Conservation Writer Jobs in Springfield, VA (NOW HIRING)

Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members.

Major Function

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) one of the world's leading conservation organization, seeks a Director to support strategic planning, communication, research and analysis, and implementation of program activities for existing and new partnerships and projects in collaboration with other WWF  teams and field offices.

The Director will 1) contribute to strategic planning and development of lead development of emerging resilience practices, 2) manage implementation of key projects including capacity building and training projects 3) support ongoing  Environmental and Disaster Management (EDM) programmatic activities related to integrating environment and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into conservation programming and partnerships and 4) provide technical support for disaster and crisis response including research and analysis, project design and fundraising.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with EDM team to set strategic direction and support emerging resilience practices related to conservation programming.
• Leads project management including work planning, monitoring and evaluation, and communications related to new and ongoing projects and grants.
• Works closely with project personnel, grantees, consultants, and program staff to coordinate implementation, communication, and reporting for current initiatives-including the Building Resilience for Nature and People program, naturebased flood management projects, the UN Shelter and Environment Support Project, and the EDM Fire Fund. In addition to supporting WWF teams in crisisaffected countries and integrates disaster analysis services to inform resilience planning, disaster risk reduction, restoration, and reconstruction across new and existing initiatives.
• Stays current with emerging practices and review academic literature and evolving practices and monitors and analyzes new technical information, policies, tools, and global trends related to integration of environment, DRR, CCA and resilience.
• Designs and develops training tools and materials and leads DRR and resilience training sessions.
• Documents learning from projects to improve project programming, training and communications.
• Contributes to programmatic fundraising including preparing and/or finalize project proposals, scopes of work, budgets, and administrative information for contracts and to ensure compliance with donor requirements.
• Travels up to 25% time to project sites to provide relevant technical training and capacity building
  • Assists in-country partners to integrate disaster recovery, restoration and risk reduction concepts and approaches into conservation and sustainable developments strategies for WWF priority places.
• Regularly presents updates on these various initiatives internally to WWF staff and externally at workshops and conferences, where appropriate.
• Interacts daily with other program staff and departments to advise and coordinate project activities or to obtain and disseminate information.
• Interact regularly with representatives of WWF-International, other WWF offices and associate organizations, grantees, and consultants. Communicate with representatives of conservation organizations, universities, NGOs, corporations, and/or government agencies.
• Contributes to WWF Resilience Strategy and other key initiatives as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Anticipates challenges, analyzes complex issues, and develops practical, forward-looking solutions.
• Relationship Building & Collaboration: Builds trust and works effectively across teams, partners, and stakeholders in a matrixed, global environment.
• Communication & Influence: Clearly communicates complex ideas, engages diverse audiences, and presents effectively in both written and verbal formats.
• Project Leadership & Execution: Leads projects with strong organization, prioritization, and accountability while delivering high-quality results under pressure.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Operates independently in dynamic, high-pressure environments while managing competing priorities and deadlines.

Skills and Abilities

• 10 +  years' experience with an advanced degree, including experience in disaster risk reduction,  climate change adaptation and/or disaster recovery and reconstruction.
• Strong project management skills.  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are required, including effective public speaking and the ability to communicate complex issues both verbally and in written form.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and produce high-quality work under time constraints.
• Excellent organizational and project leadership skills. 
• Excellent training and capacity building skills.  
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a matrixed team environment. 
• Strong research and analytical skills.  
• Ability to operate with independence, under pressure, and to meet deadlines and commitments.  
• Familiarity with Microsoft office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access), preference for GIS skills.  
• Excellent interpersonal skills including knowing when to use courtesy, tact and/or diplomacy to effectively communicate with all constituents.  
• Preference given to candidates who are multilingual; French/Spanish. 
• Demonstrated success with fundraising, budgeting, and monitoring donor compliance. 
• Background in community-based engagement is essential and experience in the conservation sector is a plus.
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF's core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  

Relocation is not provided for this position.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.