Head of Field

About Zoological Society of London

Our vision and purpose

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international conservation charity, driven by science, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world. ZSL’s vision is for a world where wildlife thrives. Achieving this vision requires us to tackle the extinction crisis head on. ZSL’s Conservation and Policy Directorate is where we design and deliver high impact conservation programmes aimed at supporting wildlife recovery on the ground with local communities and other key stakeholders.

We have country offices in eight countries, field programmes in 15 countries and collaborations in many more. Field delivery is supported by our Global Programmes that drive thematic work on sustainable business and finance, capacity building, monitoring and technology and species conservation. We also have cross-cutting programmes that lead on rights-based approaches to conservation, impact evaluation and partnership development.

Our Directorate collaborates closely with the two other mission areas of the organisation, our Institute of Zoology, which is a centre of excellence for conservation science, and our two zoos that spearhead conservation breeding for highly threatened species.

Purpose of the role

The Head of Field (HOF) will lead the development of field strategy to grow sustainability and impact across ZSL’s field programmes and lead the coordination and development of field programmes globally. They will work closely with the Head of Operations to ensure the financial viability of the field programme teams.

The HOF will manage the Programme Design and Impact team that supports the design and development of effective donor bids and implementation of monitoring, impact evaluation and learning.

Strategic Development of Field Programmes

• Lead the development of ZSL’s conservation strategy across all field programmes to deliver the impacts set out in the Conservation Plan and ZSL’s global strategy.
• Through strategic and programme design, support the diversification of income streams for field conservation away from institutional donors and towards philanthropic supporters (working closely with ZSL’s Development Department)
• Ensure that all field programmes and country teams have robust overarching strategies aligned to the Conservation Plan, that have been communicated to partners and supporters to guide development of future activities.
• With the Fundraising Department and Head of International Operations, ensure that ZSL’s field programmes are financially sustainable through the development of high-quality proposals to a range of international donors.
• Oversee the design, consultation and implementation of a bid development process, building on existing tools and materials to support the development of enhanced capacity across the department for effective grant-writing.
• Support the development of high-level conceptual proposals for large-scale funding to support sustainable delivery of the Conservation Plan.
• Working in collaboration with the Fundraising team and the Head of Operations develop incorporate an accurate funding pipeline tool which is shared and updated regularly.
• Travel regularly to all ZSL field programmes to develop strategy to support programme development and support national representation of field programmes within each country.
• Provide direct line management support to ZSL’s Country Directors and programme leads in Asia and the UK Ecosystem Restoration team to deliver ZSL’s conservation plan.
• Represent ZSL’s field programmes both internally and externally within expert networks and to donors and supporters.
• Using adaptive line management and leadership skills, encourage engagement and collaboration to embed a culture of inclusivity across the whole department.

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned from time to time that are in line with the level of the role.

 

Values and behaviours for people management

• Collaborative: creates an engaging environment where people feel comfortable asking for help or support
• Ethical: creates a culture which ensures everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect
• Impactful: delivers results on time and to the agreed standards
• Inclusive: makes decisions that promote transparency and inclusion
• Innovative: is forward thinking and able to see the broader picture when planning and organising work
• Inspiring: has self-awareness and seeks feedback to better understand own style, approach and impact on team/staff motivation

Experience

Essential

• Extensive leadership and Management experience working globally and in an international development or conservation NGO context.
• Extensive experience of overseeing and supporting field-based conservation programmes.
• Strong understanding of in country support needs with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of working in a range of often complex locations around the world.
• An understanding of key issues relevant to conservation combined with global or international work experience
• Experience of working with major donor organisations and a track record of effective fundraising.

 

Desirable

• Experience working with the private sector associated with natural resource use and management.
• Track record working for international organisations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience of living in Africa or Asia for extended periods of time.

 

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Good working knowledge of both scientific and practical aspects of conservation biology.
• Proven ability to develop and implement impactful strategies in partnership with colleagues from various disciplines.
• Highly developed management skills with the ability to motivate, challenge, engage and support teams and individuals.
• Team player, with excellent interpersonal skills working in a multi-disciplinary team and with abilities in consensus-building.
• Well developed IT skills in using MS office packages, specifically word, excel and PowerPoint as well as teams and SharePoint.

 

Desirable

• Advanced planning, coordination and project management skills with the ability to organise a substantial workload.
• Demonstrated track record of innovative programme or project design to tackle key conservation problems.

 

Additional requirements

Essential

• Strong commitment to creating a culture that lives ZSL values and commitment to safeguarding, equality and diversity (collaborative, inspiring, inclusive, innovative, impactful and ethical)
• Willingness to travel to overseas offices frequently as required by ZSL
• To comply with and promote international health and safety and security policies and procedures.

 

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