Senior Director, Corporate Engagement, Forests

Company Description

Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members.

Major Function  

The Senior Director leads WWF-US’s corporate engagement strategy for forests, driving transformational action to eliminate deforestation and forest degradation across priority forest-linked supply chains, and mobilizing investments that advance forest protection, restoration, and sustainable management.  The role oversees U.S. implementation of WWF’s Forests Forward corporate engagement program, stewards high-impact partnerships, and channels corporate finance to priority global forest landscapes.  The Senior Director aligns WWF’s corporate and policy approaches for forests with WWF-US and global Forest goals and with global frameworks and nature-positive pathways.  The role leads a team of professionals focused on forging strategic partnerships to deliver landscape-scale outcomes for climate, nature, and people.  The Senior Director manages initiative budgets and fundraising; coordinates with other WWF global network offices; oversees staff and consultants; represents WWF-US Forests team at key events and forums; and builds effective relationships with NGOs, agencies, and other institutional partners.  

Job Description

 Key Responsibilities  

• Lead WWF-US’s corporate forest engagement strategy to deliver measurable progress on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation and conserving high priority forest landscapes around the globe.  

• Oversee a strategic portfolio of U.S. corporate partnerships across priority sectors and geographies, including through WWF’s Forests Forward corporate engagement program, driving transformational change in forest-linked supply chains and securing support for high-integrity nature-based solutions.   

• Steward high-profile partnerships and ensure alignment with leading target-setting frameworks, disclosure platforms, forest certification standards, and emerging regulatory expectations.  Advise companies on deforestation and conversion-free sourcing strategies, target-setting, implementation, nature-based solutions investments, and monitoring progress against commitments. 

• Lead and manage a team of professionals, including setting priorities, managing performance, coaching, and developing staff, and fostering a high-performing, cohesive team culture. 

• Engage with financial institutions and investors to integrate forest related risks and opportunities into decision-making and channel finance toward nature-positive pathways and priority landscapes in collaboration with WWF-US’s Nature Finance Initiative.  

• Develop and implement sustainable funding and cost-recovery models for corporate engagement and landscape initiatives, including corporate contributions, grants, and blended finance structures, ensuring long-term financial sustainability of the program.  Collaborate across WWF-US teams and the WWF Network to accelerate efforts that deliver against WWF global forest goals. 

• Represent WWF-US Forests team on multi-stakeholder coalitions and other external forums, articulating the business case for action on forests and sustainability and influencing relevant standards setting processes and initiatives. 

• Manage initiative budgets and advance innovative approaches to private sector–focused solutions, leading or supporting fundraising efforts that mobilize blended finance for priority forest landscapes. 

• Ensure all engagements uphold WWF’s social safeguards and support the rights, knowledge, and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

Key Competencies  

• Strategic Leadership & Execution: Ability to articulate a compelling strategic vision, take decisive action, and deliver results, adapting as needed.
• Executive Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with senior leaders, tailoring messaging to different audiences.
• Stakeholder & Partnership Management: Manages complex, high-profile partnerships with diplomacy and cultural sensitivity and navigates competing priorities to deliver results.
• Team Lea