim is to support and unite the WWF Network and our partners to achieve the Thriving Biodiversity objective of WWF’s Roadmap 2030 – WWF’s five year plan to tackle the most urgent conservation issues.

2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS

As a senior policy leader, the Head of Policy, Forests drives WWF’s global forest policy and advocacy agenda, helping translate ambitious goals into meaningful conservation outcomes. The role provides strategic leadership across the WWF Network, identifies opportunities to influence policy and decision‑making and their implementation, and strengthens WWF’s position in key international processes, regional and national policy fora and partnerships.

Working closely with the Senior Director, Forests within the Biodiversity Practice, the Head of Policy helps identify and shape strategic priorities, provides strategic policy analysis and research; develops innovative policy solutions, mobilises WWF offices and partners around common objectives and key policy levers, and with a sharp focus on implementation ensures that policy efforts contribute to measurable progress on forest conservation, climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development goals.

3 Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Direction

• Lead and facilitate WWF’s global forests policy and advocacy agenda, with a focus on strategic thought leadership, capacity building, planning and implementation, that demonstrably delivers on forest related goals of WWF’s Roadmap 2030.
• Act as a strategic adviser and thought partner to the Senior Director, Forests and Forests Leadership team, supporting prioritisation, strategic decision‑making, and long‑term direction.
• Identify policy opportunities, risks and emerging trends that could affect WWF's forest objectives and broader conservation ambitions.
• Help shape influential narratives and policy approaches that strengthen action on forests, climate, biodiversity, sustainable development and human rights.
• Identify opportunities to align policy priorities with emerging public and private finance mechanisms and funding strategies that can accelerate implementation and scale of forest conservation solutions
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of WWF’s policy and advocacy approaches, capturing learning and adapting strategies to changing political, policy and institutional contexts.

Policy Development and Advocacy

• Lead the development of WWF policy positions, advocacy strategies and recommendations on key forest‑related issues, and work with communications colleagues to ensure messages are clear, consistent and effectively socialised internally and externally.
• Identify and advance policy reforms, governance improvements, and enabling conditions needed to achieve large‑scale forest conservation outcomes.
• Influence decision‑makers and support evidence‑based policy solutions that address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
• Ensure policy recommendations are practical, implementation‑focused and capable of delivering measurable impact on the ground.

International Engagement and Partnerships

• Lead and coordinate WWF’s engagement on forest‑related issues at key multilateral and international fora and processes, including UNFCCC, CBD, and other relevant global initiatives, while identifying new spaces for targeted influence.
• Represent WWF in high‑level dialogues, negotiations, partnerships and multi‑stakeholder processes.
• Strengthen WWF's influence through strategic relationships with governments, civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, research institutions, multilateral organisations, and private‑sector partners.
• Provide leadership within key forest‑related partnerships and coalitions, including the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), Forest Declaration Assessment and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

WWF Network Coordination and Capacity Building

• Mobilise and support WWF offices, regional teams and forest initiatives to advance shared policy priorities at global, regional and national levels, helping translate forest ambitions into effective implementation and measurable conservation outcomes.
• Foster policy coherence and collaboration across WWF programmes, practices and departments.
• Coordinate WWF participation in strategic policy dialogues and ensure effective engagement of relevant experts and senior leaders.
• Strengthen policy capacity across the WWF Network through guidance, knowledge sharing and mentoring.
• Provide a research, intelligence and radar function on external policy developments relevant to WWF.

4 PROFILE

Required Qualifications

• At least 7 years’ professional policy experience in conservation, environment and/or development, including practical experience in international processes. Experience in forest policy processes and fora would be a major advantage.
• Strong track record of delivering policy impact and influencing decision‑making processes at senior levels.
• Experience working in complex organisations and multi‑stakeholder environments, including leading through influence rather than direct authority
• Understanding of forest governance, deforestation drivers, voluntary sustainability standards (including FSC), and relevant policy instruments is highly desirable.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strategic thinking and prioritisation: Able to identify and focus on the policy opportunities, risks and choices that matter
• most for WWF's forest objectives, and to support effective strategic decision‑making.
• Policy analysis and problem‑solving: Strong ability to analyse complex policy, governance and implementation challenges, develop practical solutions, and translate evidence and insight into effective policy positions and advocacy strategies.
• Influence, coalition‑building and political savvy: Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence decision‑makers, partners and coalitions in complex political and institutional environments.
• Communication and external representation: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent WWF credibly and confidently in high‑level policy processes, partnerships and multi‑stakeholder forums.
• Network leadership: Demonstrated ability to coordinate, support and mobilise diverse teams, experts and WWF offices around shared priorities, including across remote and distributed teams.
• Results and implementation focus: Results‑driven, with a strong commitment to ensuring policy and advocacy efforts translate into measurable conservation outcomes and impact on the ground.
• Judgement and collaboration: Excellent judgement, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to act as a trusted adviser, thought partner and collaborative team member across cultures and geographies.
• Language skills: Fluency in English required. Fluency in French and/or Spanish would be an asset.
• Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

• Close senior working relationship with the Senior Director, Forests, the Forests Team, other Thematic Programme and Practice policy leads, other members of the Biodiversity Practice Core Team, and the Global Policy and Impact Department.
• Close working relationships with Forests focal points, Initiative Leads, regional policy specialists and relevant policy and program leads across WWF offices, particularly those leading forest priorities at national and regional levels
• Close collaboration with other Practice teams - Finance, Food and Agriculture and Climate and Energy

External

• Senior working relationships with governments, civil society, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples’ and local community organisations, scientific and research institutions, multilateral institutions, private sector actors and relevant coalitions.
• Strategic leadership and engagement with key forest‑related partnerships and platforms, including FCLP, Forest Declaration Assessment, FSC and emerging coalitions relevant to WWF’s forest policy objectives.