Regional Director, Asia Pacific

SRI Executive Search has been contracted by WWF International to assist with the search for an exceptional candidate to fill the position of Regional Director, Asia Pacific.

About World Wide Fund for Nature

We are an independent conservation organisation, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.

WWF Asia Pacific Mission

The WWF Asia Pacific Regional hub provides strategic leadership to drive results and impact, and ensures the continuous development of robust, resilient, and high performing WWF International managed Country Offices in the Asia Pacific (AP) region to deliver on WWF’s global priorities in an effective, efficient, and accountable manner.

Role purpose

The Regional Director, Asia Pacific 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, and will also provide strong people leadership, and deliver operational excellence combined with effective implementation of conservation strategies and initiatives.

Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Provide 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.
• Lead 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.
• Provide overall direction and leadership in executing WWF’s strategic objectives to deliver conservation impact.
• Build a culture of performance, positivity, creativity, and work ethic within all offices in the AP region.
• Build 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.
• Ensure WWF in the AP region has a solid long-term organisational development strategy and is financially strong to deliver on its conservation agenda.
• Role model the WWF organisational values and sets the ‘tone at the top’ in providing inspirational leadership to the region.

Conservation & 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

• Oversee WWF policy and advocacy efforts in the AP region and contribute 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.
• Ensure 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 and leverage opportunities between national, regional, and global levels.
• Identify and pursue crucial opportunities for joint action with other conservation groups in the Asia Pacific region to lead unified conservation agendas.
• Secure 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.

Asia Pacific Regional Team Management

• Lead the development of a highly effective, entrepreneurial, and impact/performance-driven Asia Pacific regional leadership team.
• Ensure 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

• Ensure 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 manage Country Offices, and build 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.
• Ensure 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.

WWF Secretariat & Network Engagement

• Lead and coordinate 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 facilitate and participate in the AP25 group that consists of CEOs and Country Directors of all the WWF Asia Pacific National Organisations and Country Offices.
• Chair (or co-chair) and coordinate the Asia Pacific shareholder group meetings and follow 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

• Perform 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.
• 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.
• 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 is an added advantage.
• Availability to travel 30 to 50% of the time within the region and internationally.

Working Relationships

Internal – Work 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 – Interact, create and foster links with leaders in governments, intergovernmental institutions, business and industry, NGOs, local communities, donors and other strategic partners within the AP 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 click Apply and complete the Application Form 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.