Freshwater Strategy Director, Asia Pacific

What We Can Achieve Together:

Freshwater ecosystems around the world are in crisis – pushed to the brink by the climate crisis – resulting in a sharp and long-term decline in water security and biodiversity. Freshwater is central to The Nature Conservancy's 2030 Goals, and to our work in Asia Pacific. At TNC we have set ourselves three ambitious goals to achieve by 2030: Safeguard or restore at least 1 million kilometers of healthy rivers and streams, conserve 30 million hectares of lakes, wetlands, deltas and floodplains, and ensure over 10 million people benefit directly from healthy freshwater ecosystems. Asia Pacific will make a critical contribution to these organizational goals.

Asia Pacific holds significant water resources vital for people and natural ecosystems, and hosts unique freshwater biodiversity that requires urgent action and integrated management approaches. The Nature Conservancy works with a wide range of partners to make transformational changes, orchestrate system-wide approaches, conserve freshwater biodiversity at scale and align investments with the natural infrastructure that underlies water security. Managing water is crucial for sustained economic growth, and to avoid conflicts among water users. Nature's role in water regulation is technically well-understood but vastly underrepresented in spending.
We’re Looking for You:

The Nature Conservancy seeks an innovative leader with deep expertise in freshwater science, biodiversity conservation and/or water resource management to serve as the Freshwater Strategy Director for Asia Pacific. The Freshwater Strategy Director works for the Asia Pacific regional program to develop and support freshwater conservation strategies across the region in close partnership with TNC country and global programs. The Freshwater Strategy Director ensures TNC has an impactful portfolio of freshwater conservation projects in Asia Pacific for resilient watersheds and durable freshwater protection, enhancing, scaling, and innovating from significant existing programs within the region and across the globe. They report to the Asia Pacific Deputy Director of Conservation, but must function well in a decentralized and highly matrixed structure.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

In close collaboration with the Asia Pacific Lead Scientist & Director of Conservation, staff in Country programs, and TNC Global teams, the Asia Pacific Director of Freshwater Conservation designs and supports the implementation of freshwater conservation strategies in the Asia Pacific. This includes both nature-based solutions for water provisioning and regulation, and durable freshwater protection.

They cultivate collaborative working partnerships with the Asia Pacific regional country teams and with other staff across the Conservancy and external partners to increase the pace, scale and impact of our conservation strategies. This includes aligning our work in Asia Pacific with TNC’s global teams and pathways of impact.

They improve freshwater conservation outcomes through supporting and building scientific and technical capacity with country programs in the Asia Pacific. And through refining and strengthening our Theories of Change for freshwater conservation.

They help negotiate innovative solutions with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, corporations, and lending institutions.

They ensure freshwater conservation work across the Asia Pacific Region is strongly represented in Asia Pacific’s Portfolio Management approach, and is underpinned by robust monitoring, evaluation and learning programs that report on progress against TNC’s 2030 Goals

They are the focal point in Asia Pacific for TNC’s Nature4Water partnership.

They work closely with regional and global fundraising teams to actively pursue and secure fundraising opportunities that advance freshwater priorities – including TNC’s Forever Freshwater priority geographies in Mongolia and Austra