Biodiversity Stewardship Credits Project Manager

BGCI Vacancy Announcement

Position Summary

Biodiversity Stewardship Credits (BSCs) offer a solution for private sector organisations that must account for biodiversity risk (e.g., per Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, European Central Bank Prudential Framework), and provide an auditable mechanism linking best-in-class conservation practitioners with investors seeking conservation outcomes. We envisage that a market for BSCs will stimulate investment from banks, asset managers, corporations, and others to support the regeneration of populations of endangered species in the wild. This NERC-funded project will demonstrate the practical implementation of BSCs by facilitating one or more pilot transactions. This will allow us to identify barriers and ways to overcome them, and support a model for future growth of a BSC market.

Major barriers to the integration of the financial system and biodiversity include (1) a dearth of biodiversity conservation projects designed to integrate into the financial system; (2) uncertainty about how to quantify biodiversity impacts in the business context, especially in view of biodiversity’s multiple components; (3) concerns that established metrics reveal mostly negative impacts of business activity on biodiversity, which discourages disclosure.

This project comprises a partnership between a financial industry consultancy specialised in biodiversity (Eco System Services Limited, ESS), the world’s largest plant conservation network (BGCI), one of the world’s largest privately-funded ecological impact investment projects (Green Gold Forestry Peru, GGF), and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), known for its interdisciplinary ‘Sustainability, Environment & Energy’ Research Highway. BGCI’s role will primarily be the development of on-the-ground exemplar products. Based on ongoing and already planned conservation projects by BGCI and GGF, distinct ready-to-market BSC generation units will be developed that have led, or will lead, to verifiable and legally transferable gains in BSCs. The main output of this work package will be: sales prospectuses describing projects and addressing how they implement BSC principles, rules and recommendations.

The post-holder will work with BGCI’s biodiversity partners and with our partners in the financial sector and the team at Queen Mary University of London to develop, package and test biodiversity-positive activities that can feed in to or comprise biodiversity stewardship credits.

About BGCI

BGCI is an international conservation charity that exists to ensure the worldwide conservation of threatened plants, the continued existence of which is intrinsically linked to global issues including poverty, human well-being and climate change. BGCI has over 700 members and associates, mostly botanic gardens, arboreta and plant conservation organisations in 118 countries; we have offices in the UK, USA, Kenya, China and Singapore.

BGCI provides the secretariat for the Ecological Restoration Alliance of Botanic Gardens (ERA), and BGCI and its partners have over 15 years of experience carrying out tree species recovery through the Global Trees Campaign. In addition, BGCI leads the Global Tree Assessment, which is generating the most accurate and comprehensive data on global tree diversity available. The GTA, ERA and the GTC have helped BGCI and its partners to develop and support a substantial knowledge base and expert network covering restoration and plant species recovery in >50 countries. BGCI’s broader network includes technical partners in nearly every country in the world.

Detailed Position Description

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager for the development, testing and roll-out of Biodiversity Stewardship Credits. Specific tasks will include:

1.      Project management. This will include:

• Attending regular meetings and coordinating work with project partners, including botanic garden partners, Eco System Services Limited, Green Gold Forestry Peru, Queen Mary University of London and other partners drawn from the financial services sector.
• Developing and delivering on project work plans and ensuring timely delivery of activities
• Drafting Terms of Reference and agreements for biodiversity project partners and ensuring partners carry out tasks as required
• Project monitoring and evaluation, including tracking progress against project targets
• Managing project finances, including financial reporting to funders
• Technical reporting on project progress and achievements internally within BGCI and to funders, and the project Steering Committee
• Promoting the concept of Biodiversity Stewardship Credits in international forums
• Fundraising to expand the initiative.  
• Gathering and collating published and reference material related to biodiversity-positive actions and outcomes that comprise the BSCs
• Building a community of practice in the biodiversity and financial sectors covering the geographical areas in which the BSCs will be applied.
  

2.      Gather and collate reference data sources to support the development and implementation of Biodiversity Stewardship Credits. This will include:

• Gathering and collating published and reference material related to biodiversity-positive actions and outcomes that comprise the BSCs
• Building a community of practice in the biodiversity and financial sectors covering the geographical areas in which the BSCs will be applied.

3.      Co-ordinate the development, review and refinement of Biodiversity Stewardship Credit packages. This will include:

• Working with BGCI’s biodiversity and financial service partner organisations to develop BSC packages
• Working with technical partners to develop monitoring and reporting frameworks
• Leading on the integration of the different components into a single coherent methodology and process
  

4.      Build partnerships with other organisations. This will include working with:

• The main project partners
• Policymakers developing governance principles and standards for biodiversity credits.
• Biodiversity credit certification organisations (e.g. Operation Wallacea, Plan Vivo, World Economic Forum) to ensure complementarity and mutual support.
  

5.      Undertake other work as may be required in the post e.g. contributing to funding applications, chairing staff meetings on rotation, etc.

Person Specification

The Board of BGCI is seeking to appoint a person with outstanding project management, conservation, communication and networking skills. Candidates for this post will require a proven track record in a conservation organisation, managing or leading conservation projects, ideally in the international NGO sector. The post holder will demonstrate sensitivity to complex, multicultural and multinational institutions and structures. Working within a partnership model, candidates must be able to show their capacity to innovate and to manage change. They must also be able to inspire BGCI’s members and tree planting organisations and financiers around the world to adopt stronger biodiversity considerations in tree planting.

Education and Experience

Essential

• Eligibility to work in the United Kingdom
• A post-graduate level qualification in conservation, environment, science or another relevant discipline
• Experience in interacting with international organisations and individuals
• Perfect mastery of English, both oral and written combined with excellent communication and presentational abilities
• Experience of managing budgets, setting financial priorities and preparing grant agreements
• Experience tracking progress and reporting against logical frameworks
• Experience reporting to funders
• Experience working with overseas partners – ideally in biodiversity hotspots
• Applied plant conservation skills – this could include, for example, botanical survey work, seed collection, propagation, nursery management and species recovery

Desirable

• Experience of working for a not for profit organisation
• Botanical survey and inventory experience, including knowledge of remote sensing and ground survey techniques
• Knowledge of botanic gardens, plants or related disciplines ideally gained through direct personal experience
• Command of French or Spanish (able to read, write and speak with some fluency)

Skills and competencies

Essential

• Capacity to innovate and manage change
• Willingness to travel frequently internationally
• Strong communications skills, including presenting confidently, in a variety of settings to diverse audiences
• Competent IT skills

Desirable

• Familiarity and experience in developing and submitting funding proposals, with a proven track record of success
• Website content management and familiarity with databases
• Knowledge of plant conservation approaches and methodologies
• Knowledge of database functioning and development.

Application Process

To apply for this position please submit a CV and covering letter detailing your experience, relevant qualifications and reasons for applying to info@bgci.org.

Please send your CV, cover letter and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to info@bgci.org

The Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form can be downloaded from here

Deadline for applications: 31^st January 2023

BGCI is committed to putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our organisation. We are committed to ensuring a working environment in which all individuals are free from discrimination and in which opportunities are equal to all. We encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly those underrepresented within our sector.