Head, Forest and Grassland Team
JOB DETAIL
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The Head Forest and Grassland Team directs communication on forest and grassland conservation for the Union, including policy positions, as well as supporting and representing the Director General at high-level international fora, with IUCN Members, and liaising with the relevant IUCN Commissions. In particular, the Head is one of the technical contact points for the IUCN Commissions on Ecosystem Management and Protected and Conserved Areas.
As the leader of a Team in the Centre for Conservation Action, the Head is expected to cooperate with the other global teams in the Centre to contribute to and deliver the Centre’s Business Plan, and with all other global teams in the other three Centres as well as relevant corporate teams including the Finance for Nature and Business Engagement teams to deliver a coherent and aligned thematic programme of activities.
The Head leads IUCN’s global work on forest and grassland conservation, developing and maintaining a well-defined strategic focus supported by a sustainable project portfolio that draws on the capacities of the other Centres, and is executed globally together with the regions, Commissions and Members.
The Head is responsible for the project pipeline that secures the resources to maintain staff capacity, and for efficient and effective management of projects and partnerships led by the team in accordance with the relevant contracts and agreements, including technical and financial reporting.
The Head is responsible for planning, budgeting and financial management that achieves full cost recovery, and generates surplus revenues that supports the overall management of the Centre and allows for innovative investment in portfolio growth and income.
The Head is responsible for the recruitment, management and supervision of all staff to carry out their assigned duties, and to development of the team and the individual staff to reach their potential through mentorship and support.
The Head is also responsible for upholding IUCN policies, maintaining a current awareness of relevant policies related to forest and grassland at the international and regional level, contributing towards IUCN’s policy positions on relevant subjects. S/he/they will also ensure that the project portfolio is instrumental in making the case for relevant policies and translating public policy into public funding and conservation outcomes.
SECTION A: SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS AND DELIVERABLES
The duties and responsibilities of the Head, Forest and Grassland Team are framed by the following areas of accountability:
• High level institutional representation for IUCN on forests and grasslands
• Influence the global forest and grassland agenda-setting priorities
• Lead forest and grassland policy and communication to increase visibility and credibility of IUCN as an authority for conservation in this realm
• Undertake programme development, coordination and reporting, acting as IUCN’s senior thematic focal point on forest and grassland conservation
• Undertake resource mobilisation and portfolio development
• Seek innovative and maintain strategic external partnerships and relations
• Planning, budgeting and financial management
• Supervision and development of staff
• Thematic lead on forests and grasslands for the IUCN World Conservation Congress
The Forest and Grassland Team brings together an expanding portfolio of projects to address the main objectives of IUCN’s Nature 2030 Programme, and in the medium-term IUCN’s Programme 2021-2025 to achieve policy, public funding and implementation of the global agenda to conserve the world’s forests and grasslands to address drivers of biodiversity loss, to protect, conserve and restore forest and grassland ecosystems, and to catalyse action with measurable impact for forest and grassland species and habitats and conservation outcomes.
The specific thematic functions of this position are as follows:
1.Project portfolio development and resource mobilisation
• Working under the guidance of the Centre Director, develop and maintain a high-quality, programmatically aligned portfolio of projects and income streams that is sufficient to deliver IUCN’s programme of work on Forest and grassland conservation.
• In accordance with the IUCN Programme, seek to extend large scale funding from existing donors and raise additional large-scale resources from new donors to support conservation action on forest and grasslands to improve the status of species, habitats and people.
• Work with other IUCN Centres and Regions to fundraise for forest and grassland conservation.
• Promote the use of grant-making mechanisms to build capacity for implementation by IUCN members, other organisations for forest and grassland conservation.
• Establish meaningful strategic partnerships with other agencies, organisations and the private sector for forest and grassland conservation action.
2. Management of the project portfolio and policy
• Maintain and establish high quality relationships with donors ensuring that donor expectations and requirements, including all aspects of reporting and communications, are fully met.
• Ensure that all contracted projects are delivered according to established procedures and protocols and following IUCN guidelines (legal, procurement, etc).
• Work with the IUCN Commissions to source technical expertise and to deliver capacity development on forest and grassland conservation including international policy.
• Establish a sound monitoring and evaluation framework for forest and grassland conservation impact in IUCN, in line with IUCN M&E corporate requirements.
• In developing and implementing forest and grassland conservation work, make operational links to the IUCN standards including the IUCN Nature-based Solutions Standard, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Green Status Assessments, the Key Biodiversity Area Standard, the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas Standard and the Species Threat Abatement and Recovery (STAR) Metric.
• In conjunction and alignment with the IUCN International Policy Centre, ensure that links are made to relevant policy mechanisms such as the SDGs and the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework in both the development and implementation of the portfolio and ensure that such links are leveraged, explained and supported in all forest and grassland conservation activities.
• In the implementation of the project portfolio, promote collaboration with other IUCN Centres and Regions.
3.Communication and representation
• Represent IUCN at high-level international fora and global networks in an advisory role on forest and grassland issues.
• Lead IUCN international engagements with partners and institutions on forest and grassland matters.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of a communications strategy for the IUCN Forest and grassland programme, in conjunction with strategic communications for the Centre for Conservation Action, and with the support of the Knowledge Management and Library Team, and Global Communications Unit.
• Ensure that all IUCN Forest and grassland communications correctly represent IUCN’s branding requirements.
• Promote and implement outreach activity to publicise the work carried out through all relevant media and in collaboration with the Global Communication Unit.
4.Team management and finances
• Manage the Forest and grassland Team, directing and deploying staff, and working closely with the Centre Director with respect to mobilization and allocation of financial resources in accordance with the IUCN system.
• Build, manage and motivate the team’s staff, working to ensure a cohesive and collegial approach both in relation to the forest and grassland conservation action work and in relation to the CCA as a whole.
• Ensure that all Forest and grassland Team staff members have a clear understanding of the vision and values, as well as the operational plans, their own role in delivering these plans, how these relate to the role of other colleagues and the necessary accountability and risk management procedures.
• Identify, encourage and nurture talent while at the same time proactively addressing any behaviors that diminish the effectiveness and well-being of the Forest and grassland Team.
• Oversee the management of the finances (including budgeting, TMS allocation, etc) of the Forest and grassland Team in association with the Global Programme Operations Unit (GPOU).
• Proactively contribute to and participate in the Centre for Conservation Action with particular emphasis on contributing to and reinforcing an institution-wide commitment to transparent and accountable management, innovative cooperation and team-based delivery.
SECTION B. COMPETENCIES
1.Enthusiastic commitment and inspirational leadership, characterized by:
• A commitment to nature conservation and sustainable use.
• Ability to provide inspiration and strategic direction.
2.Demonstrated leadership abilities and experience, maturity and management skills, characterized by:
• High level of integrity as evidenced by behaviour, communication style and way of handling ambiguous or difficult situations.
• Extensive and diverse professional networks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and lead the work of the Secretariat with diverse skills, personalities, and backgrounds.
• Proven ability to effectively delegate, empower and motivate staff and others.
• Experience developing teams and individuals and effectively leading improvement and change.
• Clear commitment to fostering a culture of high performance and accountability, demonstrated in the ability to manage by results, differentiate performance and assertively give feedback and take decisive action when necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to both plan and act, keeping the staff focused on priorities.
• Demonstrated experience in the selection, coaching and appraisal of staff.
• Demonstrated experience building teams diverse in gender, nationality and background to achieve business results.
3.Senior management experience, characterized by:
• A well-developed sense of managerial self-awareness with an ability to proactively manage individual strengths and weaknesses (including one’s own) and understand how these influence the team’s performance.
• Demonstrated experience and achievements in organizational, financial and personnel management, and in decision-making.
• A commitment to embrace and co-own institutional change processes
• Proven experience in maintaining and nurturing expert networks with demonstrated ability to handle politically and culturally sensitive issues.
• Maintain a positive work environment that facilitates collaboration and information sharing and is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating diverse talent.
4.Professional competencies, characterized by:
• Good understanding of world affairs and up to date knowledge of forest and grassland issues, as well as experience with the workings of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and governmental and non-governmental institutions.
• Excellent networking and representation skills.
• Recognition among peers and external partners in terms of leadership and understanding of forest and grassland science including social science.
• Ability and commitment to act in accordance with the core values of integrity, respect for diversity and professionalism as spelled out in IUCN’s Code of Conduct and Professional Ethics.
5.Sound judgment and decision making, characterized by:
• Ability to anticipate, assess and manage risk.
• Experience in identifying key issues in a complex situation, and consulting, gathering, and analyzing relevant information before proposing and implementing decisive actions or recommendations.
Well-organized and logical in thought and action.
| • At least 10 years of experience of designing, leading and managing initiatives, large international events, programmes and projects aimed at conserving biodiversity, in particular in forest and grassland conservation.
• At least 10 years of experience of proven capacity and skills in leading and managing diverse, multi-stakeholder partnerships and networks involving e.g. government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, development agencies, and scientific and technical bodies. • A strong technical knowledge on forest and grassland conservation issues worldwide and the main international policies affecting forest and grassland conservation. • A track record in successfully fundraising from a variety of donors. • Demonstrated capacity to successfully design projects according to the latest project appraisal standards. Previous working experience of the GEF, the European Commission or other multilateral funding mechanism would be an additional asset. • Experience in grant-making and in contracting third parties to deliver on activities. • A strong network with, and recognized standing among any forest and grassland conservation community of practice, preferably with a focus on action in the field. • Experience in working across a range of geographic and cultural settings. • Experience and a demonstrable track record in staff management and development. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including ability to communicate complex issues to a wide range of audiences. A second language (French, Spanish) is highly desirable. • Ability to travel frequently. |
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the “Apply” button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
