Overview

The Vice President of Conservation for Ocean Plastics is responsible for setting and executing on the short- and long-term strategic direction for Ocean Conservancy’s ocean plastics portfolio.  The Vice President will oversee a $5-7 million budget and a team of approximately 15 people. Leveraging the organization’s talent and resources, the Vice President will develop, expand, and drive the strategic growth and execution of impactful solutions both in the U.S. and globally. A leader in this field, the Vice President is accountable for developing strategies and delivering concrete outcomes as they relate to our domestic and international policy campaigns, science agenda, international coastal cleanup program, and private sector engagement.  A strong decision-maker and innovative thinker, the Vice President is responsible for ensuring that teams within the portfolio have the direction, resources, and guidance needed to achieve program goals and objectives. This includes ensuring program effectiveness, fiduciary oversight of multi-million dollar grants, integration within the portfolio and across other Ocean Conservancy programs and functions, and promoting Ocean Conservancy as a global leader on ocean plastics.  Given the public facing nature of the plastics issues, the Vice President with work closely with our Communications and Resource Development teams to ensure alignment and balance across programmatic and other institutional goals. The Vice President will also represent Ocean Conservancy and our work on this issue with the public, the media, and policy makers.

The Vice President is an integral member of the conservation leadership team that drives strategy to improve organizational influence, impact, and effectiveness. The Vice President will work closely with other members of the conservation leadership team to support organizational leadership and set strategic direction to expand the scope and impact of the Conservancy’s initiatives.  As a member of organization’s senior leadership, the Vice President is responsible for modeling and supporting Ocean Conservancy’s organizational values and social norms. Along with other members of the senior leadership, the Vice President ensures alignment and integration of Ocean Conservancy’s programs and cross-cutting and supporting services and acts as a program resource for other VPs and departments.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Lead development and execution of US and global strategies and initiatives that result in the organization’s increased ability to stabilize ocean health against the threat of plastics pollution while benefitting marginalized communities and not increasing GHG emissions.
• Ensure an integrated and cohesive approach to Ocean Conservancy’s plastics strategy and work with other departments to drive alignment across the programmatic and institutional goals related to the issue of plastic pollution.
• Serve as a key leader and visible influencer in the ocean plastics field; develop a strong global network of durable relationships with scientists, industry, government, and NGO partners to tackle ocean pollution.
• Identify new opportunities for enhanced, public-facing leadership on ocean plastics and for expansion of impact of initiatives.

Management & Organizational Effectiveness

• Manage and oversee program teams, including providing regular direction and advice, mentoring, and support that leads to excellence and accountability.
• Oversee the development of effective strategies as well as the development and execution of effective work plans, program budgets, and funding proposals to ensure success.
• Continually help team members develop toward their professional goals and aspirations.

Fundraising and External Relations

• Represent Ocean Conservancy throughout key international and domestic fora to raise its profile and visibility to funders, partners, policymakers, and the public.
• Serve as Ocean Conservancy’s spokesperson and thought leader on ocean plastics in the media and at major conferences and speaking events.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with national and international opinion leaders to advance plastics strategies and effectiveness in key geographies.
• Working closely with Ocean Conservancy program and development staff, lead fundraising efforts and engage key partners and influencers through strategic communications to deliver resources and impactful solutions.

REQUIRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• 10-12 years of professional conservation, business, public policy, international development, program management, or other relevant field experience; at least 5 years demonstrated management experience.
• Strategic thinker and leader that will drive sustainable, outcome focused initiatives to support Ocean Conservancy’s continued growth and impact; forward-thinking, with the intellectual and analytical skills to help drive strategic planning and implementation along with the senior leadership team.
• Proven experience developing and leading strategies to advance US and international policy, including identifying new opportunities and creating new strategies; ability to effectively anticipate roadblocks and evolve advocacy strategies in response to new information.
• A track record of delivering results across complex settings; experience turning ideas into practical on-the-ground action and solutions.
• Proven management and fiduciary experience in leveraging available resources effectively to meet program objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, supervise and motivate a multi-disciplinary team in achieving concrete and meaningful outcomes. Experience managing a geographically distributed team is a plus.
• Knowledge of one or more of the following is essential: circular economy policy; waste reduction strategies; waste management; ocean conservation; private sector environmental, social, governance (ESG); marine/coastal resource management; natural resource/environmental policy.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with past success in deepening and empowering partnerships to affect change and build political will; ability to mobilize and facilitate a diverse partner network; and ability to communicate complex scientific or technical concepts to policy and lay audiences.
• Experience working with media and serving as spokesperson on a range of issues and tailoring messaging and framing for a variety of different audiences.
• Willingness to travel up to 30-40%, including significant international travel.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred in law, public policy, business, management, a relevant science or interdisciplinary specialty, or another field closely related to coastal/marine affairs or environmental policy.