Argentina Conservation Director

LOCATION: Argentina

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Argentina Conservation Director (ACD) is a member of the Argentina Executive Team reporting to the Country Program Director and closely coordinates with other Conservation Directors and leaders across the Latin America Region (LAR).  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Argentina Conservation Director essential function is to ensure that the Argentina program delivers an optimal contribution to TNC’s 2030 Outcomes, enabling strong partnerships and science-based decision making to achieve lasting results in the two priority geographies: Gran Chaco and Patagonia. The Argentina Conservation Director leads a team of experts and works both across TNC teams as well as with external partners including the private sector, government, and civil society organizations In Patagonia, there is shared leadership with the Chile team.

The Argentina Conservation Director will shape transformative strategies that advance systems change approaches with clear and ambitious outcomes, and guide teams for effective implementation.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

Specifically, the Conservation Director:

• Supports the Argentina Director to define transformative conservation strategies and develop actionable roadmaps for effective implementation in the two priority geographies: Patagonia and Gran Chaco. Oversees implementation of agreed conservation outcomes, using adaptive management approaches with clear accountability for results. Develops, manages and retains a high performing team able to deliver on agreed conservation outcome, is responsible for performance management, employee engagement, training and career development.

• Manages internal information systems to assess, update and document evidence of progress, and lessons learned.

• Supports the development of annual and multi-year full-cost budgets and ensures effective budget management.

• Inspires a sense of shared ownership of the conservation agenda and TNC’s conservation propositions and tools, enabling the optimal conditions to deliver and demonstrate progress, and leading with the example.

• Leads the conservation and governance oversight of on-site initiatives (including private lands), including budget preparation and tracking, financial planning, monitoring and evaluation, and other decisions needed for the sustainable management of the initiatives.

• Supports the Country Director in building necessary partnerships for wider impact.

• Leads and coordinates the development of public and private financing proposals that bolster and advance the strategic direction defined for priority geographies. 

• Persuasively conveys the mission & conservation priorities of TNC to diverse groups including major donors, corporate executives, board members, partners and others who are critical to the organization’s overall prosperity, leading or contributing as the case may be in the preparation of presentations and reports.

• Directs, prepares, presents and/or participates in negotiations of project proposals with governmental, bilateral and/or multilateral agencies.

• Works well under pressure.

• May act as a Deputy Director for the BU Director as needed. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree and over 6 years of experience in similar positions, including experience as a leader in the conservation arena and non-profit sector.

• Optimist, able to hold the course in the face of adversity, to inspire others despite challenging situations, and committed to being adaptive and to continuous learning.

• Track record working on sustainable development and environmental issues including freshwater, regenerative ranching and agriculture, community conservation, protection and/or integrated landscape management in Argentina with non-governmental, private or public organizations. Regional or global experience in these issues would be desirable.

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and oral in Spanish and English, for diverse audiences including donors, board members, employees, outside partners, or equivalent.

• Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.

• Experience in collaboration with the agribusiness sector, non-government and community-based organizations and public authorities.

• Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals, and coordinating the work of partners while meeting deadlines.   

• Outstanding supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance in multidisciplinary teams.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 8-10 years’ of professional experience, including proven experience effectively leading environmental and conservation issues, in large and complex programs and with measurable results in Argentina in non-governmental, private or public organizations.  

• Demonstrated success as an inspirational and innovative leader who has successfully led a multi-disciplinary team, while also influencing without direct authority inside and outside the organization. 

• Experience working in a matrixed, decentralized, and geographically dispersed organization.

• Proven technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.

• Demonstrated operational, implementation, and detail-oriented perspective.

• Proactive understanding of systems change approaches: : Thinks and acts from a broad perspective with a long-term view and an understanding of 1) the dynamic nature of large-scale challenges and 2) the need for integrating five key practices: skillfully engaging appropriate people; providing a clear process for change; taking a holistic view of situations; focusing on a small number of strategic actions, while learning from and adapting them over time; and being aware of how one's own thinking or patterns of behavior may be limiting change