WWF US- Director of Seafood Engagement, Business and Industry

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s leading conservation organization,seeks a Director of Seafood Engagement for Business and Industry. Under the supervision of the Manager, The Director will develop an overarching corporate seafood engagement strategy to target the key private sector companies most important for WWF’s priority seafood species and work with them to create demand for sustainable seafood (both aquaculture and wild caught). This strategy will both build on and identify key gaps in the work that WWF-US has undertaken to date with major buyers regarding the purchase of MSC and ASC certified seafood with regard to WWF priority species. Special emphasis will be given to seafood retailers and brands and subsectors not yet incorporated into WWF’s seafood engagement strategy, including hotel chains, pet food companies, and other strategic retailers and brands. This includes driving integration of new seafood strategic thinking into existing WWF partnerships, overseeing relationships with new and existing partners, and transmitting WWF’s sustainable seafood message with “one voice” (fisheries and aquaculture).

The Director will promote WWF’s work on sustainable seafood through engagement with the seafood value chain. The Director will build on, complement, and support existing strategies by working with members of the Aquaculture and Fisheries teams, Business & Industry, the Market Transformation Initiative and the Smart Fisheries Initiative to encourage the private sector and its supply chains to support and promote fisheries and aquaculture improvement projects (through formal FIPs and AIPs) as step-wise approaches to MSC or ASC certification. The Director will also work with the WWF-Network to develop and implement parallel global seafood engagement strategies with the private sector and link more sustainable seafood supplies with US markets. Finally, the Director will support, as appropriate, the creation of capacity to engage on seafood issues with the private sector in WWF’s priority places and in particular in the BRIICs.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

1.      Direct the development of an overarching seafood engagement strategy with the private sector. Works closely with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Programs to build on WWF’s existing corporate engagement efforts in new and innovative ways and expand them to address all WWF priority species.

2.      Identify and prioritize corporate players that are most significant within the US market for WWF’s priority seafood species and work with them to create demand for sustainable farmed and wild caught seafood.

3.      Build on existing relationships and engage new key seafood buyers within the hotel, pet food, animal feed or other relevant industries.

4.      Oversee the assessment of whether it makes sense to establish a seafood trade network and if so, manages the process to develop it.

5.      Implement new programs and projects related to the promulgation of new private sector seafood engagement strategies.

6.      Design and oversee implementation of the new seafood engagement initiatives by managing project design, implementation, staff management, monitoring, and evaluation of all program initiatives and activities, as well as execution of annual work plan and budget management.

7.      Identify new opportunities for seafood engagement with entire sectors and subsectors to complement the current WWF one-to-one corporate engagement strategy.

8.      Help identify the major areas of illegal seafood and IUU fisheries within US seafood value chains and work with companies to eliminate those seafood sources.

9.      Maintain up-to-date skills, professional networks and knowledge of global trends, threats and opportunities, and is conversant with sustainable seafood strategies and issues.

10.  May represent WWF’s Major Buyer Initiative and Aquaculture programs in public speaking engagements and conference venues.

11.  Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education/Experience: 

1.      Advanced degree in business studies or a related field, including training and experience in fisheries and aquaculture management and marine biology.

2.      10+ years of professional experience within the seafood industry with demonstrated interest in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, marketing and/or supply chain management.

3.      Demonstrated success in developing and managing a complex strategy that includes working with private sector seafood value chains as well as conservation organizations. Proven record of creating and managing multi-institution partnerships.

4.      Deep knowledge of the seafood industry and subsectors, and the private sector. Familiarity with sustainable seafood issues (both wild-caught and farmed) and academic, government, and thought-leading non-governmental organizations active in this arena.

Skills and Abilities

1.      Demonstrated ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a wide range of people in multiple locations.

2.      Demonstrated ability and experience in complex financial planning and budget management, including internal company accounting experience and knowledge.

3.      Demonstrated ability and experience in short and long-term integrated strategic planning.

4.      Ability to develop, execute and manage strategic engagements that deliver results against multiple objectives.

5.      Ability to efficiently and effectively prioritizing multiple tactics within a budget to support organization strategy and objectives.

6.      International professional experience is essential.

7.      An effective written and oral communicator with an emphasis on articulating core issues who can envision and create innovative plans consistent with operations, financial restrictions, constituent issues, and market forces.

8.      A strong leader who can motivate and mentor a broad spectrum of people and make tough decisions in a timely manner, sometimes with incomplete information and under tight deadlines.

9.      The consummate team player, committed to both self and team.

Preferred Skills:

·         Proficiency in another language preferred.

AA/EOE Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.  To apply for the job please visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/careers, job # 13046, and submit cover letter and resume. Due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone