Head of Strategy #2 “Green Hydropower Development” Living Amazon Initiative - LAI

Head of Strategy #2 “Green Hydropower Development” Living Amazon Initiative - LAI

Position to be based in:

Brasilia, São Paulo or Manaus (Brazil), Lima (Peru), La Paz or Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Bogota or Cali (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador), or other Amazon office

Building upon more than four decades of experience in the Amazon, the Living Amazon Initiative (LAI) is WWF’s response to matching the scale and impact of the threats currently affecting the Amazon. The LAI 2016 Focused Strategic Plan is built on the conviction that the fate of humanity is inseparable from the fate of the Amazon, and that humankind has within its reach the means to ensure a dignified life for all without destroying the Amazon’s natural endowments upon which our collective well-being is based.

The LAI 2016 Focused Strategic Plan has 3 main strategies for the Amazon region: 1) Mainstream Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands into the Development Agenda; 2) Green Hydropower Development; and 3) Curb Deforestation and a Forest Economy. These strategies are inter-dependent and include interventions that are delivered mainly at the regional, biome-wide scale, with some targeted actions to be delivered in collaboration with WWF’s Amazon offices.

The Head of Strategy #2 “Green Hydropower Development” works to influence the development of hydropower in river basins with the largest hydropower potential in the Amazon. The evolution of the WWF/LAI Decision Support System (DSS) tools over the past few years has opened the door for the LAI to influence hydropower policies and companies who are interested in reducing ecological damage and impacts on local communities – through improved design, avoidance, mitigation and compensation efforts ̶ while also enhancing energy efficiency. The process provides the opportunity for a broad social dialogue to ensure civil society and local communities have a say in the review of hydropower programmes. It also makes a case for identifying ‘no-go’ rivers and zones, and addresses the need to ensure the maintenance of critical freshwater flows.

This position coordinates the efforts of a broad array of governments, the private and public finance sectors, local communities, indigenous peoples, and other institutions in the region and beyond, including through WWF local offices, in order to build a shared agenda that advances the objectives of the LAI 2016 Focused Strategic Plan.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead or oversee external engagement with government agencies, multilateral organisations, private and finance sectors, technical experts and other key stakeholders across the region to build shared agendas that advance the objectives of the LAI Strategic Plan.
• Orchestrate the human, technical and financial resources from within and outside the WWF Network to implement priority actions within Strategy 2.
• Lead the outreach effort to other institutions in the region and beyond in order to build a shared agenda that advances the objectives of the TS.
• Implement LAI Focused 2016 Strategic Plan, in interaction with WWF Overall Amazon 2020 Strategy, with particular responsibility to the LAI Strategy 2 - Green Hydropower Development, but representing the whole LAI when appropriate and co-responsible for the overall LAI objectives and goals.
• Leverage expertise within the Network to advance implementation of the GHD priority actions.
• Promote learning within the LAI Regional Team and the broader Network (as needed) to advance implementation of the GHD Strategy.
• In coordination with LAI Regional Team, fundraise for the objectives and actions, as much as possible together with relevant NOs, POs and thematic GIs.
• Provide specialist expertise on hydropower and energy development to relevant staff in key WWF Amazon offices and others in the Network to assist in the delivery of LAI Strategy 2 objectives.
• Achieve tangible results in concrete pilot areas (and thereby assisting other projects to achieve conservation results on the ground.)
• Ensure coherence and co-ordination with other LAI strategies for maximum impact to further address and advance the specific objectives, as well as the overall objectives, goals and mission of the LAI.
  

Required Qualifications

• At least 10 years of professional experience in infrastructure, energy and finance including for conservation and sustainable development with demonstrated success in coordinating across multi-disciplinary teams, networking from a distance, technical capacity building and team leadership.
• At least 5 years professional experience in a leadership role, with demonstrated success in managing multiple donor budgets, raising and mobilising funding, strong networking and developing partnerships skills, building technical capacity and team leadership.
• Advanced degree, technical proficiency and/or experience related to infrastructure, energy, particularly hydropower, and related fields, as well as management and international development. Knowledge of economic, social and natural sciences, as well as other relevant fields is a plus.
• Excellent knowledge of the subjects of infrastructure and energy, particularly hydropower, as well as knowledge about the Amazon region
• Available for international travel, up to 30% of the time.
• Fully fluent in English; Fluent in Spanish and/or Portuguese.

How to Apply

Please send your application letter with salary expectations and résumé to the email recursoshumanos@wwf.org.br , before March, 12th , 2014.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.