Founded in 1951, the Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable.  One of our core values is our commitment to diversity. Therefore, we strive for a globally diverse and culturally competent workforce. Working in 72 countries, including all 50 United States, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.

TNC is looking for an experienced professional to head an expanding team focused on agriculture and forestry and other sustainable land-use in Africa. This position’s main focus will be on developing high leverage partnerships with bilaterals, corporations and other NGOs working in this space in support of our existing Agriculture, Forestry and Energy Strategies within TNC Africa.

A key focus of our Agriculture focus is to bring value-added science, policy and resource support to improve agricultural systems in Africa, while maintaining the environmental services and biodiversity which are at the core of our institutional mission. Our Forestry is focused on both avoided deforestation and tree planting as a means to restore degraded lands, contributing to carbon sequestration goals and building a forestry sector in east Africa.  Our Energy and Infrastructure work is focused on improved siting and management of new infrastructure and renewable energy (hydro, solar, wind) in order to reduce negative impacts on nature.

The primary focus in the short term will be an existing portfolio of landscape-level agricultural sites in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, including the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor in Tanzania, but in the longer term we aspire to have system-level influence in the countries we operate in and play our part in contributing to Africa’s SDGs. This position reports to Africa Conservation Director and based in either Nairobi, Kenya, or Arusha or Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.  

Strategic Background
TNC’s Africa region, in collaboration with our Global Lands team, has developed a strategic framework for our work on agriculture and land-use in Africa, with a focus on soil health, water and habitat conservation. This nests within a broader global strategy of sustainable intensification, which takes as a starting point the fact that population is predicted stabilize at 9.7 billion people by 2050., and that world food supply will need to increase by between 70 and 100% by then, to feed and support the population and expanding middle class expected to reach developed country per capita income levels a generation from now. This poses major challenges for conservation - especially in Africa. TNC Africa’s guiding principles to address these challenges include; Sustainable Intensification; Expansion of agricultural area; Intensified agriculture while maintaining the environmental services on which producers and society depend.

Working Lands Director will oversee supervision of multidisciplinary team, recruitment of additional members, management of existing high level partnerships and collaborations in public and private sector, identification and management of new partnerships, coordination with senior TNC management in Africa and globally on all issues around agriculture, land use and development in Africa. Leading and supporting, as necessary, fundraising efforts for the program, focusing primarily on foundations, corporate and bilateral/multilateral donors, representing TNC in public spaces and speaking for the organization on issues relevant to food security and development in Africa, briefing top TNC management addressing those issues, ensuring African perspectives and priorities around food security are represented in high level strategic discussions and decision-making within TNC at senior management level.

•  Negotiates complex agreements, sometimes in political environments.
•  Develops and implements creative ideas to improve overall performance in conservation strategies.
•  Formulates, evaluates, and decides broad organizational policies and long-term programs.
•  Anticipates, diagnoses, and resolves complex problems and identifies creative solutions.
•  Broad management and leadership responsibility working across a matrix organization.
•  Establish clear directions and set stretch objectives.
•  Identify, cultivate and solicit major donors in support of program activities.  
•  Responsible for financial management of program, including setting financial goals, analyzing results, and taking corrective actions.
•  Ensure that programmatic commitments, financial standards, and legal requirements are met
•  Ensures that program complies with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal) requirements
•  Assesses decisions’ potential impact on colleagues’ work, public image, scientific credibility, and financial and legal standings
•  Makes decisions based on incomplete or ambiguous information and accepts associated risks
•  Makes independent strategic decisions frequently based on analysis, experience, and judgment
•  Builds cooperative relationships and collaborates with diverse groups, including land owners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, board members, and the general public, to recruit support for the Conservancy and publicize Conservancy efforts.
•  Commands attention, changes tactics midstream as necessary, and manages group processes during presentations or discussions.
•  Establish excellent working relationships with outside partners, state/local/federal agencies, land managers, private landowners and the academic community. Leverages constructive and effective relationships inside and outside the Conservancy.  
•  Work effectively in high-tension situations and maintain composure under pressure. Diffuses high-tension situations comfortably.
•  Work and communicate effectively with a diverse group of people, including scientists, preserve staff, and others, providing and obtaining needed information.
•  Be able to articulate lessons learned regarding conservation initiative successes and failures.
•  Ability to simplify and explain complex issues to general audiences.

•  BA/BS degree and 12 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
•  Expert knowledge of current development, environmental and agricultural trends in Africa, especially East Africa
•  Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with national governments, multi-national corporations, aid agencies and non-governmental organizations to advance the goals of a particular program.
•  Experience directing a major program of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams
•  Experience and track record in proposal development and fundraising.
•  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.   
•  Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
•  Experience conceiving and implementing strategic and creative initiatives.
•  Experience negotiating.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

•      Postgraduate degree and a minimum of 10 years’ experience in agricultural development and sustainability, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
•      Multi- lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
•      Experience developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
•      Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental affairs.  
•      Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
•      Politically savvy.
•      Require frequent travel domestically and/or internationally
•      Ability to work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.