Director

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

RARE seeks to recruit a Vice President for Latin America and Caribbean to be based in its offices in Arlington, Virginia or Guadalajara, Mexico.

Organization Background

Rare, a U.S.-based conservation organization, works globally to equip people in the world’s most threatened natural areas with the tools and motivation they need to care for their natural resources. For the last 30 years, at more than 90 sites, and in more than 40 nations, Rare has focused as much on people as on science—addressing the underlying social and economic factors that create environmental threats. Rare’s approach has been to develop a suite of social marketing and business development tools that motivate local communities to protect their natural surroundings. Rare’s signature Pride campaign builds grassroots support for environmental protection by training local conservation leaders in the use of commercial marketing tactics to build awareness, influence attitudes, and enable meaningful change. Pride campaigns produce a groundswell of support that leads to tangible conservation successes, such as new national parks, reform legislation, or reduction of threats from forest fires or over-fishing.  Rare has been recognized by Monitor Consulting and Fast Company magazine as one of the “Top 25 Social Capitalists” in America for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, the  only environmental group with this distinction. Its conservation toolkit has been embraced by many large environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the National Audubon Society.

Rare has an annual operating budget of $ 7.5 million and has 45 professional staff.  A 15-person Board of Directors serves to guide Rare’s policy, programmatic and fundraising operations.  Rare’s Board recently adopted a new five year strategic plan that entails tripling in size and impact by or the organization 2011.  The hallmarks of the new five year plan include:

• Expand Rare’s conservation impact globally
• Enhance and continuously improve Rare’s strategies and tools
• Unlock burgeoning potential of an alumni network
• Use Rare’s track record and a challenge grant facility to leverage new sources of funding

Rare has embarked on a rapid growth plan because of the demand from larger environmental groups and foreign governments for its creative methods and business-style marketing strategies. Instead of marketing a product, though, Rare organizers market conservation—using the power of local pride.

Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean will report to Brett Jenks, President and CEO, Rare and serve on the senior management team. The Vice President should possess a proven ability to think strategically, and have a demonstrated record of success working with a diverse constituency of partners and stakeholders. The Vice President must also possess an outcome based orientation to goal setting and thrive in a workplace environment filled with the exploration of new ideas to solve complex problems.  In this role, this individual will serve as a catalyst and convener – bringing together grassroots, environmental and other public and private sector leaders to move Rare’s approach to biodiversity conservation forward.  In line with Rare’s new strategic plan, this position will require a person of entrepreneurial spirit and character, a commitment to innovative outreach techniques to inspire a new generation of conservation grassroots conservation leaders and a capacity to manage a growing regional enterprise.

The broad goals and objectives facing the new Vice President include:

Business Development

• Implement Rare’s leveraged model (anchored by Rare’s Pride program) of supporting local conservation efforts throughout the region.
• Expand Rare’s Pride program by engaging partner organizations in jointly-funded projects that create local constituencies for the environment and lead to lasting conservation outcomes.
• Launch an additional university diploma course (in Brazil) to match those Rare has established in English, Spanish, and Bahasa Indonesia.
• Write and review proposals in an effort to secure additional funding for campaigns in Mexico, Central and South America - identify new opportunities for partnerships, funding and regional programs.
• Review and approve the stated conservation objective for each campaign, as well as the strategies for follow-up, post-campaign.

Management and Operations

• Oversee the build out and management of regional or language-specific alumni networks that serve to foster collaboration among Rare’s local partners and provide a pipeline of new conservation tools and strategies.
• Manage a regional pool of challenge grants designed to encourage longer-term investments at each site.
• Hire and/or manage Country Directors for Mexico and later Brazil, each of whom oversees the formation and execution of 12-16 strategically selected annual Rare Pride campaigns.
• Ensure sound site and partner selection throughout the region to improve the likelihood of conservation success, by reviewing and approving all institutional contracts in the region.
• Develop and execute a strategy for funding all Rare’s work in the region, with support from the worldwide office and CEO, as well as Rare’s network of board members, partners, and existing donors.
• Manage relations with appropriate, designated donors including host governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals.
• Manage relationships with local and regional conservation partners, the Mexican government, the University of Guadalajara, and regional and national donors.

Professional Qualifications
The Vice President should ideally embody the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• Recognition as an entrepreneurial leader with a demonstrated conservation ethic combined with a proven track record of success and accomplishment;
• An appetite, excitement and experience working with multi-stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, foundations, and individuals.
• Demonstrated success as an inspirational manager who has considerable experience attracting, developing, evaluating, and retaining professional staff - Ability to work and manage staff in a multi-cultural setting.
• Proven managerial talent in the execution of business plans, including budgeting, staffing, and performance management.
  Demonstrated interest, experience or zeal to secure multi-year funding or investment  from foundations, private companies, individuals and government agencies.
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English required, fluency in Portuguese a plus.
• The ability and flexibility to travel extensively.

Personal Attributes

• Articulate, with proven ability to write effectively and speak persuasively;
• Exceptional managerial, analytical, strategic, and tactical ability, as measured through execution of projects that meet and surpass expectations;
• Superlative interpersonal skills, including a willingness to listen to internal and external constituents and learn from their best ideas;
• Intellectual curiosity, approachability, and openness to input from all levels of staff; 
• High energy level, personable, trustworthy, diplomatic, and in possession of impeccable integrity;
• Proven team player and leader able to motivate and inspire staff as well as colleagues to work well as a team.

Compensation
Compensation for the Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean includes a competitive base salary, and an excellent employee benefits package.

To Apply:
Please send a cover letter and resume in confidence to:
Daniel A. Sherman
President
Explore Company
E-Mail: resumes@explorecompany.com

RARE is an equal opportunity employerand welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search.