World Wildlife Fund-United States (WWF), one of the world’s leading environment organizations, seeks a Senior Director to lead its work on innovative financial structures for climate finance and carbon markets.  The Climate Finance team works with interested partners to mobilize long-term sustainable funding including carbon credits, direct corporate investment, philanthropic grants, public finance, guarantees, and other innovative financing mechanisms. Through its Climate finance products, WWF aims to use its global reach, landscape knowledge, and diverse partnerships to showcase high-quality Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that mitigate climate change.  WWF’s approach to NbS addresses climate mitigation, the threats and drivers of nature loss, while incorporating transparent governance and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms for the communities in the focus geographies.

The initial program that the Senior Director would lead is structuring the finance and deal origination for the WWF Planet Portfolio. Planet Portfolio is a joint program of the WWF Climate and Forest teams. – The objective of Planet Portfolio is to originate and implement NbS interventions for both private and public actors that will demonstrate and set the bar for high-integrity climate mitigation, positive nature impacts and community benefit-sharing. Operationally the Planet Portfolio is split into two main functions or pillars: (1) a landscape origination and support role (housed in the Forest team) to collaboratively develop and deliver NbS portfolios; and (2) a deal origination/finance role (housed in the Climate team) that develops integrated financial models and appropriate transaction models to fund projects in each participating landscape. Planet Portfolio is currently piloting this approach in five tropical forest geographies: Yucatan, Mexico; Madre de Dios, Peru; Atlantic Forest, Brazil; Northern Highlands/Diana, Madagascar; and the Central Annamites, Viet Nam.

Beyond the work on Planet Portfolio, the person in this role will develop a vision for expanding climate and nature finance models with other WWF goal teams and ecosystem types (e.g., freshwater, oceans, agricultural lands), and collaborate within Climate, Private Sector Engagement, and other teams to generate demonstration deals and strategies that drive towards climate and nature market transformation.

Reporting Structure: The Sr. Director will report to the Senior Vice President – Climate and will directly manage two professionals responsible for climate finance deal origination, financial modeling and carbon credit pricing.  For the Planet Portfolio initiative, the Sr. Director will have a secondary reporting line to the Planet Portfolio Program Lead.

Position Length: Full-time, Regular
FLSA Status: Exempt

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter detailing how you fulfill the role description and personal specification to Perrett Laver’s Vacancies page quoting reference 7761. The deadline for applications is Sunday, March 2, 2025.

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid two days per week) is preferred

Salary: The expected compensation range for this position is 139,800 - $200,900 USD.

As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. WWF values diversity and inclusion and welcomes diverse candidates to apply.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

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