Nature Conservationist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (WWF) is a global conservation organization founded in 1961 with a mission to help people and nature thrive. Operating in more than 100 countries, WWF partners with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. The organization’s work is grounded in science and driven by collaboration, focusing on three interconnected pillars: conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. WWF has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most respected conservation organizations, with nearly 1 million members in the United States and more than 5 million globally. The organization works across diverse landscapes and sectors, including forests, oceans, freshwater ecosystems, and urban environments. WWF’s approach combines scientific research with practical solutions, engaging stakeholders from local communities to international governments to create meaningful conservation outcomes. The organization is committed to promoting equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals and operates according to core values of courage, integrity, respect, and collaboration. WWF addresses some of the planet’s greatest conservation challenges, from protecting endangered species and their habitats to combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

The Director, Nature Finance and Investments will serve as a critical member of the Nature Finance & Investments (NFI) team at WWF, playing a key leadership role in developing and executing strategies that influence substantial capital flows toward nature conservation and sustainable investment. This position focuses on establishing WWF as an Impact Advisor to external asset managers, working to identify, evaluate, and scale partnership opportunities that advance nature-based financing. The Director will be responsible for the comprehensive strategy, day-to-day execution, and operational processes for the NFI asset manager strategy. This includes identifying and pursuing nature finance fund partnership opportunities, engaging with key stakeholders across the investment and conservation sectors, and accelerating pathways to scale WWF’s influence in shaping sustainable investment practices. The role requires travel domestically and internationally, with up to 25% travel to priority landscape regions in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The position requires strong strategic leadership to connect nature conservation goals with investment opportunities and partnership development. The Director will represent WWF at external events, conferences, and workshops while building credibility and trust with asset managers, investors, development finance institutions, and other senior stakeholders. This role demands the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities while ensuring objectives translate into tangible conservation impact outcomes.

• Design and oversee key elements of the asset manager strategy, including WWF’s goals and objectives, implementation model, pipeline of partnership opportunities, and external advisors


• Play a key role in developing, seeking, and negotiating partnerships with potential partners


• Identify and pursue new asset manager partnership opportunities by prioritizing, assessing, and initiating partnership discussions across priority sectors including sustainable infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, carbon finance, and aquaculture/blue oceans


• Lead deal diligence and prepare asset manager partnership recommendations, impact analysis, and due diligence summaries for presentation to NFI and WWF senior management and governance bodies


• Forge new relationships with external partners, including fund managers, funders (private, public, and donor), peer organizations, and sustainability investors


• Represent WWF and the asset manager strategy at external events, conferences, and workshops


• Travel domestically and internationally (up to 25%) to priority landscape regions in Latin America, Asia, and Africa


• Collaborate and develop partnerships across geographies and work closely with WWF’s conservation goal teams, country offices, private sector engagement teams, and development/capital raising teams to advance integrated nature finance strategies


• Craft collateral and communications to demonstrate WWF’s thought leadership in Nature Finance


• Work closely with WWF Impact management to ensure reporting and budgeting accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to budget guidelines


• Perform other duties as assigned

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of work experience, or a graduate degree with 8 years of experience


• Experience in the financial services sector, including private equity, venture capital, impact investing, conservation finance, and emerging markets


• Demonstrated experience developing and evaluating investment strategies, conducting due diligence, assessing investment opportunities, portfolio management, deal structuring, and using capital instruments


• Experience working within or alongside multilateral and bilateral finance institutions, including development finance institutions and development banks, in support of investment structuring, partnerships, or capital mobilization initiatives


• Sector expertise in one or more of WWF’s priority areas (such as regenerative agriculture and food systems, blue economy/aquaculture, sustainable infrastructure, or forestry), with experience working in Latin America, Africa, Asia, or other emerging markets preferred


• Awareness of key components of sustainable investment, including investment instruments, term sheets, blended finance techniques, and deal structuring


• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills


• Financial modeling skills and fluency with Microsoft Excel, with the ability to analyze, construct, and evaluate financial models, financial projections, and company valuations


• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex problems and communicate solutions effectively to others


• Competency in a second language (ideally Spanish or Portuguese) as a significant plus


• Strong coordination and teamwork with excellent interpersonal skills


• Proven ability to manage and deliver against multiple time-sensitive priorities


• Dynamic, creative, and outgoing personality with a commitment to nature conservation


• Commitment to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams


• Alignment with WWF’s core values of courage, integrity, respect, and collaboration


• Legal authorization to work in the United States (no visa sponsorship available)

• Domestic relocation assistance may be offered based on available budget


• Participation in a global organization with mission-driven work in conservation and environmental protection


• Opportunity to influence substantial capital flows toward nature conservation at a global scale


• Exposure to diverse geographic regions and conservation landscapes across Latin America, Asia, and Africa


• Collaboration with international partners, development finance institutions, and leading asset managers in sustainable investment