Senior Director, Corporate Engagement, Forests

Company Description

Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members.

Major Function  

The Senior Director leads WWF-US’s corporate engagement strategy for forests, driving transformational action to eliminate deforestation and forest degradation across priority forest-linked supply chains, and mobilizing investments that advance forest protection, restoration, and sustainable management.  The role oversees U.S. implementation of WWF’s Forests Forward corporate engagement program, stewards high-impact partnerships, and channels corporate finance to priority global forest landscapes.  The Senior Director aligns WWF’s corporate and policy approaches for forests with WWF-US and global Forest goals and with global frameworks and nature-positive pathways.  The role leads a team of professionals focused on forging strategic partnerships to deliver landscape-scale outcomes for climate, nature, and people.  The Senior Director manages initiative budgets and fundraising; coordinates with other WWF global network offices; oversees staff and consultants; represents WWF-US Forests team at key events and forums; and builds effective relationships with NGOs, agencies, and other institutional partners.  

Job Description

 Key Responsibilities  

• Lead WWF-US’s corporate forest engagement strategy to deliver measurable progress on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation and conserving high priority forest landscapes around the globe.  

• Oversee a strategic portfolio of U.S. corporate partnerships across priority sectors and geographies, including through WWF’s Forests Forward corporate engagement program, driving transformational change in forest-linked supply chains and securing support for high-integrity nature-based solutions.   

• Steward high-profile partnerships and ensure alignment with leading target-setting frameworks, disclosure platforms, forest certification standards, and emerging regulatory expectations.  Advise companies on deforestation and conversion-free sourcing strategies, target-setting, implementation, nature-based solutions investments, and monitoring progress against commitments. 

• Lead and manage a team of professionals, including setting priorities, managing performance, coaching, and developing staff, and fostering a high-performing, cohesive team culture. 

• Engage with financial institutions and investors to integrate forest related risks and opportunities into decision-making and channel finance toward nature-positive pathways and priority landscapes in collaboration with WWF-US’s Nature Finance Initiative.  

• Develop and implement sustainable funding and cost-recovery models for corporate engagement and landscape initiatives, including corporate contributions, grants, and blended finance structures, ensuring long-term financial sustainability of the program.  Collaborate across WWF-US teams and the WWF Network to accelerate efforts that deliver against WWF global forest goals. 

• Represent WWF-US Forests team on multi-stakeholder coalitions and other external forums, articulating the business case for action on forests and sustainability and influencing relevant standards setting processes and initiatives. 

• Manage initiative budgets and advance innovative approaches to private sector–focused solutions, leading or supporting fundraising efforts that mobilize blended finance for priority forest landscapes. 

• Ensure all engagements uphold WWF’s social safeguards and support the rights, knowledge, and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

Key Competencies  

• Strategic Leadership & Execution: Ability to articulate a compelling strategic vision, take decisive action, and deliver results, adapting as needed.
• Executive Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with senior leaders, tailoring messaging to different audiences.
• Stakeholder & Partnership Management: Manages complex, high-profile partnerships with diplomacy and cultural sensitivity and navigates competing priorities to deliver results.
• Team Leadership & Development: Leads, coaches, and empowers teams to perform at a high level while fostering a collaborative and mission-driven culture.
• Innovative Problem Solving: Stays grounded and solution-focused while working through complex challenges across sectors, systems, and stakeholders.

Skills and Abilities 

• Advanced academic training (graduate degree or equivalent experience) and 12+ years in corporate sustainability, forestry, or international natural resource commodities.  

• Deep knowledge of global forest and trade issues and corporate sustainability trends, deforestation and conversion-free sourcing initiatives, forest certification standards, climate and nature target setting and disclosure frameworks (e.g., SBTiFLAG, SBTN, TNFD), relevant policies (e.g., EUDR, CSRD, CSDDD), and funding mechanisms that inform corporate and financial sector action. 

• Proven experience stewarding high ambition initiatives, managing complex corporate partnerships and influencing corporate decision making, ensuring accountability for outcomes, navigating risk, and resolving conflicts to drive transformational change. 

• Demonstrated leadership in matrixed global organizations, coordinating across sustainability, finance, policy, communication and operations teams to advance shared goals. 

• Track record of leading high performing teams and programs, coaching and managing performance, and delivering measurable results across geographies, cultures, and multilingual contexts. 

• Demonstrated ability with executive level communication, influencing corporate decision-making, and tailoring messages for specific audiences.   

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally; high proficiency in English, with additional language fluency (Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Mandarin) a strong asset. 

• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams. 

• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: 

• COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.  

• INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.  

• RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.  

• COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.  

Additional Information

Please note: If selected, candidate must be able to relocate to the DC area. 

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  

This position is eligible for domestic (United States) relocation.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.