The Earthwatch Institute Chief Executive Officer

Earthwatch Institute is a global environmental organization whose mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Their vision is a world where we live within our means and in balance with nature.

Earthwatch was founded in 1971 in Boston, Massachusetts. Since then, the organization has mobilized over 100,000 international volunteers to contribute to crucial environmental research projects and grown to become one of the world’s largest funders of scientific field research operating in 55 countries from multiple offices worldwide. The organization raises funds to support a budget in excess of $20 million annually. Earthwatch conducts its activities through multiple offices worldwide: Boston, Massachusetts (responsible for the Americas); Oxford, UK (responsible for Europe, including the member nations of the EU and the European Free Trade Association, The Middle East, Africa and India); South Melbourne, Australia (responsible for Australia and New Zealand); and Tokyo, Japan (responsible for Japan); plus three satellite offices in India, China and Brazil and two recent licenses to operate in Canada and Costa Rica.

To learn more about Earthwatch Institute, please visit their website at: www.earthwatch.org.

Position

Located in Boston, Massachusetts or in Oxford, UK and reporting to the International Board of Directors (comprised of both U.S. Directors and UK Trustees), the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) leads and oversees all programmatic and operations functions of the Earthwatch Institute and ensures the delivery of positive, sustainable performance and measurable results. S/he directly supervises the senior members of the Earthwatch executive team.

The CEO represents Earthwatch with global external audiences, including current and prospective funders, corporate partner organizations, Foundations, the scientific and educational communities, the media, notable public officials, thousands of loyal Earthwatch alums, and the broader populations of environmentally attuned citizens and volunteers.

The CEO will be expected to lead and drive Earthwatch toward a comprehensive set of aspirations and to address the key challenges deemed critical to success. They are:

· Adapting the current program mix and pricing to meet mission requirements while attracting a greater public following.

· Bringing clarity to the fact that Earthwatch is an international organization and, as such, must be managed/led sensibly consistent with this reality.

· Finding ways to manage the natural tensions that exist between science and the processes of learning and influencing behaviors.

· Utilizing the experiences, guidance, and insights from an international Board and leading the executive team so as to mirror the intentions and beliefs clearly established by the Board(s).

· Becoming a respected, engaged “presence” in all places where Earthwatch operates and capitalizing on the natural value inherent to a diverse, dispersed organization. Willing to travel and be “present” where Earthwatch operates.

· Building upon and leveraging the existing corporate partnering relationships with 40 Fortune 500 companies.

· Ensuring Earthwatch operates profitably and sustainably. Generating the funding/revenues necessary to operate from strength.

· Driving the impact Earthwatch generates through good science and the resulting positive effects of influencing policy and behaviors pertinent to a wide variety of advocates.

· Focusing and aligning an organization whose leaders practice transparency, consistency, and honesty in messaging.

· Forging an organization characterized by financial stability, a reputation for scientific rigor and accomplishment, and governed by a structure that works seamlessly and effectively.

· Ensuring the organization operates with a widely understood and accepted model focused on simplifying activities and driving progress. Proof of progress will be when other individuals and/or organizations come proactively to Earthwatch and ask, “What can we do to help advance the progress toward environmental sustainability?”

· Inspiring and informing public audiences about the wonderful work and the resulting impact of Earthwatch.

Candidate Experience & Skills

· Must have successful, demonstrated non-profit leadership experience, either as a senior leader of a non-profit organization or as a proven for-profit leader who has broadly served as an actively-engaged Board member of notable non-profit organizations in the sector.

· Preferably has led an organization centered on environmental science or, by virtue of a strong personal interest, s/he understands the issues of conservation and sustainability.

· Has led, or helped to lead, an organization that is internationally and culturally dispersed and operates as a networked, multi-site model.

· Possesses the strategic acumen necessary to dissect what is here, listen/learn, formulate, and effectively communicate a “go-forward” strategy for the organization.

· Brings some combination of fundraising, corporate partnering relationship development and management, and travel industry/volunteerism skills.

· Exhibits strong, compelling written and oral communications skills.

· Has demonstrated the ability to identify, grow, develop and/or recruit new leaders to organizations s/he has led.

· Brings strong financial insights/skills to the organization and the ability to execute on a variety of complex, high stakes fund-raising programs.

· Has successfully turned around an organization of scale. As such, brings the ability to forge a common vision and instill the preparedness to change in an organization. Clearly someone who knows how to reshape, develop and grow organizations.

· Brings respect and appreciation for different cultures and knows how to build on the common points of shared destiny in an organization.

· Is clearly a successful manager who brings the gravitas, confidence and credibility necessary to engage and motivate others, both internally and externally. Knows how to create “followship through leadership.”

· Astute and insightful regarding both the financial and marketing sides of organizations.

· Has demonstrated academic success at both the undergraduate and post-graduate levels and can point to his/her scientific capacity/credentials and proven business acumen.

Characteristics & Behaviors

· Emotional intelligence, specifically demonstrated through his/her natural and experiential understanding of what drives and motivates a variety of people and audiences.

· Adept at the ability to engage while intelligently and appropriately delegating.

· Drawn to challenges and expects dedication and hard work from her/himself and from colleagues.

· Operates as the person in charge who is able to make decisions, yet willing to listen, prioritize and transparently feedback his/her thinking to the organization to foster buy-in and trust.

· Through presence, humility and open communications is able to re-create and revitalize the Earthwatch “story” and build strong cohesion internally. Understands the value of teams and operates with a sense of humor and approachability.

· Has a strong passion for the mission of Earthwatch and appreciates the power and relevance of conservation research.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to: earthwatch@bridgespan.org. Additionally, please indicate in your cover letter where you first learned of this opportunity. Thank you for your interest.