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Global Head, Nature-based Solutions
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BACKGROUND
The IUCN Center for Science and Knowledge (CSK) advances IUCN’s critical work as a leading global authority on conservation science and knowledge as well as curation of IUCN standards, including the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. Based at the IUCN Secretariat, the Global Head, NbS is a leadership role to mainstream and scale-up NbS as a IUCN standard and the associated tools and knowledge products
An important part of the role is to foster cross-functional collaboration with IUCN Members, IUCN Commissions and Partners and actively engage on NbS with a group of Technical Leads and NbS experts from across the IUCN Programme and Regions. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a leading programmatic area of work for IUCN.
NbS refer to actions addressing key societal challenges through the protection, sustainable management and restoration of both natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting both biodiversity and human well-being. NbS have a significant, but currently underutilised potential to help address global challenges such as climate change, human health, food and water security, natural disasters and biodiversity loss. The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, launched in July 2020 and updated in 2025, provides a standardised approach to the design of effective NbS projects that are ambitious in scale and sustainable, creating a shared language for stakeholders and facilitating innovative partnerships.
IUCN currently has multiple teams working on NbS related topics. The Global Head, NbS and the small NbS Thematic team will ensure that all activities fall under a single coordinated institutional strategy that optimise the institution’s leadership and profile on the issue. Therefore, this position is designed to develop and coordinate activities associated with NbS, including the development of a recognition scheme as concerns appropriate application of NbS, and ensure that they come together in a strategic and coherent manner.
The NbS team will work to optimise, harmonise and further enhance IUCN’s established leadership, recognition and reputation on the subject area. It will build and ensure coherent external partnerships and facilitate and support the growth of IUCN’s portfolio, with both the public and private sector, based on agreed upon NbS business lines.
This role will be critical in coordinating the day-to-day functions of the NbS team, as detailed in the next section. In addition, the incumbent should help to expand NbS business opportunities by helping to develop strategic partnerships, fundraise and shape value propositions in accordance with IUCN Programme needs.
An important part of the role is to foster cross-functional collaboration with IUCN Members, IUCN Commissions and Partners and actively engage on NbS with a group of Technical Leads and NbS experts from across the IUCN Programme and Regions. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a leading programmatic area of work for IUCN.
NbS refer to actions addressing key societal challenges through the protection, sustainable management and restoration of both natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting both biodiversity and human well-being. NbS have a significant, but currently underutilised potential to help address global challenges such as climate change, human health, food and water security, natural disasters and biodiversity loss. The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, launched in July 2020 and updated in 2025, provides a standardised approach to the design of effective NbS projects that are ambitious in scale and sustainable, creating a shared language for stakeholders and facilitating innovative partnerships.
IUCN currently has multiple teams working on NbS related topics. The Global Head, NbS and the small NbS Thematic team will ensure that all activities fall under a single coordinated institutional strategy that optimise the institution’s leadership and profile on the issue. Therefore, this position is designed to develop and coordinate activities associated with NbS, including the development of a recognition scheme as concerns appropriate application of NbS, and ensure that they come together in a strategic and coherent manner.
The NbS team will work to optimise, harmonise and further enhance IUCN’s established leadership, recognition and reputation on the subject area. It will build and ensure coherent external partnerships and facilitate and support the growth of IUCN’s portfolio, with both the public and private sector, based on agreed upon NbS business lines.
This role will be critical in coordinating the day-to-day functions of the NbS team, as detailed in the next section. In addition, the incumbent should help to expand NbS business opportunities by helping to develop strategic partnerships, fundraise and shape value propositions in accordance with IUCN Programme needs.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Portfolio and Staff management
• Provide day to day supervision of the NbS team, including management of performance, wellbeing and workflows;
• Manage financial resources and projects within approved budget allocations, policies and procedures and according to the designated timelines.
• Work with relevant internal stakeholders and advise on their prioritisation and delivery of NbS activities.
• When appropriate matrix manage staff in other teams who are working on NbS through their own thematic scope.
NbS coordination for an IUCN programmatic approach
• Socialize and ensure implementation of the IUCN Nature-based Solutions Strategy supported by key internal stakeholders.
• Develop, execute and manage workplans for IUCN to expand its work on NbS through mainstreaming the concept and use of the standard within the organisation’s portfolio;
• Provide technical leadership of ideas, concepts, projects and portfolio development across the institution.
• Provide regular updates to senior management about the NbS progress.
Facilitate and Share Knowledge on NbS
• Coordinate knowledge sharing, best practices, and scaling NbS efforts internally as well as externally as relevant for the IUCN Programme.
• Provide technical oversight and quality assurance to capacity development related initiatives on NbS, including training, briefing sessions and training done via the IUCN Academy, and other associated training platforms;
• Build NbS capacity of practitioners, governments and communities.
• Advance the evidence base for NbS, including analytical tools and generate NbS case studies in collaboration with IUCN Members, IUCN Commissions and Partners.
Enhance uptake of NbS
• Design and lead global engagements to mainstream and upscale NbS;
• Support countries and practitioners to develop and pilot high integrity NbS projects.
• Support countries to embed NbS in policies, laws and national frameworks.
• Promote safeguards, social inclusion and equitable benefit-sharing.
• Enable public and private NbS investments by helping to develop and pilot delivery of finance-readiness criteria and financial screening tools ;
• Identify and leverage opportunities for advocacy on NbS, including through webinars, workshops, events at international gatherings ;
Partnerships and communication on NbS
• Convene actors across sectors to enhance the global leadership of IUCN in NbS according to emerging global issues and opportunities.
• Advocate for NbS at global policy forums and strengthen collaboration with Indigenous people and local communities, where possible.
• Coordinate and support communications and relationships with relevant IUCN Members, Commissions and partners for profiling NbS, especially in view of joint opportunities for action;
• Promote and support high-level NbS engagement opportunities with IUCN senior management, IUCN Centres, Regions and external stakeholders as relevant for NbS and other IUCN Programme needs.
Growth of IUCN’s NbS portfolio and resource mobilisation
• Proactive outreach to identify and engage prospective partners of relevance to NbS and the IUCN Programme, in order to fundraise for and incubate strategic business developments for NbS.
• In collaboration with the relevant IUCN teams and partners, manage ongoing relationships with funders and partners to enhance IUCN’s visibility and leadership on NbS.
• Provide consistent strategic engagement with existing and possibly NbS donors and framework partners on NbS;
• Identify and approach donors with the aim to facilitate fundraising opportunities and maintain IUCN’s global leadership role on NbS;
• Pursue and unlock new funding opportunities for maintenance of the IUCN Global Standard on NbS and associated databases, knowledge management tools, technical service provision and portfolio expansion with public and private donors, financiers and investors.
Institutionalising NbS
• Provide support for the effective working of the International Standards Committee (ISC) for the IUCN Global Standard on NbS;
• Support the Deputy Director General – Programme in representing the IUCN Secretariat on the ISC, as needed;
• Work with the Office of the Legal Advisor to establish institutional frameworks for protecting IUCN’s intellectual property related to the IUCN Global Standard on NbS;
• Support the reporting of NbS results and impacts, working closely with IUCN’s Programme Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit;
• Develop a NbS recognition scheme in collaboration with IUCN Commissions, Members, partners and consider its possible promotion, roll-out and implementation.
The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position.
However, in a small organisation such as IUCN Secretariat, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of a staff member’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the manager, the staff member and the Human Resources Management Group.
• Provide day to day supervision of the NbS team, including management of performance, wellbeing and workflows;
• Manage financial resources and projects within approved budget allocations, policies and procedures and according to the designated timelines.
• Work with relevant internal stakeholders and advise on their prioritisation and delivery of NbS activities.
• When appropriate matrix manage staff in other teams who are working on NbS through their own thematic scope.
NbS coordination for an IUCN programmatic approach
• Socialize and ensure implementation of the IUCN Nature-based Solutions Strategy supported by key internal stakeholders.
• Develop, execute and manage workplans for IUCN to expand its work on NbS through mainstreaming the concept and use of the standard within the organisation’s portfolio;
• Provide technical leadership of ideas, concepts, projects and portfolio development across the institution.
• Provide regular updates to senior management about the NbS progress.
Facilitate and Share Knowledge on NbS
• Coordinate knowledge sharing, best practices, and scaling NbS efforts internally as well as externally as relevant for the IUCN Programme.
• Provide technical oversight and quality assurance to capacity development related initiatives on NbS, including training, briefing sessions and training done via the IUCN Academy, and other associated training platforms;
• Build NbS capacity of practitioners, governments and communities.
• Advance the evidence base for NbS, including analytical tools and generate NbS case studies in collaboration with IUCN Members, IUCN Commissions and Partners.
Enhance uptake of NbS
• Design and lead global engagements to mainstream and upscale NbS;
• Support countries and practitioners to develop and pilot high integrity NbS projects.
• Support countries to embed NbS in policies, laws and national frameworks.
• Promote safeguards, social inclusion and equitable benefit-sharing.
• Enable public and private NbS investments by helping to develop and pilot delivery of finance-readiness criteria and financial screening tools ;
• Identify and leverage opportunities for advocacy on NbS, including through webinars, workshops, events at international gatherings ;
Partnerships and communication on NbS
• Convene actors across sectors to enhance the global leadership of IUCN in NbS according to emerging global issues and opportunities.
• Advocate for NbS at global policy forums and strengthen collaboration with Indigenous people and local communities, where possible.
• Coordinate and support communications and relationships with relevant IUCN Members, Commissions and partners for profiling NbS, especially in view of joint opportunities for action;
• Promote and support high-level NbS engagement opportunities with IUCN senior management, IUCN Centres, Regions and external stakeholders as relevant for NbS and other IUCN Programme needs.
Growth of IUCN’s NbS portfolio and resource mobilisation
• Proactive outreach to identify and engage prospective partners of relevance to NbS and the IUCN Programme, in order to fundraise for and incubate strategic business developments for NbS.
• In collaboration with the relevant IUCN teams and partners, manage ongoing relationships with funders and partners to enhance IUCN’s visibility and leadership on NbS.
• Provide consistent strategic engagement with existing and possibly NbS donors and framework partners on NbS;
• Identify and approach donors with the aim to facilitate fundraising opportunities and maintain IUCN’s global leadership role on NbS;
• Pursue and unlock new funding opportunities for maintenance of the IUCN Global Standard on NbS and associated databases, knowledge management tools, technical service provision and portfolio expansion with public and private donors, financiers and investors.
Institutionalising NbS
• Provide support for the effective working of the International Standards Committee (ISC) for the IUCN Global Standard on NbS;
• Support the Deputy Director General – Programme in representing the IUCN Secretariat on the ISC, as needed;
• Work with the Office of the Legal Advisor to establish institutional frameworks for protecting IUCN’s intellectual property related to the IUCN Global Standard on NbS;
• Support the reporting of NbS results and impacts, working closely with IUCN’s Programme Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit;
• Develop a NbS recognition scheme in collaboration with IUCN Commissions, Members, partners and consider its possible promotion, roll-out and implementation.
The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position.
However, in a small organisation such as IUCN Secretariat, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of a staff member’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the manager, the staff member and the Human Resources Management Group.
REQUIREMENTS
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• EDUCATION • Advanced university degree (typically Master’s level) in a field relevant to the functional area of responsibility • PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE • 10+ (ideally 15+) years of progressively responsible professional experience relevant to the position’s scope. • Demonstrated experience in line management or formal team leadership, including planning, supervision, and performance management of staff. • Proven ability to manage a defined operational area, programme component, or functional unit with limited supervision. • Proven track record of working with Nature-Based Solutions. • International experience in working with public and private policy makers, government officials, as well as international donors, financiers and investors. • Solid and proven track record of fundraising and leading resource mobilization efforts. • MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES • Ability to translate organisational strategies, policies, and objectives into operational plans, deliverables, and results. • Experience coordinating work across teams or functions to ensure coherence, quality, and timely delivery. • Capacity to support staff development, foster collaboration, and ensure accountability for results. • COMMUNICATION & INTERACTION • Proven ability to interact effectively with internal stakeholders at different levels, including managers, professionals, and support staff, to coordinate activities and resolve operational issues. • Experience maintaining external professional contacts (e.g. partners, consultants, members, authorities, donors) primarily for implementation, information exchange, and technical or operational collaboration. • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English as one of the IUCN working languages; additional language skills are an asset where relevant to the role. • RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY • Demonstrated responsibility for the planning, delivery, quality, and timeliness of defined outputs, services, or programme components. • Experience managing allocated financial and non financial resources within approved budgets, policies, and procedures. • Accountability for operational decision making within a defined area of responsibility, with issues of broader impact referred to higher management as appropriate. • AUTONOMY & PROBELM SOLVING • Ability to work with a high degree of operational autonomy within established frameworks, policies, and delegated authority. • Capacity to interpret policies and guidelines, address non routine operational issues, and propose practical solutions or improvements. • Sound judgement in balancing operational priorities, risks, and resource constraints. |
SALARY
The gross annual salary for this position is between CHF 134'355 and CHF 167'944, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
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