This position is based in a WRI office in the UK, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil or US (Washington, DC). Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.
About the Program:
WRIโs Food, Land, and Water (F/L/W) Program aims to transform land use and land management systems worldwide to protect nature, address climate change, and ensure people everywhere have equitable access to food and other vital resources. The Program pursues four interrelated goals necessary to transform land use systems: produce more food on less land and with fewer emissions, protect remaining forests and other natural ecosystems, restore degraded lands back to productivity and ecological integrity, and reduce demand for land-intensive commodities. F/L/W is WRIโs largest global program and is complemented by local F/L/W programs in each of WRIโs Country Offices.
Job Highlight:
Reporting to the Global Director, you will support the F/L/W Global Program Director and Program Leadership Team to drive WRIโs strategy and values. You will manage the F/L/W Global Program Director and help them manage the Program through strategically prioritizing the needs of the Director. You will help supervise one staff member who will execute the logistics related to scheduling meetings, managing invites, booking travel, and completing paperwork in support of the F/L/W Global Program Director. You will help design and run day-to-day decision-making processes and systems on behalf of the Program Director through facilitating meetings, ensuring briefings are fit for purpose, allocating and tracking actions and coordinating with peers. You will apply a broad awareness of issues related to the entire F/L/W portfolio to judge effectively when to consult with others.
What you will do:
Strategic Support to Food, Land, and Water Global Program Director (40%):
- Manage the F/L/W Global Program Directorโs inbox and calendar
- Assign and delegate tasks to the Executive Assistant under your supervision to identify and communicate priority items for the F/L/W Global Program Director to attend to
- Draft memos, replies, and documents on behalf of the F/L/W Global Program Director
- Ensure that the F/L/W Global Program Director is in attendance and properly prepared and briefed for meetings of strategic importance
- Be a delegate for the F/L/W Global Program Director in meetings, when appropriate, providing status updates and sharing relevant information with colleagues and partners
- Manage the F/L/W Global Program Directorโs agenda by helping them prioritize, ensuring deadlines are met, and taking ownership over tasks, follow-up items, and information gathering
Develop and Manage Program-wide Processes and Systems (40%):
- Support the F/L/W Global Program Director plan, coordinate, and facilitate Program-wide meetings, working group meetings within the Program, and other recurring meetings hosted or attended by the Director
- Manage the Programโs Leadership Teamโcomposed of experts across geographies and teams within the Program.
- Establish and manage information-sharing systems for this group and prepare key documents and materials for the groupโs quarterly meetings.
- Work with the Programโs Operations staff to ensure programmatic cohesion and maintain internal planning and coordination systems
- Develop and draft Program-wide newsletter, for review by the F/L/W Global Program Director
- Manage and sustain internal information-sharing and coordination systems within F/L/W including owning the content on WRIโs internal information management and documentation systems
- Establish internal decision-making frameworks for the Program to inform larger institutional processes
- Manage coordination and track priorities of Program-wide meetings and processes such as: flexible funding allocations; annual work planning and reporting, leadership meetings; staff meetings, etc.
- Proactively communicate with teams within F/L/W and across the Institute to ensure the right people know the right information at the right time
Support Programmatic Strategic Ambition (20%):
- Provide analysis and advice to the Program Director and other leaders and develop and maintain a broad knowledge of issues related to the entire F/L/W portfolio and its strategic ambitions
- Project manage special projects as assigned. This will include the development of work plans and timelines with key milestones and developing and tracking budgets.
- Provide clear guidance and coordination to internal WRI teams and external partners to ensure their compliance with WRIโs internal processes and systems as well as work plans.
- Contribute to external strategic communications products and help draft internal communications to key internal stakeholders on behalf of the Global Director
What you will need:
- Education: You have completed a Bachelorโs degree in environmental sciences, social science, natural resource management, forestry, agriculture, rural development, geography, or similar field
- Experience: You have minimum of 7 years of work experience in project management, preferably in a non-profit international development setting. A Masterโs degree in lieu of 2 years of work experience is acceptable
- Experience working with senior executives and can demonstrate the ability to synthesize complex topics into actionable and decision ready analysis fit for that audience and then cascade decisions for action
- You will have a record of accomplishment of organization and time management skills, with experience managing several projects at different stages simultaneously
- Experience developing work plans including breaking down complex projects into tasks, processes and timelines
- Experience developing meeting agendas, tracking and developing materials, chairing meetings and organizing events
- Experience in one of the following areas of expertise: strategy development; planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning; non-profit operations and finances, including resource allocation
- Ability to understand, analyze and synthesize a high influx of information
- You will have a demonstrated track record of working both independently and in teams
- Experience applying analytical thinking and problem solving skills and experience in the environment, sustainability and/or international development sector is a plus
- Languages: Proficiency in verbal and written English
- Requirements: Existing work authorization is required at the time of application. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization
Potential Salary: Salary range is between 96,000 and 110,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.
How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of 15 January 2024. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
What we offer:
- A competitive salary
- Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
- The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
- A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
- The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
- Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
- Generous leave days that increase with tenure
About Us:
Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the worldโs greatest environment and international development challenges and improve peopleโs lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
Our mission and values:
WRIโs mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earthโs environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, and Respect.
Our culture:
WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.
Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.
- Education: You have completed a Bachelorโs degree in environmental sciences, social science, natural resource management, forestry, agriculture, rural development, geography, or similar field