Regional Director, Southeast Asian Archipelago Region

Job Title:        Regional Director, Southeast Asian Archipelago Region

Job Type:       Full time

Division:         Asia Program, Global Conservation Program

Report to:      Asia Program Executive Director

Location:        Specific location TBD, but in Malaysia, Indonesia or Singapore

Team Size:      > 200 staff

Job Description

The Wildlife Conservation Society seeks a dynamic, experienced individual to lead a growing environmental conservation program across the Southeast Asia Archipelago. The Southeast Asia Archipelago is one of 15 priority regional programs within the WCS Global Conservation Program. The region compromises two major country programs, Indonesia and Malaysia, the Indonesia Marine Program, and representative offices and projects in Singapore and the Philippines. The position requires significant and authoritative knowledge of conservation issues in the region and how those issues fit within an international context; extensive management and program development experience; strong leadership and public speaking skills; and a recognized standing in the conservation community.

Job Objectives

1. To lead the development and implementation of Southeast Asia Archipelago priorities, strategy, and approaches which support the achievement of the WCS mission and 2020 global strategy;
2. To ensure financial, administrative and programmatic support for field teams in the region and ensure effective and sufficient communication and coordination among different teams of WCS in the region and globally.
3. Promote wildlife conservation and WCS priorities to governments and donors, international conservation communities, and private sector partners; provide insights or recommendations to suitable stakeholders to influence policies that promote the long-term persistence of wildlife and wild lands in the region.

Principle Responsibilities

• Strategic Direction, priorities, program development:

–   Lead the development and implementation of regional strategies, priorities, business model, and strategic approaches to enhance WCS conservation achievement in the Southeast Asia Archipelago, with collaboration or coordination of other regional teams of Asia program and the Marine program and cross-cutting initiatives including the International Policy division, Public Affairs, Species, Conservation Solutions, Wildlife Health program, and others in WCS.

–   Oversee and support the development and implementation of country program strategies, priorities and annual workplans;

–   Lead or work with other regional teams on regional initiatives, exploration to expand WCS conservation impact in the region.  

• Ensure WCS field teams in the Southeast Asia Archipelago have sufficient, sustainable, flexible and growing financial support to implement its strategies, meet its annual and/or long-term conservation goals, through collaboration with Asia and Marine program, Program Development and Global Resources, Public Affairs and others in New York; lead or supervise proposal development and participate in fund-raising activities; lead or supervise funding sources research and donor relationship development and maintenance for the Southeast Asia Archipelago with sufficient coordination with other departments in WCS.
• Oversee and/or lead the establishment, development and maintenance of partnerships with other conservation organizations, government agencies, private sector and donors so as to deliver conservation outcomes effectively;
• Ensure the effective implementation of WCS programs (terrestrial and marine) in the region:

–   Establish and implement effective management structures, policies and procedures across the region; ensure that related administration (including human resources and finance) policies and procedures are in place and properly implemented; ensure country program’s operations meets the legal requirements of local countries and are consistent with WCS’s global policies;

–   Ensure effective knowledge and intellectual property management for teams in the region;

–   Ensure technical reports, academic or popular publication from the Southeast Asia Archipelago will meet WCS standards; encourage and support the Southeast Asia Archipelago staff to produce high quality science with clear conservation implications, through publications of scientific articles, books and reports;

–   Ensure sufficient, responsive and effective coordination and communication between programs in the Southeast Asia Archipelago and other regional programs or WCS headquarters.

–   Oversee human resource management in the region and ensure the growth and maintenance of key staff capacity within the region and country programs, with support from WCS-NY, including line-management of WCS’s country programs and teams in the region; organizing resources to support the human resource system development with support from WCS-NY HR team; supervise senior staff hiring, orientation and provide mentorship; manage multi-disciplinary administrative and professional staff; oversee performance management, training and career development; promote teamwork and provide efficient feedback to staff; establish clear directions and set stretch objectives for staff in the field; ensure capacity sharing within different field teams in the regional.

• To direct global attention to wildlife conservation in the Southeast Asia Archipelago and influence policies that promote their long-term persistence through representing WCS’s Southeast Asia Archipelago programs to regional or global stakeholders through various events (meetings, forums, media interviews, etc.), writing or general communication.
• Contribute to, enlarge and uphold WCS’s policies towards Equal Employment Opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, the handicapped and other protected groups.

Qualification Requirements

1. A doctorate or equivalent experience in the field in Asia related to the conservation of biological diversity;
2. At least 10 years’ experience at a senior level in the following areas:
• Managing complex or multiple projects, including staffing, workloads, and finances under deadlines;
• Strong team leadership skills and supervisory experience for big or multiple teams;
• Successful, significant and diverse fundraising experience;
• Extensive first-hand experience with Southeast or Asia conservation management; and
• Ability to work in a range of cultural contexts.
3. Sufficient English skills and strong diplomatic and communication skills, including an ability to work and communicate effectively with a broad spectrum of individuals (individual donors, business leaders, public figures, WCS staff);
4. High level negotiation and influencing skills, and the capacity to develop and maintain strong relationships with governments, donors, not-for-profit, scientific and political communities or corporate sectors;
5. Adheres to WCS's values, which are: Respect, Accountability & Transparency, Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion, Collaboration, and Integrity.
6. Willing to undertake significant travel.

 
Application Process:

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending an application letter and CV together with the names and contact information of three references to the address below no later than April 30, 2018. Please include “Regional Director, Southeast Asian Archipelago Region” in the subject line of your email. Send to: asiaprogram@wcs.org.

Candidates must also apply online via the WCS career portal by searching job title at: http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers

Deadline to apply for applications is: April 30, 2018