Conservation Investments – Senior Director, Financial Analysis Unit

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 CI Offices in Brussels-Belgium, Bogota-Colombia, Nairobi-Kenya, Cape Town-South Africa, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, or Arlington, VA-United States.

The Senior Director, Financial Analysis Unit provides strategic leadership to deliver a well-coordinated and impactful sustainable finance approach across the Conservation Finance Division (CFD) to structuring and funding multi-stakeholder investments. By providing leadership in financial analysis, modeling, and blended finance solutions, the position will contribute to a body of work focused on creating innovative financing solutions to achieve CI’s mission across several strategic pillars including Conservation International Ventures, CI-GEF Agency Non-grant Instruments, Innovation and Replication, Long-Term Finance, and the Carbon Finance Team, while also supporting CI’s ambitious long-term protection agenda worldwide by supporting regional programs in conservation finance opportunities that may arise. They will deploy their knowledge and understanding of a variety of conservation finance approaches and their experience in developing and securing blended finance deals to structure innovative financial solutions that catalyze philanthropic capital and develop sustainable investments.

The position brings sophisticated business and finance expertise to various and matrixed teams within CI, as well as external partners, managing relationships with the investors and working collaboratively to develop new tools, infusing blended finance, and applying an investment finance skillset in a conservation context. This role will be a subject matter expert on blended finance transactions such as bridge financing, carbon or other ecosystem credit financing, private equity investments, and revolving pay-for-performance facilities.

The work includes project management, developing a strategy for investment, managing relationships with investors, project developers, and implementation partners, project pipeline origination and portfolio management, financial analysis, due diligence, and conducting investment transactions from origination to closing. It will require working in close coordination with CI’s local programs to identify opportunities for financed conservation interventions: assessing their feasibility, designing their implementation, proving them out for maximum impact, and scaling them more broadly across CI, partner organizations, and commercial actors.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This position will work to support (3) key areas within the CFD: The strategic goals of non-grant-based instrument deal construction and strategy including, setting financial due diligence guidelines, and providing financial rigor to CFD’s overall processes; leading the technical expert advisory unit within CFD to enhance the analytical work across programs, working closely with the distinct pillars within the program, by providing financial structuring and partnership management support. Across these programs, the position will bring high levels of expertise in structuring new investment products, designing and analyzing financial investment plans, and investment strategy recommendations to help achieve CFD’s goals.

The Senior Director works directly alongside CFD teams with a high degree of independence and will seek to build up internal investment capabilities by mentoring and training staff, interdisciplinary teams, and/or outside service providers and partners. The Position will report to the Senior VP, Conservation Finance Division.

Conservation Finance Non-Grant Functions:

• Lead the portfolio management and financial due diligence body of work for non-grant instruments.
• Lead the onboarding of non-grant fund opportunities including enhancing the internal capacity building of CFD by training and mentoring junior staff to deliver consistent analytic rigor and financial expertise.
• Creation of investment criteria, policies, and monitoring indicators to enhance the financial processes within the division.
• Portfolio management of current deals within CFD purview, follow-on financial and impact analysis at pre-determined timeframes, and track risk indicators to anticipate issues and raise concerns early on.

Analytical Unit / Financial Support Lead

• Lead the creation of financial due diligence and modeling approaches to be adopted by various relevant CFD programs.
• Deliver robust financial analysis and investment due diligence for investments in projects and make recommendations on investment structures for CFD’s programs.
• Coordinate the due diligence process of the respective opportunities, acting as a trusted advisor to all parties bringing their practical experience to support successful investments in thematic funds.
• Develop and implement financial strategies on the best use of capital to achieve the high-impact goals of the program.  
• Structure innovative financial solutions to best leverage finite concessional donor funds, to achieve scaled-up private sector financial flows.
• Support the negotiations with stakeholders to achieve high-leverage co-financing and new investments for programmatic activities.  
• Engage with other carbon finance mechanisms and teams within CI to align and maximize organizational objectives. 
• Continue to innovate on the existing financial model for the funds within the program, and create new models when needed for bespoke transactions. 

Additional Responsibilities

• Provide support and capital market expertise on Environmental structuring opportunities (Debt for Nature Swaps, Bonds) assisting country teams with negotiations with local stakeholder engagement.
  • In collaboration with Global Field Teams, provide strategic advisory and analytical support on the design and development of public, private, and blended financing mechanisms for a pipeline of current and prospective marine “protection and production” (PnP) projects.
  • Similarly, in collaboration with CI’s Country Programs, provide strategic advisory and analytical support on the design and development of blended instruments and financial mechanisms for a pipeline of current Irrecoverable Carbon sites.
  • Assist the SVP, Conservation Finance with financial structuring, capital raising, and negotiations with new investment partnerships with NGO, investors, corporates, and other partners.

People and Resource Management Responsibilities

• Directly supervise and mentor program and project staff, including overseeing the work of external service providers and partners.
• Provide mentorship, performance, and career development support and guidance to direct reports.
• Manage program budget and finances, including compliance with public and private donor requirements and CI policies.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Local and/or international travel of 25% or more, often in difficult travel conditions.
• Ability to work in remote locations or under difficult working conditions.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree with ten (10) or more years of relevant professional experience in accounting, transactional finance, investment analysis/management, development finance, impact investment, related disciplines, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Five (5) or more years of experience supervising others including multi-disciplinary teams. Proven leadership skills and success in effectively inspiring and engaging diverse working groups in a multicultural environment.
• Senior-level program or project management experience in a corporate, global conservation, NGO, or related industry context. Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects or initiatives involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Superior technical and analytical skills and abilities. Demonstrated ability to analyze, synthesize, and effectively interpret complex economic, financial, scientific, technical, and other data and information for diverse, multi-disciplinary audiences.
• Advanced knowledge of private market debt and equity investment analysis techniques, metrics, and tools. Demonstrated ability to perform robust financial and investment analysis integrating both qualitative and quantitative data and analytical techniques. Demonstrated knowledge of current conservation finance, impact investment, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing trends.
• Demonstrated ability to translate and apply visionary, innovative, and leading-edge thinking and approaches to design solutions that address complex professional challenges.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated experience in the development and delivery of finance and investment-related presentation content and recommendations for senior-level audiences.
• A record of success partnering with, and influencing, key stakeholders and successfully raising funds.
• Proven ability to multitask and meet priorities. Adept at working in a dynamic, fast-paced, highly matrixed organizational environment with limited supervision.
• Fluency in English is required.

Preferred

• MBA or equivalent credential.
• Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, or French. 

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.

As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.