World Wildlife Fund – US (WWF-US) seeks a Program and Learning Manager (PLM), for a new conservation leadership fellowship that will cultivate a new generation of leaders to protect the world’s most vital ecosystems. The fellowship will provide long-term mentorship, camaraderie, and experiential learning to a diverse set of early-to-mid-career conservationists. The long-term goal of the fellowship is to build a vibrant community of conservation leaders who can solve complex problems, reach across disciplinary divides, and serve as effective ambassadors for their home ecosystems in international contexts.

The Program and Learning Manager will drive the design and on-the-ground implementation of the fellowship’s programming and learning activities. This will include building meaningful relationships with fellowship participants, attending to their learning needs, and helping them acquire the resources, mentorship, and tools they need to successfully protect their home ecosystems.

The PLM will work closely with the Executive Director to ensure that the high-level vision and philosophy of the program are translated into effective field-learning opportunities, including visits to sites of critical conservation importance and hubs of global decision-making.

The PLM will bring experience in teaching and/or group facilitation and is passionate about helping others succeed. Since fellowship participants will be comprised of people from across the Americas, the PLM’s ability to work effectively in multi-cultural and multi-lingual environments is essential. This position will involve domestic and international travel several times per year.

1. Design and implement intensive, immersive learning experiences. Fellowship cohorts will convene several times a year for in-person experiences in locations as varied as Washington DC, Patagonia, and the Amazon Rainforest. The Program and Learning Manager, working with the Executive Director, will design and deliver these experiences. This will include designating learning outcomes, crafting experiential learning and cohort-building activities, locating and contracting with local outfitters, and planning logistics for travel in remote areas.
2. Facilitate online programming. The Program and Learning Manager will lead the design and facilitation of regularly scheduled Zoom-based seminars for fellowship participants. The seminars will focus on wide-ranging topics in conservation. As the fellowship progresses, the expectation is that participants will take an increasingly larger role in designing and facilitating the seminars — a process that the Program and Learning Manager will also guide.
3. Act as primary point of contact and support for participants throughout the fellowship. The Program and Learning Manager will be expected to serve as the primary point of contact for participants throughout the fellowship program, acting as a trusted advisor, advocate, sounding board, and resource during the program. Because fellowship cohorts are small, our expectation is that the Program and Learning Manager will develop a nuanced understanding of each participant’s personal context, as part of fulfilling the overall commitment of this program to mentorship.
4. Coordinate the fellowship’s mentorship curriculum. A central element of the fellowship is mentorship from experienced and accomplished conservation practitioners. The Program and Learning Manager will act as a coordinator between mentor figures and fellows as they build mentor-mentee relationships.
5. Other tasks assigned by manager.

Key Competencies

• Expertise in facilitation and leadership development. The Program and Learning Manager must be skilled at facilitating professional growth experiences for groups and individuals, including challenging, cross-cultural “stretch” experiences that bring participants outside their comfort zones.
• Superb cross-cultural skills. The fellowship will involve participants from around the world. The Program and Learning Manager must be adept at navigating cultural differences and nuances with sensitivity and should thrive in multi-cultural and multi-lingual environments.
• Comfort in “non-traditional” and experiential educational settings. Most of the fellowship’s programming will not occur in traditional classrooms or conference centers but will instead take place in natural settings designed to cultivate wonder, awe, and inspiration. The incumbent should be drawn to experiential education methods as a teaching tool.
• An entrepreneurial, innovative spirit. The fellowship is a new program that will be “under construction” for several years. It will operate with an entrepreneurial approach of boldness and creativity. The Program and Learning Manager should enjoy being part of a growing program and thrive in dynamic environments that involve moments of uncertainty, ambiguity, and change.
• A proactive problem-solving approach. The Program and Learning Manager must be able to proactively solve problems in situations where colleagues may not be available for consultation. The ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly to changing situations will be important.
• Creativity and a cross-disciplinary perspective. The fellowship program is designed to cultivate creative bridge-builders who can reach across disciplines. The Program and Learning Manager should bring a sense of intense curiosity and multi-disciplinarity to their work.
  

Required Skills and Abilities

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in educational, academic, or programmatic role (e.g., coordinating a study abroad or exchange program, a mentorship program, an environmental campaign, or an educational program).
• Experience in education, group facilitation, leadership development, or in conservation practice.
• Demonstrated skill in designing curriculum, professional learning activities and/or teaching in multi-cultural or cross-cultural settings.
• Intermediate to advanced fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is required.
• An advanced degree in a field relevant to this position, desired but not required.
• Proven extraordinary commitment to teaching, mentoring, and facilitating growth.
• Experience successfully working across cultures and geographies, in contexts requiring highly effective cross cultural communication skills.
• Ability to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time, including to bi-annual in-person Convenings when the fellowship is underway.
• Proficiency with Zoom and/or other video- and audio-conferencing technologies.
• Business proficiency with MS Office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Proven commitment to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.

• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

Location

This position will be located in Washington DC, and requires adherence to the organization’s hybrid work policy, currently set at two days per week.

WWF is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and requires all US-based staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. WWF will consider requests for accommodation from the vaccine requirement based on disability, medical contraindication, sincerely held religious belief, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

To Apply:

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #24013
• Due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone

As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. WWF values diversity and inclusion and welcomes diverse candidates to apply.