Chief Impact Officer

Bushwise; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 2,000,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Bushwise in Sandton, South Africa, seeks a Chief Impact Officer to lead a global impact agenda spanning conservation, wildlife, communities, sustainability and responsible business. This is a C-suite leadership role with responsibility for developing and driving the Group's long-term impact strategy, integrating impact into operations, and representing the organisation at global forums.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years of senior leadership experience, proven board-level influence, strong

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive senior leadership experience in impact, sustainability, conservation, community development, philanthropy or related fields.
• C-suite/senior executive experience influencing Boards and shareholders.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including budgeting and fundraising.
• Expertise in conservation, biodiversity, ESG, impact investment or climate strategy.
• International experience across diverse cultures and emerging markets.
• Track record turning ambitious impact strategies into measurable outcomes.
• Advanced degree is advantageous but will not substitute for executive track record.

Responsibilities

• Develop long-term impact strategy for the Group.
• Integrate impact into business strategy, operations, investment and guest experience.
• Lead conservation, biodiversity and community initiatives.
• Oversee impact measurement, governance, reporting and funding.
• Build strategic partnerships with governments, NGOs, funders and global organisations.
• Advise the Board and leadership on impact, risk and long-term value creation.
• Build a high-performing impact function with accountability across the organisation.
• Represent the organisation at global forums as a thought leader in impact and responsible business.

Skills

Senior leadership

C-suite experience

Stakeholder engagement

Conservation/biodiversity

ESG expertise

Impact measurement

Fundraising

Education

Masters/Doctorate advantageous

Tertiary qualification

Job description

Sandton, South Africa | Posted on 09/07/2026

Are you asenior impact, sustainability, conservation or responsible business leaderready to shape an organisation’s long-term impact strategy?

My client is looking for an exceptionalChief Impact Officerto lead a global impact agenda spanningconservation, wildlife, communities, sustainability and responsible business.

The Role

This is aC-suite leadership positionwith responsibility for:

• Developing and driving the Group’s long-term impact strategy
• Integrating impact into business strategy, operations, investment and guest experience
• Leading conservation, biodiversity and community-focused initiatives
• Overseeing impact measurement, governance, reporting and funding
• Building strategic partnerships with governments, NGOs, funders and global organisations
• Advising the Board, shareholders and executive leadership on impact, risk and long-term value creation
• Building a high-performing impact function and embedding accountability across the organisation
• Representing the organisation at global forums and as a thought leader in impact and responsible business

Requirements

What We're Looking For

15+ yearsof progressive senior leadership experience in impact, sustainability, conservation, community development, philanthropy, responsible business or a related field

ProvenC-suite / senior executive experienceand the ability to influence Boards and shareholders

Strong commercial and financial acumen, including investment, budgeting and fundraising experience

Expertise in areas such asconservation & biodiversity, community development, ESG, impact investment, philanthropy, responsible tourism or climate/nature strategy

International experience working across diverse cultures and emerging markets

Strong stakeholder, partnership-building and external representation skills

A track record of turning ambitious impact strategies intomeasurable outcomes

A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent depth of career experience; an advanced degree at Masters orDoctorate level is advantageous but will not substitute for executive track record

Deep expertise in at least two of the following: conservation and biodiversity; community-led development;sustainability and ESG; impact investment or philanthropy; responsible tourism or hospitality; climate and naturestrategy.

Working fluency in relevant global frameworks and expectations, such as the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards,GRI and TNFD, together with the judgement to apply them proportionately.Experience in luxury travel, hospitality or conservation-led tourism is advantageous, but exceptional candidates from

adjacent global sectors will not be excluded.

This is an opportunity for a purpose-driven executive to influence strategy at the highest level while creating a meaningful measurable impact.