Officer, Enduring Earth

Enduring Earth

Eastern Tropical Pacific, Officer

Position Description

The Environmental Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change.

Enduring Earth

Enduring Earth is an ambitious collaboration that works with stewards of the environment to accelerate and amplify conservation for a more sustainable, prosperous future for people and the planet. The initiative seeks to protect and conserve our ocean, lands, and freshwater and to secure long-term financing for conservation projects that will also help ensure economic diversification and prosperity in communities and climate resiliency. Enduring Earth is a collaboration among The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, World Wildlife Fund, and ZOMA LAB, the family office of philanthropists Ben and Lucy Ana Walton.

Central to Enduring Earth’s approach is a model known as Project Finance for Permanence (PFP), which secures long-term investment in conservation initiatives by linking sustained funding to tangible, measurable goals encompassing both social and environmental benefits.

Pew is working collaboratively with a range of organizations, governments and communities in developing a portfolio of global PFP initiatives.

Position Overview

The Officer will report to Pew’s Enduring Earth Director and will be responsible for overseeing the development of a Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) in the ETP. The Officer will work with the ETP countries, key partners and Pew to coordinate the PFP planning phase. The Officer will ensure that all actions necessary to execute a PFP that sustains conservation and coordination in the region are developed, and the key enabling conditions for a PFP are met. The Officer will ensure coordination between the Enduring Earth initiative and other Pew TOPs.

The Officer will ensure both projects are aligned with key stakeholders, including the government, international investors, civil society, and local communities/ rightsholders. Planning is a participatory process that will be co-designed with relevant countries and the manager will help to ensure that all key stakeholders are effectively engaged and that the planning structure adequately involves relevant parties. The Officer will be responsible for facilitating the planning process and ensuring a high-quality conservation and financial plan, a closing agreement and disbursement conditions that will achieve the targets, and endorsement by all parties. While this position is focused on ETP, the Officer may be requested to provide support to other PFPs in the Pew Enduring Earth portfolio.

Responsibilities

Coordination of Deal Teams / Committees:

• Develop and oversee efficient and well-coordinated PFP planning structures, internally and externally, that ensure the planning phase includes representation from relevant countries and key stakeholders.
• Develop and oversee a detailed workplan and drive timely implementation by coordinating regular team meetings, identifying and following up on deliverables, and addressing obstacles.
• Ensure that the PFP planning is aligned with and leveraging other regional projects and programs, such as the Biosphere Reserve planning.
• Maintain effective communication between team members and committees; review and provide input on work products and deliverables to ensure quality and alignment with regional objectives.
• Identify technical expertise needed and support consultancies as required.
• Elevate any issues/obstacles as needed to Pew for resolution, approval or intervention.

PFP Structure / Legal Agreements:

• Work with the Deal Team and key partners to develop the conservation plan / scope, deal structure, closing conditions, and legal agreements.
• Support the Deal Team and Pew / Enduring Earth sustainable finance experts to develop sustainable finance models that will be used to ensure the long-term conservation of the ETP.
• Ensure support for proposed deal structure with key stakeholders and oversee due diligence of existing structures.
• Support where needed the development of legal documents.
• Engage the four ETP countries at all levels in coordination with Pew and CMAR to ensure engagement, leadership and endorsement of the durable finance mechanism.

Communications & Fundraising:

• Support the preparation of briefing materials and internal communication on the deal and develop a communication strategy with support from Pew communications team.
• Provide guidance to Pew’s communication team on the content of internal and external communications.
• Engage with regional stakeholders during the development phase and communicate transparently.
• Support Pew’s fundraising team and the Enduring Earth Resource Mobilization committee as needed on proposals and materials and capitalization for donors.
• Provide regular status updates to Pew and Enduring Earth fundraising teams and Resource Mobilization Committee as requested and participate in Pew Enduring Earth meetings.
• Help to identify and engage political champions in the region.
• Represent the project and Pew as requested at regional and international meetings.

Lessons Learned:

• Identify and share lessons learned with Pew and Enduring Earth to improve other PFP projects, especially given this is the first multi-country project.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the conservation sector, with demonstrated success in developing and managing complex projects and teams.
• Extensive work experience in one or more ETP countries.
• Knowledge of the ETP, the regional programs and stakeholders.
• Project management experience.
• Conservation management experience, particularly in marine conservation, preferred.
• Proven ability, experience, and inter-personal skill in networking with a diversity of stakeholders is required.
• Proven diplomatic skills and a desire to work in multi-cultural and national frameworks.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Flexibility and problem-solving skills required.
• Ability to analyze, prioritize, complete work with minimal supervision, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to facilitate the work of others, take initiative, use independent judgment, and work effectively as a member of a team.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English and Spanish.
• Ability to travel within the ETP countries and internationally.
  

Salary Range

Pew is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other protected characteristics.