The Adaptation Strategy Director will lead the integration and evolution of a suite of existing tools and research at CI on climate change, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), and the broader dimensions of resilience. They will play a key and highly visible role in leading the delivery of high-impact outputs that will help deliver on CI’s vision of sustainable development that engenders resilient communities living in partnership with nature. 

The position requires a multidisciplinary perspective on current and future global climate change pressures – in particular vulnerable human populations and the natural ecosystems upon which they are dependent – and will combine deep technical and practitioner experience with broader strategic and project/team management skillsets. They will also play a critical role internally, driving collaboration across divisions and advising and mentoring key staff, as well as externally, building and leveraging strategic alliances with NGOs, multi-laterals, and businesses. Working with a high degree of independence, this is an exceptional opportunity for a creative, innovative individual with a desire to lead on work that directly contributes to action. 

The Adaptation Strategy Director will play a key role in driving a coherent adaptation strategy within CI’s nature for climate strategy. Based in CI’s Center for Natural Climate Solutions, the Director will report to the VP, Climate Change and will work closely and collaboratively with a team of staff across divisions and country programs.  

The Adaptation Strategy Director will have the ability to guide CI’s adaptation strategy at a critical time in global efforts to address climate change, a time in which CI has substantial opportunities to engage governments, communities, and deploy innovative financial instruments. The successful candidate will require strong expertise and experience as an adaptation practitioner and/or researcher, possess strong technical and communication skills, and a relentless focus on turning this experience into results. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy development  

• Finalize our institutional adaptation strategy and fully develop CI’s adaptation body of work (in alignment with the CI climate strategy).
• Produce analyses of adaptation needs, trends, and potential; theories of change for adaptation actions; and recommendations on the scale and scope of institutional targets on climate change adaptation. 
• Deliver high-quality presentations to key internal (including CI senior leadership) and external audiences on adaptation and CI’s approach. 
• Develop recommendations for the prioritization of activities; develop work plans; convene internal dialogues and consultations as needed. 
• Lead an internal adaptation networked team to develop institutional positioning on key issues and build processes to effectively implement CI’s climate adaptation strategy. 
• Bring cohesion to CI’s diverse adaptation portfolio through common approaches, metrics, messaging, narrative, and proactively creating opportunities for shared learning to achieve institutional targets on climate change adaptation.  
• Provide critical links between CI adaptation and mitigation work at the institutional and strategic level. 

Technical analysis and thought leadership   

• Oversee and produce key internal positions and talking points on adaptation. 
• Develop tools, standards, metrics, and methods on adaptation design implementation and monitoring to streamline and bring consistency to CI’s adaptation portfolio and to consistently track institutional targets on adaptation. 
• Advance CI’s work on inclusive conservation and approach to supporting human well-being in a changing climate.
• Provide input into policy analysis and external position papers on adaptation (UNFCCC, etc) 
• Provide technical expertise to CI Country Programs and Divisions across the institution 
• Provide technical expertise at intergovernmental meetings. 
• Manage the internal and external process of gathering and providing CI’s feedback on key public consultations on issues.  
• Represent CI in key coalitions, conferences, and dialogues related to resilience and adaptation, with a focus on ecosystem-based adaptation.
• Serve as the key focal point for developing CI’s strategic communications on adaptation internally and externally.  

Adaptation strategy implementation  

• Build capacity broadly within CI to enhance understanding of adaptation and resilience, climate change rationale for designing adaptation actions, particularly EbA, and monitoring and evaluation of those actions in achieving CI’s targets. 
• Provide critical thinking on monitoring of EbA and how it aligns with CI’s overall monitoring and evaluation system. 
• Directly oversee/manage 1-2 adaptation cross-divisional initiatives or projects (TBD).
• Work with CI country programs and relevant Arlington-based divisions to advance the integration of adaptation into existing partnerships and project portfolios. 
• Align and integrate resilience and adaptation into CI’s safeguards and environmental and social policy 
• Provide technical guidance to CI country programs working to advance adaptation efforts, including proposal development, monitoring, and evaluation, field staff training, and shared learning opportunities. 
• Work with the policy and climate strategy teams to identify and pursue opportunities for international cooperation, strategic engagement, and advancing policy that enables increased flow of finance for adaptation. 
• Advise on the development of innovative financial instruments for adaptation and resilience 
• Support in the development of adaptation communication materials that also integrate adaptation across CI’s institutional strategy.