Chief Resource and Strategy Officer

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 is based in Arlington-VA, New York-NY, or US (West Coast) 

The Chief Resource and Strategy Officer (CRSO)  is in an Executive Vice President-level position responsible for overseeing and integrating all CI’s sources of revenue. This new global leadership role will oversee all key divisions that bring in funding to CI and execute a comprehensive strategy to grow and leverage CI’s various funding streams. The role encompasses leadership and integration of all divisions that bring in money to CI including: private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, public funding including bilateral and multilateral funds, the nature finance division, and brand and communications. The CRSO will be responsible for both securing new revenue including through philanthropy, partnerships, and fee-for-service agreements, and identifying opportunities to leverage across the variety of funding sources to allow CI to optimize delivery on the ground, in alignment with our mission and strategic priorities.

The Chief Resource and Strategy Officer will manage a high-performing, global team, providing direction and fostering a culture of integration and delivery across fundraising divisions in the US, Europe, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. The EVP will oversee a team of nearly 200 individuals, organized in five subdivisions. This role requires a strategic, data-driven approach to fundraising, a strong track record in revenue generation, and the ability to lead and inspire teams across multiple fundraising channels.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Resource and Strategy Officer will be responsible for hitting CI’s ambitious fundraising goals, including our 30% target for unrestricted funding to support the running of the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth:

• Work with the field and global programs to develop and execute enhanced revenue-generating strategies for CI’s major projects, defining outcomes, timelines, stacked resource needs, and impact.
• Identify and pursue new revenue opportunities globally and across divisions, with a focus on increasing unrestricted revenue and cultivating HNWI relationships.
• Strategically invest capital in revenue generation across funding types to maximize flexible capital to support the running of CI, and advise the CEO and Chair of the Board on all issues related to revenue generation.
• Identify opportunities for blended finance to leverage the organization’s ability to secure multiple categories of revenue and grow overall revenue and impact.
• A member of CI’s Executive Leadership team, the Chief Resource and Strategy Officer will sit on the relevant governance committees to determine allocation of CI’s unrestricted revenue and review projects.

Team Leadership:

• Lead a cross-disciplinary team of conservation finance, partnerships, and fundraising professionals, overseeing all aspects of revenue generation, including philanthropic gifts, corporate sponsorships, government grants, and fee-for-service programs.
• Restructure the team as needed to optimize revenue generation for strategic priorities.
• Manage relationships between internal teams across the field and central units, ensuring effective communication with donors and partners and coordinated efforts. Champion and build fundraising capacity across the organization.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and high performance, while setting clear goals and ensuring effective progress tracking.
• Oversee Brand and Communications activities to support CI’s broader fundraising strategy.
• Create a standardized process for account management, development, and donor reporting; optimize systems and facilitate the sharing of expertise and information across all teams in the funding division.

Fundraising & Donor Stewardship:

• Lead account management and development efforts, manage pipeline of existing and prospective donors and guide teams to secure new donors and partners, and increase support from existing streams.
• Manage a portfolio of major donors across revenue types, ensuring that different types of funding can be combined to achieve project goals (e.g., meet private funding requirements for public funders).
• Initiate and cultivate HNWI donor relationships directly, through the philanthropy team, and through Board and partner introductions.
• Where possible, convert HNWI gifts to partially or fully flexible gifts.
• Optimize branding and communications to support CI’s broader fundraising efforts.

Financial & Operational Oversight:

• Ensure that initiatives accurately project costs and are sufficiently financially supported. Through this effort, manage a global cost control team and related tools, and create differential pricing structure by revenue generation type.
• Ensure that back-office support for fundraising remains efficient (both in centralized teams and in location-specific teams), and that processes are not duplicated across revenue-generation teams.
• Work closely with the finance team to develop and manage accurate revenue forecasts, budgets, and financial plans.
• Provide regular reporting on fundraising progress and evaluate revenue performance against established goals.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• The position will require some international travel.
• The position requires the ability to work non-traditional and extended hours to support a global workforce in multiple time zones.
• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Proven track record in securing 7- and 8-figure gifts, extensive experience in building and maintaining long-term relationships with major donors, foundations, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals (HNWI).
• Significant experience in managing large, complex fundraising teams including private and public fundraising of at least 150 people.
• 15+ years of professional experience in nonprofit fundraising, revenue generation, or related fields, with at least 7 years in senior leadership roles.
• Deep knowledge of conservation and developing conservation strategies.
• Proven ability to conceive and implement strategic initiatives to increase revenue across multiple channels (e.g., major gifts, corporate partnerships, government grants, fee-for-service programs).
• Significant experience working in large, complex nonprofit organizations or international NGOs, including nonprofit financial models and understanding of best practices in non-profit management.
• Expertise in storytelling, brand, and communications, including creating compelling donor-facing materials, and the ability to translate complex information into accessible content for diverse audiences.

Personal Attributes & Additional Skills

• Flexibility to collaborate across departments and global time zones while remaining adaptable and resilient under pressure.
• Knowledge of current and evolving trends in fundraising, nonprofit management, and the ability to incorporate new technologies to enhance operations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, capable of fostering long-term, trusting relationships with donors, board members, and internal teams.
• A forward-thinking, results-driven leader who can effectively balance both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives.

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

Application Deadline: April 16, 2025  (11:49 PM EST)

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.