The Environmental Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the worlds most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the worlds remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pews global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australias Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pews ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change.

Blue Nature Alliance

The International Union for Conservation of Nature recommends that countries strongly protect 30% of every habitat by 2030 (30×30). The rate of protection needs to accelerate in the coming years to ensure a healthy, resilient ocean, safeguard biodiversity, and conserve critical ecosystems. In addition to the designation of new and expanded areas, sufficient controls must be in place to achieve conservation outcomes in existing protected areas. This entails strengthening the management of existing reserves and upgrading their protections where needed.

Working alongside partners, the Alliance scope of work is truly global, and aims to protect global ocean biodiversity, build resilience, promote human wellbeing, and enhance ecosystem connectivity and function. In addition to partnering with local champions to secure the designation of new and expanded conservation areas, the Alliance works to strengthen the management and durability of existing ocean conservation areas and upgrading their protections where needed. The Blue Nature Alliance is a collaborative, dynamic global team comprised of staff from both The Pew Charitable Trusts and Conservation International, that aims to make an outsized impact on the ocean.

The Blue Nature Alliance (Alliance) is a global partnership between Conservation International, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Global Environment Facility, Minderoo Foundation, and the Rob Melani Walton Foundation.

Position Overview

The Officer, Latin America is responsible for leading a portfolio of engagements in Latin America and the Caribbean region to establish and improve management effectiveness of large-scale ocean conservation areas for the Blue Nature Alliance. This position will represent the Alliance at meetings with government officials and partners, and will advise leadership on the management, implementation, and progress of an existing regional portfolio that encompasses more than ten countries.

The Officer is skilled at building and maintaining strong existing relationships with internal and external stakeholders and implementing partners in a manner consistent with Alliance values, and requires expertise in the design and execution of successful conservation campaigns, marine conservation and environmental policy, capacity building, and demonstrated experience working effectively in diverse cultural contexts. The Officer will drive partner implementation of engagement strategies and provide technical oversight of grantees and contractors to ensure success for assigned engagements. The Officer will also provide technical expertise and guidance to other Regional Officers and partners as appropriate.

The position also includes management of one direct report, a Principal Associate (remote), to implement a portfolio of site engagements in the Latin America region.

The Officer, Latin America, reports to the Director of the Blue Nature Alliance and is located in Washington, DC or Santiago, Chile. This position participates in Pews hybrid works program with core days in the office and the flexibility to telework the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four telework flex weeks per year.

Responsibilities

Lead regional portfolio of sites in securing conservation objectives

Develop, nurture, and maintain strong relationships with key government staff, community, policymakers, and civil society leadership in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in support of shared conservation objectives.

Oversee the management of grantees in delivery of targets, including regular check-in meetings, to support partners in the implementation of strategies.

Liaise internally within the Blue Nature Alliance team and across relevant technical partners to bring in needed expertise in the delivery of ocean conservation targets, including political/campaign strategy, capacity and learning, strategic communications, conservation finance, monitoring control and surveillance, or other areas.

Provide technical support as needed to advance site-based objectives and support local capacity building.

Advise on the political strategy for partner-led initiatives, identify key events or opportunities to advance targets, and attend relevant meetings with partners and government officials in-country.

Oversee the monitoring and tracking of progress towards targets, and liaise with relevant staff to ensure shared expectations, and identify and address any crucial gaps in program delivery to keep projects on track.

On occasion, there may be ad-hoc opportunities for scoping new projects for area-based ocean conservation at scale: Creation of new marine protected areas; catalytic investments in existing marine protected areas to improve effectiveness, design, and trialing of innovative models for area-based ocean conservation.

Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring and compassionate.

Operations / Grant Management

Manage one Principal Associate staff member to assist in the delivery of site targets, grants management, and reporting.

Facilitate grant agreement development and finalization with grantees and Alliance Grants Manager.

Review grantee reports and make adjustment recommendations to implementing partners and Blue Nature Alliance delivery team as needed.

Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives…