Wildlife Conservation Jobs in Reston, 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 organizations, seeks a Head of Fellowship Programming to design and lead the experiences that bring the Boundless Fellowship to life. 

The Boundless Fellowship cultivates a new generation of leaders to protect the world's most vital ecosystems. Through experiential learning, mentorship, and creative collaboration, the Fellowship supports early- and mid-career conservationists from around the world. Fellows work across disciplines and borders to craft solutions, bridge divides, and join forces to protect their home landscapes. 

This role centers on people: guiding accomplished Fellows through transformative encounters, building trust across cultures, and nurturing a community that endures long after the program ends. This role is creative and deeply human - ideal for a skilled facilitator who loves guiding others through reflection, challenge, and growth. You'll help Fellows connect with each other, with mentor figures, and with vital landscapes and seascapes across the hemisphere. 

The Head of Fellowship Experience will shape and facilitate the Fellowship's most defining experiences: in-person "Encounters" in landscapes like the Amazon, the Northern Great Plains, and Brazil's Cerrado; the virtual conversations that keep a far-flung cohort connected; and the relationships that turn a two-year-long program into a lifelong community. 

Responsibilities 

• Design and lead immersive Boundless Encounters that weave together leadership, ecology, and community. 

• Curate virtual sessions that sustain curiosity, creativity, and belonging between in-person gatherings. 

• Serve as a trusted mentor and guide, walking alongside Fellows through the peaks and plateaus of their journeys with Boundless. 

• Nurture a vibrant alumni network that continues to grow as Fellows become mentors, collaborators, and hosts for future cohorts. 

• Collaborate closely with the Executive Director to ensure every element of the program reflects Boundlness's philosophy: leadership learned through immersion in place, connection with community, and cross-generational mentorship. 

• Other duties as assigned  

Key Competencies: 

Big-Picture Thinking - is needed to see how every conversation, landscape, and moment of learning fits into a larger story of transformation within the Fellowship. We are seeking someone gifted at connecting people, ecosystems, and ideas. 

Cross-Cultural Communication - is needed to listen, to meet differences with curiosity and respect, and to weave understanding across languages, identities, and lived experiences.  

Collaboration and Community Building - is needed to create spaces of trust where Fellows feel seen, heard, and emboldened to be themselves.  

Creativity - is needed to design experiences that awaken imagination, invite boldness, and create moments of wonder and beauty within the Fellowship. 

Adaptability and Learning Agility - is needed to stay grounded when plans shift, to find meaning in uncertainty, and to adjust with grace, curiosity, and a spirit of adventure. 

Skills and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 8 years' general professional experience in conservation, social impact or related fields (to include at least 3 years of experience in leadership development, facilitation, mentorship, education, or program management) is required. 
• Demonstrated success in designing, facilitating, and delivering highly visible leadership programs for accomplished professionals is required. 
• Experience building and maintaining active networks (fellowship communities, alumni communities, etc.) is highly valued and strongly preferred.
• Experience working with diverse communities and cross-cultural environments is highly valued and strongly preferred. 
• Advanced proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese highly desirable. 
• Ability to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time, including remote landscapes. 
• Proficiency with Zoom and digital collaboration tools is required. 
• Business proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams). 
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams. 
• Identifies and aligns with WWF's core values: 

  • COURAGE - We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it's needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home. 

  • INTEGRITY - We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve. 

  • RESPECT - We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future. 

  • COLLABORATION - We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation. 

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.  

This position is eligible for domestic (United States) relocation.

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.