Position Title: Global Portfolio Lead

Location: The role is remote, but this person will need to work on Eastern Standard Time.

Travel: Required at least once every three months.

Purpose: Accelerating the delivery of the Project Finance for Permanence model to support the accomplishment of the United Nations Global Biodiversity Framework which tackles the biodiversity and climate crises.

Team: 6–9 remote team members.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Global Portfolio Lead who has considerable experience managing complex projects and teams, with demonstrated experience or exposure to biodiversity conservation and conservation finance and the flexibility and attitude to transition between strategic and practical work. You’ll join a top-notch team for one of the largest and most ambitious conservation partnerships on the planet, committed to the durable protection of hundreds of millions of hectares of land and ocean, and supporting community development. You’ll work directly with and serve as a thought partner to Enduring Earth’s Managing Director and Executive Management Team.

Responsibilities

The Global Portfolio Lead is a key leader within the Enduring Earth Hub team, supporting continuous performance improvement and culture development, and will own four key areas, which are described in detail below. We are seeking a skilled leader, who is comfortable and excited to work at a global scale in a matrix environment and at the same time, not afraid of being hands-on in a constantly developing and start-up-oriented environment.

Area 1: Deal pipeline management.

Area 2: Enabling highest quality PFPs.

Area 3: Coordination of EE metrics, monitoring, evaluation.

Area 4: Linking deal portfolio to the broader partnership.

Area 1: Deal pipeline management

Expanding Enduring Earth pipeline through capability building and analysis to drive decision-making.

Managing the stage-gating process for deal development including setting standards, developing templates and tools, offering guidance to deal teams, developing memos and codification of decisions.

Managing the day-to-day of the portfolio including tracking deal progress, developing transparent and accessible information tracker (database), and identifying where support is needed for individual deals across the stage-gating continuum and matching to the PFP expert and partner teams’ capacities.

Coordinating the Portfolio Committee including agenda setting, meeting facilitation, and other administrative tasks as required.

Area 2: Enabling highest quality PFPs

Building and managing a team of PFP experts, starting with two project managers with the opportunity to expand, to support Enduring Earth portfolio deals on execution, acceleration, quality, and rigor.

Working with PFP experts to create standards/ ”what good looks like”, and bringing objective quality assurance to the broader portfolio.

Identifying capacity & expertise within organizations and sharing knowledge and information across deals working in coordination with the Knowledge Manager.

Partnering effectively on knowledge management to integrate lessons into deal stage-gating evaluation and PFP deal development to achieve greater acceleration and quality of implementation.

Area 3: Coordination of EE metrics, monitoring, evaluation.

Finalizing the metrics for the Enduring Earth partnership deals, developing the processes for impact tracking, and executing.

Coordinating whole of portfolio evaluation, tracking progress on representation and global goals.

Area 4: Linking deal portfolio to the broader partnership

Serving as a strategic partner to the resource mobilization, community engagement, and communication functions of Enduring Earth and vice versa.

Candidate Profile

The Global Portfolio Lead will require experience in managing complex projects and teams, with a strong preference for experience in conservation finance or biodiversity conservation and knowledge on the Project Finance for Permanence model, with best-in-class project management skills.

Experience:

10–15 years + relevant professional experience, including leading teams.

Bachelor’s degree required and an advanced degree in a relevant field (i.e., business, environmental management, public policy, law, economics, etc.) preferred.

Experience managing projects in biodiversity conservation or conservation finance (in foundations, NGOs or the private sector).

Experience with the Project Finance for Permanence model, or other large-scale conservation finance schemes strongly preferred.

Experience managing programs and/or pipelines and proficiency in management tools to ensure efficiency.

Experience and/or familiarity with protected area system design and management and working with methods and standards of biodiversity.

Experience or familiarity with developing social or economic development programs for communities tied to conservation initiatives.

Knowledge of politics, economics, and society with respect to environmental policy and initiatives.

How to Apply

Oxford HR is managing the search for this position. Apply here

Closing Date: April 9th, 2023

Hiring Statement

Enduring Earth Deal Fund and Hub is a project of Windward Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Windward Fund is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Windward’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

COVID-19 Policy

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, Windward Fund requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date.  This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at [email protected].

About Enduring Earth

Enduring Earth is a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, World Wildlife Fund and ZOMALAB, the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton. They are committed to using Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) to accelerate ocean, land and freshwater conservation worldwide to help address the climate and biodiversity crises and support community development.