Senior Director, Storytelling And Engagement

Senior Director, Storytelling and Engagement

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position can be based in CI's Arlington, VA office, remote from the US, or in any of the countries where CI operates in the Americas. Please view a full list of our CI Offices here.

Conservation International’s Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science is a highly motivated team that leverages science to accelerate global conservation action. Our near-term goals by 2025 are to increase the impact of our science to help stabilize our climate, double ocean protection and expand planet-positive economies. Under new leadership, the Center’s expanded Management Team is shaping its strategy to match CI’s ambitious targets and to deliver actionable science that supports field programs and partners around the globe.

The Senior Director, Storytelling and Engagement, is a new role that is an integral part of the Center’s Management Team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is a skilled storyteller and communication strategist who has a passion for helping others build authentic connections with audiences to increase support for conservation science. They will guide the Center’s leaders and scientists to be clear, confident spokespeople who can more easily build strong relationships with donors, partners, field programs, the media, and other audiences. They will identify the best stories to support our communications and fundraising strategies by working with our leaders in science, policy, conservation, development, and communications.

As the lead communications strategist in the Moore Center for Science, they will work with the Center’s leadership and internal teams to create communications materials that build awareness about our initiatives and impact. They will develop ways for our supporters to feel like they are part of our team and making a significant contribution to our efforts. The ideal candidate has a proven track record in developing and executing creative engagement strategies with target audiences including donors; an understanding of and passion for conservation science; and experience building new communications programs and managing cross-department collaborations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Storytelling, communications and engagement:

• Working with the Center’s staff and other internal teams, create, contribute to, and/or edit case studies, concept papers, talking points, news releases, internal messages, high-level proposals, reports, and donor and stewardship communications that highlight the impact of our work.
• Direct a comprehensive calendar of communications, looking for opportunities to leverage the best content with different audiences while ensuring individual stories fall within a broader narrative arc. This includes the development of an annual report and/or more frequent new communication that effectively engages the Center’s key audiences.
• Uncover, capture, and build storytelling content and capacity to bring our work to life. Gain an in-depth understanding of the Center’s programs and develop strategies on how to effectively communicate our impact. Translate complex initiatives and the details of our work into compelling, persuasive, and people-oriented stories and messages that can be used externally with diverse audiences and donors.
• Collaborate with CI’s development, marketing, and communications teams to develop all communications plans and materials toward the audiences they manage and keep these internal collaborators up-to-date to ensure consistent messaging and engaging content across all communication channels.
• Develop and implement a storytelling and communications strategy that aligns with the Moore Center for Science’s purpose, vision, and values and is directed toward donors, partners, the Center’s Science Council, media, and internal audiences.

Coaching:

• Coach, assist, and empower the Center’s frontline science communicators and other team members with important pitches and talking points for major events, media interviews, important partnership meetings, and donor meetings.
• Design and deliver group workshops, 1:1 coaching sessions, and written feedback that helps individuals and teams improve their storytelling, relationship-building, and communications skills.
• Develop training materials, resources, and tools to support coaching efforts.
• Support the Center’s management team with translating their vision and strategy into easily understandable and compelling messaging for internal and external audiences.
• Support the Center’s leadership in using narrative to connect the organization’s past and present to the future vision, and oversee consistent messaging across all channels.

Management:

• Manage allocation of resources or approve budget expenditures.
• Serve on the Management Team for the Center, participating in collaborative decision-making and sharing responsibility and accountability for the Center’s outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Center’s staff and internal teams to ensure processes are in place to enable strong stewardship of individual donors and regular communication to top target audiences.
• Manage reports on audience engagement efforts to improve our strategy and tactics continually.
• Report to the SVP of the Moore Center for Science. Manages 1-2 staff, and when needed, external consultants.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Some travel is possible for team meetings and events.
• For the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, all US-based Conservation International staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandatory vaccine requirement applies to all staff working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site in CI US offices. CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. Requests for reasonable accommodations or exceptions related to medical or religious reasons will be considered. Candidates are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Ability to effectively collaborate with teams outside their own functional and programmatic area and to develop ideas or solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to operate effectively and independently with limited oversight and supervision.
• Experience creating new communications programs or campaigns, and in evaluating their success.
• 5 or more years of supervisory experience.
• Superb interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen, use diplomacy and tact, and build strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and all levels of staff.
• 10 or more years of experience in non-profit strategic communications and/or donor engagement
• Superior project management skills for leading multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of or experience in storytelling and in training others to be spokespeople.
• Understanding of how to reach and influence audiences depending on their unique interests and needs.
• Ability and experience managing staff and establishing goals and strategies for self, staff, and project teams.
• A deeply authentic approach to linking the personal and the professional and the courage to try things that have never been tried before.
• Commitment to advancing the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and working productively and respectfully across various cultural contexts in a complex global organization.
• Knowledge of or experience in conservation and/or environmental sciences.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, internally and externally, and to use storytelling to convey impact.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite.
• Bachelor’s degree in communications or marketing-related field.

Preferred

• Experience working for a global organization that needs to communicate with and support different cultures.
• Experience supporting executives and leadership teams with communications
• Experience effectively collaborating with geographically dispersed teams.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.