Washington, DC (901 E)
The Environmental Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts
For more than twenty-five years, Pew has been a major force in educating 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 nearly 250 professionals working full-time at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large wilderness ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment.
Pew has worked in the United States and Canada since 1990 to protect vast stretches of unspoiled wilderness and more recently expanded our land conservation efforts to Australia’s Outback and Chilean Patagonia. Preserving these places offers an opportunity to conserve wildlife habitat, shorelines and pristine landscapes for future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, biology, and economy to advocate for sound 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. Since 2005, Pew’s Ocean conservation program has expanded around the world and has played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas. Our work is grounded in the best available science and our goal is to reverse the decline of ocean life ranging from sharks and tunas to penguins and whales, and the habitat on which they depend.
Project Overview
Coastal wetlands such as mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrasses found along shorelines worldwide, are among the most important parts of the larger ocean ecosystem that must function cohesively to ensure the ocean’s health. While relatively small in area, these habitats are large in terms of ecosystem importance, forming a critical interface between the land and sea. Known for harboring rich biodiversity, supporting local economies, and delivering valuable ecosystem services, these ecosystems have become even more relevant as the effects of climate change are felt increasingly around the globe. They buffer shorelines from severe storms, erosion, and sea level rise, and can help mitigate climate impacts by acting as important carbon sinks.
Countries are increasingly recognizing the role that protection of coastal wetlands can play as nature-based solutions within their revised nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. In the first phase of the Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reefs Project, Pew worked directly in three countries – Costa Rica, Belize and Seychelles – to support the governments’ aim to include coastal wetland protections within their updated NDCs. Drawing on key learnings from the first phase of the Project, a second and expanded phase commenced in April 2022. In this second phase the project, the Coastal Wetlands team will support implementation efforts within its original three country partnerships and establish at least five new country partnerships in the East Africa and the Latin America and Caribbean regions in support of the next NDC update.
Position Overview
The Officer role is a new position within Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reefs team and will serve as a resource on policy and conservation finance issues. They will deploy their knowledge and understanding of a variety of international environmental policy and conservation finance approaches in support of the Coastal Wetlands team’s goal of updating and implementing the coastal wetlands sections of partner countries’ NDCs in order to conserve and restore these vital ecosystems.
The Officer will focus on countries within both Phase 1 (Belize, Costa Rica, and Seychelles) Phase 2 (five countries throughout East Africa and the Latin America and Caribbean regions) of the Coastal Wetlands team’s portfolio. The position may be located in Pew’s Washington DC or London offices and and will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week. The Officer will report to the Manager of the Coastal Wetlands team who is based in the Washington, DC office.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.
Responsibilities
•Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the team’s related goals.
•Actively participate in project engagement and provide technical support in policy, research, and finance across in-country sites, working with local partners and governments to include coastal wetlands in their NDCs.
•Collaborate with the rest of the Coastal Wetlands team to identify financing solutions and innovative finance streams (public, private, blended, market-based) for coastal wetlands protection, management, and/or restoration.
•Support project reporting and development, by conducting research, drafting documents, coordinating meetings and liaising within Pew as needed. Develop and maintain a broad knowledge of the finance opportunities, policies, and politics related to coastal wetlands and NDCs.
•Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key private sector, government, public funding, and nongovernmental partners.
•Work with partners – and in support of partner governments – to pursue, strengthen, and where possible secure financing solutions for coastal wetlands protection, management, and/or restoration.
•Effectively communicate complex topics, including financial and international policy concepts, to non-specialist audiences, such as in policy briefs, papers, written analyses.
•Collaborate with the rest of the Coastal Wetlands team to lead development of research projects, papers and communications for the Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reefs Project for both internal and external audiences.
•Play key role in developing and carrying out in-person or virtual events.
•Coordinate the development and implementation of contracts for campaign projects. Work with campaign staff to draft work plans and procurement documents, communicate with contractors and grantees, manage the approval process with other units of the Trusts and monitor ongoing grants and contracts.
•Represent The Pew Charitable Trusts and the campaign at relevant meetings, events and in the media as necessary to build awareness, support, and momentum for coastal wetlands and NDC’s.
Requirements
•Demonstrated success in securing funding from philanthropic, private, or nongovernmental sources.
•Proficiency in developing, managing, and maintaining a diverse range of relationships across philanthropic, private and government sectors.
•Demonstrated experience proactively managing complex projects with multiple partners with a high degree of independence and meet project reporting deadlines.
•A task-oriented style, with experience in motivating partners to meet specific goals and timelines.
•Superior oral and written communications skills. Ability to synthesize material and communicate complex ideas for a general audience.
•Effective interpersonal skills; comfortably develop and manage productive relationships with consultants, partners and others who contribute to the development of a project by anticipating possible outcomes. Excellent listening skills. Highly articulate.
•Advanced diplomacy skills, working productively with a wide array of different people and institutions that frequently disagree with and are in competition with one another.
•Excellent analytic and problem-solving skills, and highly results oriented.
•Experience of successfully working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and on projects in diverse contexts.
•Seasoned judgment, decisive, comfort justifying recommendations and being responsive, clear, and firm with colleagues and partners.
•Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
•Generally eight years of applicable experience in the international conservation or finance arena.
Key attributes and preferred experience
•Advanced degree or experience in finance-related topics is strongly preferred.
•Finance experience in the Latin America and Caribbean or East Africa regions preferred.
•Familiarly with nature-based solutions desired, but not required.
•Proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, or French highly desired, but not required.
Travel
International travel expected of up to 20% of the time.
Total Rewards
We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.
The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/4DWNGWsYegWYbcPgmTJWKl
PI235498969