The Director – Global Economics and Social Science Programme has overall responsibility for managing IUCN’s team of Economists and Social Scientists, both programmatically and operationally. At the programme level, s/he provides the leadership necessary to marshal, prioritize and direct the resources of the Global Economics and Social Science Programme. At the operational level s/he will build a single, well functioning and motivated team, ensure and sustain seamless collaboration with CEESP members, help IUCN’s Regional Offices build a strong and consistent social science platform that can work directly with IUCN Members and ensure that resourcing, quality assurance and risk management systems are properly and effectively implemented.

The Director will also work with the Chair of CEESP to help reinforce IUCN’s collaborative links with external networks of social scientists, with particular emphasis on environmental economics.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Vision and Leadership

• Keep abreast of global and regional developments that directly impact on the economic and political economy aspects of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and sustainable development
• Catalyze wider organizational interest and support for rights-based approaches, gender responsiveness and applied economic analysis in delivering IUCN’s mission and Programme
• Maintain and build interest and confidence in IUCN as a source of credible advice and support for addressing biodiversity conservation and natural resource governance challenges among social and economic development agencies; including multilateral development banks, UN organizations, bilateral donors and leading research institutions
• Participate in the processes of organizational development and change, ensuring that social and economic inputs to such processes are evidence-based and that IUCN’s approach to economic and social policy issues is understood and widely supported by IUCN Members and leadership.

2. Programme Development

• Oversee and lead the development, implementation and monitoring of IUCN’s Global Economics and Social Science Programme, in close collaboration with IUCN Commissions, Regional and Country Offices and other Global Programmes
• In close collaboration with CEESP, oversee and guide the development, piloting and testing of IUCN’s flagship knowledge product to assess, track and diagnose the challenges and opportunities with respect to natural resource governance (Natural Resource Governance Framework), ensuring that potential applications are clearly demand-led and mutually reinforce the use of other IUCN flagship products
• In close collaboration with CEESP, oversee and guide the development, piloting and testing of IUCN’s flagship knowledge product to assess, track and quantify the degree of human dependency on natural resources (Human Dependency on Nature Assessment Framework), ensuring that potential applications are clearly demand-led and mutually reinforce the use of other IUCN flagship products
• Support the systematic and credible application of economic analysis, gender responsiveness and rights-based governance approaches in the implementation of IUCN-led conservation action and nature-based solutions to global challenges of climate change, food security and green economic development
• Take an institutional lead in defining IUCN’s approach to and engagement with the green economy agenda, ensuring consistency with any policy mandates endorsed by the IUCN membership and complementarity with the institution’s engagement and input to the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal process.

3. Policy and Communications
• Coordinate the analysis of relevant social and economic policy and the dissemination of policy information and advice on social and economic development to various parts of the Union and other networks in the most effective way
• Ensure that IUCN is adequately represented in relevant international fora and negotiations on nature-related social and economic development
• Develop and maintain appropriate collaboration and partnerships with relevant organisations on the application of social science knowledge to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management and the implementation of nature-based solutions to climate change, food security and green economic development.

4. Management and Resource Mobilization
• Oversee the development and implementation of all social science related initiatives
• Manage the Global Economics and Social Science Programme, including human and financial resources, budgets, communications, and planning, assessment and reporting as required by IUCN systems
• Work closely with IUCN regions, Commissions and other thematic programmes to develop and maintain an appropriate project portfolio and funding for implementation of the IUCN Programme
• Seek and support capacity building in the various components of IUCN for reaching out to social and economic development agencies and institutions and effectively engaging them in the mission and work of IUCN.