Role Specification Chief Conservation Officer, Australia World … · 2018-01-28 · Role...

Role Specification

Chief Conservation Officer, Australia

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Australia)

Contact

Ashley Stephenson

[email protected]

t. +61 2 9240 4522

Sharne Bryan

[email protected]

t. +61 3 9678 9603

Role Specification & Description Chief Conservation Officer WWF-Australia

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Background on the Global and Australian Organisation

Founded in 1961, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the world’s largest non-

governmental conservation organization. It operates as a global network with 6,500 staff

operating in more than 100 countries with the support of six million members, and 22

million Facebook and 14 million Twitter followers worldwide.

WWFs efforts are grounded in its work with communities and governments to conserve

and restore species and ecoregions in priority places around the world. The organisation

also works extensively with major private and public institutions to reduce the impacts of

climate change, infrastructure projects, unsustainable food production, and general human

consumption.

In 2016, WWF launched a new global strategy to help the nations, states, and cities of the

world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Climate Agreement, and the

Convention of Biological Diversity. WWF works through strong country programs, linked

through global practice areas (including Forests, Oceans, Freshwater, Climate, Food,

Wildlife, Markets, Finance, and Governance), to drive local innovation and large-scale

solutions and partnerships to reverse the loss of nature by 2030. Specific overarching goals

include:

1. Protect & restore at least 30% of the land and sea to build resilient communities

2. End illegal wildlife trade and overexploitation of the most high-profile species

3. Halt deforestation and degradation at key fronts

4. Keep the world’s most important rivers clean and flowing

5. Double the world’s sustainably managed fisheries

6. Halve the damaging impacts of human food systems

7. Halve global greenhouse gas emissions.

WWF–Australia

WWF-Australia operates under an independent board and is the 7th largest member of the

WWF Global Network. It works with governments, businesses and communities on

environmental issues with a single mission: to build a world where people live and prosper

in harmony with nature. WWF-Australia is governed by a Board of Directors and has a

membership of up to 100 Governors. The Executive Team and close to 100 staff

throughout the country manage conservation programs, field work, fundraising, marketing

and administration.

WWF-Australia has its foundation in science and works towards a sustainable planet,

striving to conserve biodiversity in Australia and throughout the Oceania region. Behind

the scenes of their on-ground conservation projects are teams of scientists, policy and

communications experts, lawyers and other specialists, all supported by regional and

national staff members. WWF-Australia does not engage in activities that support political

parties, seek to persuade members of the public to vote for or against particular candidates

or parties in an election, participate in party political demonstrations, or distribute material

designed to underpin a party political campaign.

Over the past few decades, WWF-Australia has delivered transformational conservation

results, including: a marine park covering 33% of the Great Barrier Reef; a ban on industrial

dumping in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; a pest-free Macquarie Island for

wildlife; the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment (Earth Hour); the

world’s largest Marine Protected Area network around Australia; and ensuring that more


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than 100 million cans of tuna sold in Australia each year are now Marine Stewardship

Council (MSC) certified. However, past success is no guarantee of future results, and the

organisation is committed to raising its game in order to stay ahead of the challenges we

face and to deliver the impact at the scale needed.

Driving Change

WWF-Australia works across multiple fronts, principally because the challenges we face

today are complex and deep-rooted. There is no ‘silver bullet’ to achieve the organisation’s

far reaching goals nor any quick fixes. Conservation and sustainable development require

coordinated action by many people involving a range of strategies and tactics.

WWF-Australia relies on three powerful integrated theories of change to deliver results.

First, it works in-the-field to test, validate and deliver practical sustainable development

solutions that are good for species, for the environment and for people. Secondly, it engages

with business, consumers and other economic stakeholders to transform the way that

markets operate. Third, it advocates innovative policy reforms that can be popular,

affordable, feasible and effective - through policy engagement and campaigns.

Some of the greatest, and most enduring successes have been when the organisation’s ways

of working complement and reinforce each other. This is the case on the Great Barrier Reef,

where the organisation’s water quality monitoring on the ground helps to build a

compelling link between agricultural runoff and species loss, driving a shift towards

precision farming practices and market based certification, and generates over one

hundred million dollars in new government funding and regulation towards limiting

nitrogen pollution.

The power of WWF-Australia is that it is able to tackle extremely complex problems in an

integrated way:

Delivering field-based solutions - This includes project work to measure

environmental and socio-economic impacts, research and protect species, pilot

innovative production practices, monitor protected areas and develop sustainable

livelihood options. The field work is invariably carried out in collaboration with local

partners, which include research institutions, community groups, traditional owners

and primary producers.

Transforming markets and business - This includes: one-to-one corporate

engagement on sustainable production and procurement; multi-stakeholder

initiatives, such as voluntary standards and certification; responsible lending,

investment and insurance; consumer awareness on sustainable consumption; research

and development, such as analysis of global trade flows and associated risks or impacts.

Influencing policy - This includes advocacy seeking political commitments to laws

and regulations that are important to deliver conservation outcomes, or to public

funding for conservation-related initiatives or programs. This can be linked to state or

federal elections, and involves mobilising WWF-Australia’s supporter base to

demonstrate popular support for the organisation’s position. In carrying out any

advocacy work, WWF-Australia is guided by its policy on ‘Advocacy with Excellence’,

which includes a commitment to non-partisanship, to scientific accuracy and to

cooperation.


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A Strategy for Changing Times

As a global organisation, WWF knows that environmental solutions will not have a lasting

impact unless they also support social equity and economic development, and the landmark

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in late 2015, provides a global

roadmap and common currency for bringing all three together. Recently the WWF Network

has undergone a major shift to ensure it is fit for purpose in this new world. This global

shift has resulted in an unprecedented level of focus, with the WWF Network marshalled

around six Global Goals (Climate/Energy, Food, Forests, Oceans, Water, Wildlife) and

three global drivers (Markets, Finance, Governance) which are aimed at decoupling human

development from environmental degradation. WWF-Australia’s 2017-2021 strategy

reflects this global shift. The specifics are summarized below:


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Values and Culture

WWF is a dynamic and mission driven organisation. Its work is founded in science and is

focused on innovative, practical and scalable approaches to increasing conservation impact

and building a sustainable planet. The organisation’s work traverses policy, advocacy,

programs and partnerships to deliver with impact. There are a clear set of values and

behaviours which underpin this work and its culture. These values are:

Acts with Integrity.

Knowledgeable.

Optimistic.

Determined.

Engaging.

For further information please visit www.wwf.org.au

http://www.wwf.org.au/


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The Role

Job Purpose

The Chief Conservation Officer (CCO) is a newly created role in WWF-Australia and leads

the development and implementation of WWF-Australia’s conservation strategy and

ensures the achievement of conservation impact at scale with a focus on WWF’s marine,

species, policy & science, sustainable development & business programs, and uses

evidence-based analysis and decision making to increase agility and drive innovation

across conservation programs. Additionally, the CCO will contribute at the international

level as part of WWF-Australia’s overseas programs, and in collaboration with WWF’s

Global Practices.

The CCO is a member of the Executive Team and has a high degree of interaction with the

WWF-Australia Board, the Eminent Scientist Group (ESG). The CCO is one of the

organisations key fundraisers and works very closely with donors to ensure the delivery of

conservation impact. The role is also a key spokesperson for WWF-Australia.

Key Priorities

The CCO leads the organisation’s efforts to catalyse conservation goals and impact at scale.

They achieve this by providing direct and indirect leadership across each of the three key

areas of the organisation’s work (see page 3), working closely with the entire Executive

Team. Importantly, they will continue to introduce fresh thinking to traditional

conservation approaches, including promoting a wider definition and better measurement

of conservation impact.

Specifically, some of the key priorities will be to:

Conceptualise the organisation’s conservation strategy in changing times.

Identify innovative and scalable opportunities to increase impact.

Build capacity for evidence-based decision making and robust impact reporting.

Inspire the team to adopt new ways of working.

Advocate for the organisation in the media and with donors.

Develop strategic partnerships.

Integrate into and contribute to global conservation initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

Leads the development and implementation of WWFs Conservation Strategy.

Leads and supports Conservation Heads of department, and conservation teams to

deliver strategic goals.

Fosters innovation and unlocks creativity to drive conservation outcomes and impact.

Develops, leads and implements robust evidence-based measurement and analysis of

conservation impact and ensures insights drive accountability, transparency,

innovation, and agility across conservation programs.

Builds strong and cohesive teams that deliver strategically aligned key performance

indicators.


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Convenes and supports the Eminent Scientist’s Group (ESG) that provides technical

expertise and scientific credibility to WWF’s conservation work and ensures that

results-based management is used to monitor and evaluate conservation impact.

Leads the adoption of digital multimedia approaches that fosters supporter

engagement, mobilisation, and income generation across all conservation programs.

Delivers specific fundraising targets for philanthropy, partnership, and other strategic

income streams.

Oversees and models the integration of Conservation programs, Marketing &

Engagement, and Fundraising.

Contributes to the delivery of WWF’s global conservation practices, in particular the

Global Marine, Wildlife Trade, Food and Markets Practices.

Team

The CCO will lead a team of 30 people located in offices and program sites across Australia

and a diverse portfolio of activities. The direct reports to the role are:

Conservation Director Sustainable Futures

Head of Sustainable Food

Head of Living Ecosystems

Conservation Impact & Evaluation Specialist

Protected Areas & Conservation Science Manager

Innovation Strategist

Role Location

The position is based in Sydney, Australia, and will involve domestic and international

travel.

Contract Period

Three years.


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Personal Characteristics

To meet the high expectations for this exciting new role, WWF-Australia seeks to appoint

an innovative and outcomes focused leader, who is passionate and committed to increasing

conservation impact. They should have an instinct for opportunities and a track record of

creating innovative, scalable solutions and partnerships. Most importantly, the CCO will

embody the fundamental values of the organisation, particularly integrity, mission focus,

collaboration and a focus on practical and evidence based solutions.

WWF-Australia is open to consider candidates from a wide range of backgrounds in

sustainable development. Knowledge of or experience in local and global conservation

issues would be an advantage. WWF-Australia is seeking an agile leader with a track

record of empowering and inspiring talented professionals across a wide range of

portfolios.

Technical Knowledge/Experience Essential Desirable

Conservation issues, programs and practices

Biodiversity issues, principles and programs

Sustainable development

Functional Experience

Program/project management

Financial management

Fundraising & marketing

Policy and advocacy experience

Media

Strategic partnerships

Team leadership at comparable scale

Sector Experience

NGO experience

Networks within government, corporations,

community organisations

Education

Advanced degree in natural or environmental science, sustainability, business or other relevant degree or equivalent experience and reputation.


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Leadership Competencies

Innovative thinker – the ideal candidate will be able to conceptualise strategies in a

diverse, fast moving and often ambiguous portfolio with a focus on new ideas and

spotting opportunities that deliver practical solutions that increase impact.

Results driven – the ideal candidate will take initiative and be agile, outcomes focused

and drive to action. They will operate with a clear sense of purpose and be persistent in

pursuing measurable increased impact for the organisation.

Highly collaborative – the ideal candidate will be a team player who works

inclusively and demonstrates the ability to listen well, invite and engage a diversity of

voices, and build lasting partnerships that deliver results.

Excellent communicator – the ideal candidate will have the ability to be compelling

and inspiring in advocating for WWF to the full range of stakeholders, including with

donors, media, government and globally within WWF.

Motivating leader – the ideal candidate will have a leadership style that will inspire

the dispersed conservation team to even greater levels of performance, leveraging their

individual and collective expertise, as well as unlocking their creativity and potential.


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Reporting to

Dermot O’Gorman, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Australia

Dermot grew up on the beautiful NSW south coast, immersed in nature, which sparked his

lifelong journey as a conservationist. He started his working career with the NSW Parks &

Wildlife Service and, after studying in London, joined WWF in the UK in 1998. He has been

with WWF ever since!

During nearly two decades with WWF he has been very fortunate to work in conservation

all over the world, including as CEO of WWF-China, CEO of WWF-Pacific and, since 2010,

back home as CEO of WWF-Australia. This has given him a wealth of experience working

with vastly different stakeholders and exposure to a range of local, regional and global

conservation issues.

Dermot is passionate about the big picture of conservation; how to provide sustainable food

and energy for seven billion people while maintaining space for nature, and using

collaboration and partnerships to protect our natural world today for tomorrow’s

generations. Delivering solutions at scale means engaging with community groups,

governments, businesses and international organisations to work together towards the

common goal of a healthier planet for all.

He sees that digital technologies and innovations will radically change the approach of

conservation over this decade, whether it be developments such as the use of thermal

imaging technology to locate and monitor species in vast habitats, or empowering millions

of global citizens to be a voice for nature.

Staying connected to his local environment is important to Dermot and he enjoys ocean

swimming, gardening and bushwalking.

LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermot-o-gorman-00a51242/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermot-o-gorman-00a51242/


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Department Conservation

Job matrix group

WWF Executive & Senior Managers

Job matrix level 11

Job title Chief Conservation Officer

Reports to Chief Executive Officer

Direct reports Conservation Director Sustainable Futures, Head of Sustainable Food, Head of Living Ecosystems, Conservation Impact & Evaluation Specialist, Protected Areas & Conservation Science Manager, Innovation Strategist

Location Sydney Office, New South Wales, Australia

Job type Full Time Fixed Term Contract

Contract Period 3 years

Hours per week 40

Approval People and Culture Director

Organisational context

For over 50 years WWF has been a leading voice for nature. We are the world’s largest conservation organisation, working in 100 countries and with over 5 million supporters. WWF-Australia is the 7th largest member of the WWF Network. We work with governments, businesses and communities on environmental issues with a single mission: to build a world where people live and prosper in harmony with nature. We have our foundation in science and we work towards a sustainable planet, striving to conserve biodiversity in Australia and throughout the Oceania region. Behind the scenes of our on-ground conservation projects are teams of scientists, policy and communications experts, lawyers and other specialists, all supported by our regional and national staff members. WWF-Australia does not engage in activities that support political parties, seek to persuade members of the public to vote for or against particular candidates or parties in an election, participate in party political demonstrations, or distribute material designed to underpin a party-political campaign.

Department context

WWF-Australia’s strategy requires all staff to support the delivery of eight conservation goals: Secure Sustainable Food, Save Threatened Species, Create a Low Carbon Future, Protect our Marine Life, Conserve Nature with Equity, Stop Big Bad Things, Engage Millions of People as a Voice For Nature, and Grow Investment into Conservation Impact.


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Purpose of job The position leads the development and implementation of a cohesive and integrated conservation strategy to achieve conservation impact at scale. With a focus on WWF-Australia's marine, species, science, policy, sustainable business and sustainable food programs, the position uses evidence-based analysis and decision making to increase agility and drive innovation across a diverse range of conservation programs. The Chief Conservation Officer (CCO) is a member of the Executive Team and has a high degree of interaction with the WWF-Australia Board and Eminent Scientist Group (ESG). On behalf of WWF-Australia, the CCO acts as a key spokesperson and contributes at the international level as a key member of the WWF Network.

Key accountabilities

Leads the development and implementation of WWFs Conservation Strategy.

Leads and supports Conservation Heads of department, and conservation teams to deliver strategic goals.

Leads innovation and unlocks creativity to drive conservation outcomes and impact.

Is accountable for quality, marketable conservation products.

Develops, leads and implements robust evidence-based measurement and analysis of conservation impact and ensures insights drive accountability, transparency, innovation, and agility across conservation programs.

Builds strong and cohesive teams that deliver strategically aligned key performance indicators.

Convenes and supports the Eminent Scientist’s Group (ESG) that provides technical expertise and scientific credibility to WWF’s conservation work and ensures that results-based management is used to monitor and evaluate conservation impact.

Leads the adoption of digital multimedia approaches that fosters supporter engagement, mobilisation, and income generation across all conservation programs.

Delivers specific fundraising targets for philanthropy, sustainable business, government grants, and other strategic income streams.

Works with Executive Team colleagues to model cross-functional integration and collaborative ways of working.

Contributes to the delivery of WWF’s global conservation practices, in particular the Global Marine, Wildlife Trade, Food and Markets Practices.

Job level responsibilities

At the organisation and department level:

Demonstrates strategic organisational leadership that drives innovation, improvement, and results.

Performs financial, risk and quality management and Board level reporting

People leadership in building a high performance, constructive organisational culture, driving change through people, and developing organisational competence by attracting, coaching, developing and retaining talent.

Leads and directs compliance with legislation and standards, leads on policies and practices, particularly Advocacy with Excellence, Information Security, health and safety, child protection, security, sustainability, Information Security, and equal employment opportunity.


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Creates and communicates WWFs vision and leads on WWFs mission, Guiding Principles and I-KODE Values – Acts with Integrity, Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Determined and Engaging.

Champions the brand to build trust and optimising brand opportunities to drive donor and partnership engagement.

Represents WWF-Australia as a key influential spokesperson/authority within discipline nationally and internationally.

Applies and adheres to the WWF Standards of Conservation Project and Program Management.

Seeks approval from the CEO for international travel.

Relationships & communications

Team-working is WWFs preferred way of working requiring positive and constructive relationships across the organisation. Key relationships include:

Executive Team to coordinate strategic integration across the organisation

People & Culture Director to develop the workforce, build strategically aligned competence and new ways of working.

Strategic partnerships and high-level contacts in government, corporations, community organisations, and the scientific community.

WWF Global Practices and Network teams, and the Asia-Pacific Region.

Eminent Scientist Group to act as the key interface on strategic plan and program matters.

Job Challenges The digital future is a central premise within WWF and the position requires the skills to build trust and work collaboratively to achieve engagement across conservation teams.

Conservation teams are required to adopt new ways of working, distributed decision making and integration to deliver optimal organisational outcomes.

The geographically dispersed nature of WWF requires advanced people and project management skills.

Anticipating media and community reaction to tailor messages and achieve positive outcomes.

Capacity building to ensure evidence-based decision making and robust impact reporting may require capacity building in the organisation.

Maximising fundraising opportunities with a focus on digital channels in an increasingly competitive market.

Essential selection criteria

Results driven with demonstrated skill and experience in strategic planning, impact monitoring, analysis and reporting, and policy analysis and planning with a focus on results

Knowledge of biodiversity conservation principles and practices in Australia and extensive experience in the application of this knowledge in a relevant context

Proven track record fostering innovation and unlocking creativity to deliver results

Demonstrated advocacy experience and negotiation skills with high level stakeholders

Demonstrated change orientation and change management experience including developing constructive workplace cultures,


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building staff capability, and sharing success and failure stories and learning and encouraging others to take risks

Demonstrated understanding of, and experience optimising content for multiple media channels and adaptively managing data insights to optimise supporter engagement, mobilisation, and income generation

Knowledge of global conservation issues, threats and practices with proven experience constructively working across boundaries to achieve conservation impact

Demonstrated experience and sound understanding of the links between environmental conservation, poverty and livelihoods in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region

Experience working in a cross-cultural environment and the cultural context when working Aboriginal or other indigenous peoples and in developing countries

Highly developed communication, media, interpersonal, influencing and relationship skills and a proven ability to motivate teams to deliver strategic goals

A track record leading and developing geographically dispersed, high-performance teams.

Understanding of risk management, including WH&S and the legislative context within which WWF-Australia operates

Senior level program/project and financial management skills and experience

Desirable selection criteria

An understanding of, and support for, workplace sustainability principles

Knowledge and experience in WWF

Experience working within a multi-stakeholder environment, including with regional stakeholders

Current networks within government, corporations, community organisations, and the scientific community

Credentials Advanced degree in natural or environmental science, sustainability, business or other relevant degree or equivalent experience and reputation.

Job requirements

Willingness to undergo criminal record and background checks.

Ability to participate in out of hours work and travel domestically/internationally

How to apply Applicants are encouraged to review the Job Specification including the Job Description and can apply via www.wwf.org.au/about_us/work_with_wwf/ Please scroll down and select the "Apply Now" button. Please include the following two attachments: (1) a cover letter/statements against the selection criteria and (2) your resume (CV), including two referees.

Applications close on Friday, 2 March 2018 at 5pm.Applications close on Friday, 2 March 2018 at 5pm.

http://www.wwf.org.au/about_us/work_with_wwf/

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