México Conservation Director

The Nature Conservancy (All); United States; Remote; USD 99,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy is seeking a Mexico Conservation Director to lead strategic conservation efforts in Mexico, focusing on key geographies and partnerships across the region. You will guide a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets, and drive outcomes through evidence-based decisions.

This role requires strong Spanish and English communication, fundraising experience, and a track record of delivering large-scale conservation programs with private, governmental and civil society partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years in conservation or non-profit leadership.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and setting objectives.
• Proven fundraising and donor engagement experience.
• Strong communication in Spanish and English.
• Experience collaborating with private sector, government and civil society.

Responsibilities

• Define transformative conservation strategies and roadmaps with partnerships.
• Inspire shared ownership of conservation agenda and tools; lead by example.
• Oversee implementation of conservation outcomes using adaptive management.
• Develop, manage and retain a high performing team with development plans.
• Manage information systems to document progress and lessons learned.
• Support multi-year budgets and ensure effective budget management.
• Lead governance oversight of on-site initiatives, budgets, and M&E.
• Develop financing proposals with public and private partners.
• Communicate mission and priorities to diverse donors and partners.
• Prepare negotiations of project proposals with agencies as needed.
• Mentor staff to build competencies and lead complex goals.
• May act as Deputy Director for the BU Director when needed.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Donor relations

Team management

Bilingual Spanish/English

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Location: México

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Mexico Conservation Director (MCD) is a member of the Mexico Executive Team reporting to the Country Program Director and closely coordinates with other Conservation Directors and leaders across the Latin America Region (LAR).

We’re Looking for You:

The MCD essential function is to ensure that the Mexico program delivers an optimal contribution to TNC’s 2030 Outcomes, enabling strong partnerships and science-based decision making to achieve lasting results, with strong emphasis in Selva Maya and the Mesoamerican Reef (SM-MAR) as well as other national initiatives related with natural protected areas, regenerative ranching and agriculture, and large-scale fisheries. The MCD leads a team of experts and works both across TNC teams as well as with external partners including the private sector, government, and civil society organizations in SM-MAR, there is shared leadership with the Guatemala and Belize teams.

The MCD will shape transformative strategies that advance systems change approaches with clear and ambitious outcomes, and guide teams for effective implementation.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Supports the Mexico Director to define transformative conservation strategies and develop actionable roadmaps for effective implementation, including building necessary partnerships for wider impact and systemic changes.
• Inspires a sense of shared ownership of the conservation agenda and TNC’s conservation propositions and tools, enabling the optimal conditions to deliver and demonstrate progress, and leading with the example.
• Oversees implementation of agreed conservation outcomes, using adaptive management approaches with clear accountability for results.
• Develops, manages and retains a high performing team able to deliver on agreed conservation outcomes, and is responsible for performance management, employee engagement, training and career development.
• Manages internal information systems to assess, update and document evidence of progress, and lessons learned.
• Supports the development of annual and multi-year full-cost budgets and ensures effective budget management.
• Leads the conservation and governance oversight of on-site initiatives, including budget preparation and tracking, financial planning, monitoring and evaluation, and other decisions needed for the sustainable management of the initiatives.
• Leads and coordinates the development of public and private financing proposals that bolster and advance the strategic direction defined for priority geographies and agendas.
• Persuasively conveys the mission and conservation priorities of TNC to diverse groups including major donors, partners and others who are critical to the organization’s overall impact, leading or contributing to the preparation of presentations and reports.
• Directs, prepares, presents and/or participates in negotiations of project proposals with governmental, bilateral and/or multilateral agencies.
• Focus on inspiring and developing the team, cultivating TNCs competencies and values, promoting accountability and ensuring that everybody plays a relevant role to achieve complex goals. Dedicating time to set expectations, guide, coach and develop staff knowing that being a great leader is as important as the technical knowledge.
• May act as a Deputy Director for the BU Director as needed.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree and over 8 years of experience in similar positions, including experience as a leader in the conservation arena and/or non-profit sector.
• Outstanding supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance in multidisciplinary teams.
• Track record working on sustainable development and environmental issues including forest conservation, regenerative ranching and agriculture, community conservation, fisheries, natural protected areas and/or integrated landscape management in Mexico with non-governmental, private or public organizations. International experience in these issues would be desirable.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and oral in Spanish and English, for diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.
• Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects, engaging with donors and writing outstanding concepts.
• Experience in collaboration with the private sector, non-government and community-based organizations and public authorities.
• Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals, and coordinating the work of partners while meeting deadlines.

Desired Qualifications

• 10 years’ of professional experience, including proven experience effectively leading environmental and conservation issues, in large and complex programs and with measurable results in Mexico in non-governmental, private or public organizations.
• Demonstrated success as an inspirational and innovative leader who has successfully led a multi-disciplinary team, while also influencing without direct authority inside and outside the organization.
• Experience working in a matrixed, decentralized, and geographically dispersed organization.
• Proven technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.
• Demonstrated operational, implementation, and detail-oriented perspective.
• Proactive understanding of systems change approaches: : Thinks and acts from a broad perspective with a long-term view and an understanding of 1) the dynamic nature of large-scale challenges and 2) the need for integrating five key practices: skillfully engaging appropriate people; providing a clear process for change; taking a holistic view of situations; focusing on a small number of strategic actions, while learning from and adapting them over time; and being aware of how one's own thinking or patterns of behavior may be limiting change

JOB FAMILY: Conservation

JOB NUMBER: 250007

SALARY GRADE: 9

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

What We Bring:

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process.