Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, working with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities across more than 100 countries.

Conservation International is launching an initiative to strengthen the financial stability of Africa’s Keystone Protected Areas (KPAs), which are critical for biodiversity conservation and form the core of larger ecological systems. This initiative will be delivered through technical assistance facilities and workstreams that build conservation finance capacity at global, national and protected area levels.

The Director of the Protected Areas Finance Facility will lead the Technical Assistance Facility, designing and implementing long-term, sustainable financing platforms such as Conservation Trust Funds and multi-stakeholder conservation finance deals, to secure lasting financial flows for targeted KPAs. The role is based in Kenya or South Africa and is a two-year fixed-term assignment.

Job Responsibilities

• Conduct rapid assessments of enabling conditions, including policy, funding flows, debt burdens and institutional capacity, to determine readiness for conservation finance platforms.

• Lead the design and implementation of long-term financing mechanisms, including Conservation Trust Funds and multi-stakeholder conservation finance initiatives.

• Evaluate existing conservation finance efforts and identify opportunities for collaboration or scaling.

• Monitor, measure and report on facility performance, financial flows and conservation outcomes.

• Identify opportunities for innovation and expansion across Africa’s protected area finance landscape.

• Support knowledge sharing and capacity building through CI-supported Conservation Trust Funds and external stakeholder engagements.

• Identify and manage facility risks in coordination with compliance and audit teams.

• Collaborate with other CI program facilities to align with organizational priorities.

• Ensure compliance with CI policies, donor agreements and local regulations.

• Build and manage partnerships with governments, donors, NGOs, peer organizations and local communities.

• Organize and support workshops, conferences and learning events to disseminate best practices.

• Support fundraising, proposal development and donor engagement.

• Collaborate with Finance to manage budgets and resource allocation.

• Represent Conservation International externally as a leader in conservation finance.

• Perform other related duties as needed.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, commerce preferred.

• Seven or more years of related work experience.

• Two or more years of supervisory experience.

• Strong program and project management experience.

• Financial literacy, experience in a financial institution preferred.

• Excellent technical, analytical, organizational and time management skills.

• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and raise funds.

• Ability to work in fast-paced environments with changing priorities.

• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree.

• Experience leading long-term finance projects or programmes.

• Experience with a large global consulting firm.

• Fluency in Portuguese and or French.

Working Conditions

• Local and international travel of 50 per cent or more, often in difficult conditions.

• Hybrid work arrangement.

• Two-year fixed-term assignment from February 2026 to February 2028.