Managing Director, WWF Impact

About World Wildlife Fund, Inc.

World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (WWF) is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, founded in 1961 with a mission to help people and nature thrive. Operating in more than 100 countries across six continents, WWF is a global force in environmental conservation and biodiversity protection. The organization partners strategically with communities, companies, governments, and other stakeholders to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions grounded in science and driven by collaboration. WWF’s membership base reflects its global reach and impact, with nearly 1 million members in the United States and more than 5 million supporters worldwide. The organization works across multiple conservation priorities including wildlife protection, habitat conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development. WWF’s work is underpinned by rigorous science and innovative approaches to addressing complex environmental challenges at scale. The organization is structured around key focus areas including species and habitat conservation, climate and energy solutions, food and agriculture sustainability, freshwater conservation, and oceans and marine protection. WWF employs thousands of professionals globally, from field conservationists to policy experts and financial specialists, all working toward the shared vision of a world where humans live in harmony with nature.

About this Role

World Wildlife Fund seeks a Managing Director for WWF Impact, a dedicated investment function within the Nature Finance and Investment (NFI) team. This role represents a unique opportunity to lead innovative conservation finance initiatives at the intersection of impact investing and environmental protection. WWF Impact functions as a specialized investment arm focused on catalyzing capital flows toward conservation-aligned solutions. The position encompasses oversight of both direct early-stage investments in conservation-focused startups and partnerships with external sustainable investment asset managers. The Managing Director will be instrumental in developing and executing nature finance innovations through new investment structures, partnership models, and blended finance solutions. The role requires leadership of a skilled team of conservation investment professionals and active participation in the broader NFI leadership team. The Managing Director will be responsible for managing critical relationships internally across WWF’s global network and externally within the investment community, including asset managers, investors, donors, corporate leaders, and multilateral development banks. International travel up to 25 percent is expected, with focus on priority landscape regions in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Responsibilities

• Lead WWF Impact and oversee all dedicated team activities, pursuing both direct early-stage catalytic investing opportunities and external partnerships with asset managers where WWF serves as impact advisor
• Oversee the process to forge new asset manager partnership opportunities through effective partner identification, collaboration, diligence, and project and fund development
• Work with the WWF Impact team, NFI Management, and WWF programmatic teams to pursue and close high-potential asset management partnerships in priority sectors including regenerative agriculture, blue oceans, sustainable infrastructure, circular economy, and carbon finance
• Serve as lead negotiator for potential asset manager partnerships
• Oversee the early-stage direct investment portfolio, including opportunity pipeline review, investment analysis, and due diligence and legal process management
• Ensure investment memorandums are well-prepared and uphold rigorous standards for investment and impact analyses
• Lead the investment team in presentations and deliberations in internal governance processes
• Develop, maintain, and advance key internal and external relationships for partnership success, including funding partnerships with philanthropic and investment partners
• Manage relationships with WWF programmatic goal teams and global network partners, asset managers, and portfolio companies
• Oversee a growing team of professionals within the WWF Impact team and manage team development initiatives
• Manage WWF Impact’s budget and build capacity of both WWF US and Country Office staff to support capital mobilization goals
• Represent WWF Impact and NFI at external events, conferences, and workshops
• Travel domestically and internationally to priority landscape regions in support of organizational goals
• Collaborate and develop partnerships across geographies and work closely with WWF’s conservation goal teams, country offices, and private sector engagement teams to advance integrated nature finance strategies
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in the financial services sector, including private equity, venture capital, impact investing, conservation finance, or environmental and conservation-based investing
• Advanced degree from a relevant field such as finance, business administration, economics, international relations, or political science
• Experience working with or in the field of emerging market private equity in environmental sectors
• Demonstrated track record of designing and executing multi-party blended finance solutions
• Demonstrated experience developing and evaluating investment strategies, conducting due diligence, and assessing investment opportunities
• Experience with portfolio management, deal structuring, and use of capital instruments
• Experience working within or alongside multilateral and bilateral finance institutions, including development finance institutions and development banks
• Sector expertise in one or more of WWF’s priority areas such as regenerative agriculture and food systems, blue economy/aquaculture, sustainable infrastructure, or carbon markets
• Experience working in Latin America, Africa, Asia, or other emerging markets
• Awareness of key components of sustainable investment, including investment instruments, term sheets, blended finance techniques, and deal structuring
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Financial modeling skills and fluency with Microsoft Excel
• Ability to review, analyze, and evaluate financial models, financial projections, and company valuations
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex problems and effectively communicate solutions to others
• Competency in a second language, ideally Spanish or Portuguese
• Strong coordination and teamwork skills with excellent interpersonal abilities
• Proven ability to manage and deliver against multiple time-sensitive priorities
• Dynamic, creative, and outgoing personality with commitment to nature conservation
• Commitment to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams
• Alignment with WWF’s core values of Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration
• Legal authorization to work in the United States (visa sponsorship not available)

Benefits

• International and domestic relocation assistance may be offered based on available budget
• Competitive salary range of $181,000 – $260,200 annually
• Opportunity to lead innovative conservation finance initiatives
• Leadership role within a globally recognized conservation organization
• Global travel opportunities to priority conservation regions
• Membership in a mission-driven organization impacting environmental protection worldwide