Chief Field Officer, Africa

• The Chief Field Officer, Africa Field Division (CFO Africa), leads Conservation International’s strategy, delivery, and impact in Africa, with a focus on four primary elements: Conservation Outcomes, Operational Excellence, Reimagining Conservation, and Fundraising. They lead a team of 290+ staff with an annual budget of $40 million.
• The CFO Africa develops and oversees a Pan African strategy by identifying priorities, raising and allocating flexible funding resources, and representing CI to internal and external partners, including high-level decision-makers both internally within CI, and externally with donor agencies, governments, and private sector leaders.
• This position reports to the Executive Vice President, Field Programs, and is a member of CI’s Leadership Team that is responsible for overseeing the organization’s strategies and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the implementation of CI’s strategy for Africa which includes unlocking sustainable financing in iconic landscapes while building nature-based livelihoods, building capacity and improving governance of governments, poverty alleviation through nature conservation, and working with indigenous people to fight climate change.
• Oversee the Africa Field Division’s operations team and ensure operational excellence including identification of inefficiencies; fully align the operations team with the Africa strategy, vision, and goals.
• Oversee project and program design and ensure quality and alignment with vision and strategy, including oversight of programs funded by public and private donors, as well as REDD+ and/or climate financing programs.
• Lead annual planning and budgeting for the Africa Field Division in collaboration with CI’s Leadership team.
• Build and implement a multi-year plan to increase staff capacity to design and deliver high-quality conservation projects in compliance with CI and donor requirements.
• Lead and manage the Africa Field Division’s Executive Management Team with a particular focus on accountability, delivery excellence, staff well-being as well as a culture of equity, inclusion, and diversity throughout the Division.
• Establish and maintain a culture of compassionate conservation that embraces human-centered design for conservation and supports local- and Indigenous-led conservation.
• Identify and pursue new resources for CI’s Africa strategy, and fundraise from individuals, foundations, government, and corporate sources. Identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit high-net-worth private donors in partnership with CI’s Development teams.
• Oversee public funding and corporate partnerships and ensure alignment with CI’s Africa strategy.
• Communicate progress on regional strategies and action plans internally within CI and externally through media, social media, and targeted communications.
• Lead establishment, stewardship, cultivation, and growth of an Africa Council.
• Represent CI’s work in Africa with CI board members and other CI bodies to develop high-impact partnerships with private sectors, governments, academia, and other non-governmental organizations.
• Represent CI with high-level government officials and private sector leaders.

People and Resource Management Responsibilities

• Oversee approximately 290+ staff across the Africa Field Division, including nine direct reports.
• Responsible for an average annual budget of $40m.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• The position requires significant travel with up to 50% of time dedicated to travel to countries in Africa, Europe, and the USA for high-level meetings and fundraising. Travel is conducted only when safe to do so and in accordance with CI policies and country-specific mandates or restrictions.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.

Qualifications
Required

• A Master's/Postgraduate degree or equivalent and more than 15 years of broad conservation and/or natural resource management leadership, strategy development, and program management experience. Experience in Africa is required.
• 5 or more years of experience in senior leadership.
• 7 or more years of experience managing teams of professional employees.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-impact conservation projects.
• Demonstrated success in influencing and communicating with national-level authorities and private sector leaders.
• Ability to transform research and project results into practical decision-making tools and improved practices and policies for governments, private sector, and civil society.
• A proven track record of identifying strategic issues and priorities, developing implementation teams and plans, and serving as the key decision-maker on programmatic, fundraising, and operational issues.
• Advanced university degree in conservation and/or development, or related field, or significant equivalent expertise and experience.
• A proven track record of successful fundraising at the $1 million+ level.
• Excellent ability to work in a variety of cultural and political settings.
• Professional fluency in English.

Preferred

• A doctoral degree in conservation, natural resource management, and/or development.
• Fluency in French and/or Portuguese