Role purpose

The Regional Director, Asia Pacific (AP) will lead the strategic planning and future institutional development of WWF in Asia Pacific and enable the AP Country Offices to play a leading role in the WWF Network. At the same time, the Regional Director will seek to fulfil the organisation's mission of ‘people living in harmony with nature’ by ensuring the relevance of WWF’s conservation work to people and development in the AP region, The Regional Director will also provide strong people leadership, and deliver operational excellence combined with effective implementation of conservation strategies and initiatives.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Provides effective leadership and line management for all members of the senior leadership team in Asia Pacific, including the AP Country Offices, and leadership at the highest organisational level.
• Leads the development and implementation of the AP region's shared vision and strategy, ensuring all staff in AP are supported to contribute to WWF’s Global Goals.
• Provides overall direction and leadership in executing WWF’s strategic objectives to deliver conservation impact.
• Builds a culture of performance, positivity, creativity, and work ethic within all offices in the AP region.
• Builds a purpose-driven culture and commitment to seeking an engaged workforce at regional and country levels, driven by staff engagement survey results and action plans.
• Ensures WWF in the AP region has a solid long-term organisational development strategy and is financially strong to deliver on its conservation agenda.
• Role models the WWF organisational values and sets the ‘tone at the top’ in providing inspirational leadership to the region.

Conservation and Impact

• Provide line management and institutional support to ensure strategies, initiatives and programmes deliver the greatest impact towards WWF's Global Goals.
• Support the implementation of effective impact, monitoring and reporting systems.

External Engagement

• Oversees WWF policy and advocacy efforts in the AP region and contributes to global advocacy efforts impacting conservation in the region by ensuring the development of sound advocacy strategies and practice; and lobbying at the highest level to advance WWF conservation goals.
• Ensures effective communications, in partnership with Country Offices, with governments, international organisations, other non-governmental organisations, industry, and the public to maintain and develop a strong profile of WWF and its activities, as well as leveraging opportunities between national, regional and global levels.
• Identifies and pursues crucial opportunities for joint action with other conservation groups in the Asia Pacific region to lead unified conservation agendas.
• Secures key partnerships and high-level political commitment within and outside the Asia Pacific to deliver conservation impacts, such as the Asian Development Bank, ASEAN, etc., and governments in the region, and business leaders to ensure optimal communication and mutually beneficial relationships.
• Initiates and leads strategic regional partnerships with governments, corporates, civil society, etc. relevant to WWF’s institutional vision and global initiatives in the Asia Pacific, thereby strengthening WWF’s profile, reputation and credibility in the region and influencing policies.

Asia Pacific Regional Team Management

• Leads the development of a highly effective, entrepreneurial, and impact/performance-driven Asia Pacific regional leadership team.
• Ensures that Country Office strategic plans are developed and fully realised and performance is monitored and actioned.
• Work with the Regional Leadership Team to ensure timely Country Office performance and KPI reporting, high-quality periodic discussions with Country Office Directors and Senior Management Teams to review performance, and clear next steps and actions are followed through.  

Country Office Management

• Ensures that WWF conservation projects and programmes that are implemented are aligned with its social policies, clearly upholding the human rights of people and communities.
• Line manages Country Offices, and builds strong and high-performing Country Offices in the AP region equipped with the core capabilities to deliver impact and create a culture of commitment and high standard of work ethic and conservation impact amongst all levels of staff.
• Ensures Country Offices are adequately resourced and are effectively and efficiently managed in all key areas – conservation, operations, finance, HR, communication, policy and partnerships.
• Accountable for overseeing and monitoring AP Country Offices' performance vis-à-vis the country/regional strategic and annual plans, and the achievement of WWF’s conservation goals.
• Accountable and oversees AP Country Offices compliance to Network Standards and Policies (Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework, social policies commitments, People and Culture policies, country agreements, etc.) and embedding of Network Values at country and sub-regional level.
• Ensure cohesion and consistency across Country Offices and support senior staff across locations to utilise their full potential to deliver conservation impact.

WWF Secretariat and Network Engagement

• Leads and coordinates engagement with Network partners and Shareholder Groups on enhancing the visibility of WWF in the AP region, resource acquisition and policy engagements with external strategic partners.
• Actively facilitates and participates in the AP25 group that consists of CEOs and Country Directors of all the WWF Asia Pacific National Organisations and Country Offices.
• Chairs (or co-chairs) and coordinates the Asia Pacific shareholder group meetings and follows up on agreed actions.
• Provide thought leadership and perspectives from the Country Office Management Division, Asia Pacific region, and AP Country Offices as a member of the WWF International Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Other Responsibilities

• Performs other duties as requested by the Chief, Country Office Management Division at WWF International.

Profile

• Advanced degree in Environment/Conservation related areas, Business Management, International Relations/Development, or other related fields.
• At least 15 years of professional experience in a leadership role with demonstrated success in generating impact and leading national and regional international organisations.
• Previous experience as a Country Director, Regional Director and/or Regional Chief Operating Officer.
• A proven leader with the capability of growing an organisation’s impact, fostering innovation and building future leadership and talent in the organisation.
• Extensive experience in developing, implementing and evaluating strategic plans.
• High-level negotiation, collaborating and influencing skills and the capacity to develop and maintain effective working relationships at all levels in the organisation levels and with external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of the not-for-profit sector, preferably of environmental and/or developmental international non-government organisations.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of human rights and community-based approaches to conservation.
• Excellent understanding of key conservation challenges in the Asia Pacific region and linkages with global priorities.
• Exposure to and understanding of policy and public influence and engagement-related work.
• Prior work experience or a deep understanding of network organisation is an advantage.
• Networks at the highest levels of Government and Business are an advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to represent an organisation at a range of local and international fora, in the media and with the general public.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Additional language from the Asia Pacific region will be an added advantage.
• Passion for conservation and WWF’s mandate.
• Committed to Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
• Availability to travel 30 to 50% of the time within the region and internationally.
• Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

Working Relationships

Internal – Works closely with Country Office Management Division Senior Leadership Team members (including other Regional Directors), WWF International Executive Team, Practice Leaders and other Department Heads of WWF INT, Chairperson and Team members of the Asia Pacific 25 (AP25). Interacts frequently with CEOs and Senior Management Teams of WWF National Organisations and participates in various network committees as appropriate.

External – Interacts, creates and fosters links with leaders in governments, intergovernmental institutions, business and industry, NGOs, local communities, donors and other strategic partners within the Asia Pacific Region and globally as appropriate.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organisational needs.

Terms of Appointment

This is a long-term role with renewable local contract based on performance with a standard six-month probation period. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, based on the local market. A pension plan as per government regulations, life insurance and enhanced medical insurance in addition to the government service is included in the benefits package.

Role Location

Singapore, other locations with WWF Asia or Pacific country offices can be considered.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 13 November 2024 (23:59 hrs, GMT +8). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by WWF International to undertake this assignment.