Global Director of Biodiversity Science
Job Description
What We Can Achieve Together:
The Global Director of Biodiversity Science (Director) is an exciting opportunity to lead a new science line within the Global Science team at TNC — a global conservation organization working in more than 80 countries. The Director will lead a small, biodiversity science team that serves as a core resource and integrative hub for scientists, practitioners, and partners across the Conservancy — setting and stewarding a bold scientific vision for biodiversity at TNC, and building the relationships, partnerships, and organizational will needed to bring that vision to life.
The ideal candidate will be as gifted at building relationships as they are at doing science — with deep expertise in biodiversity science, a truly global perspective shaped by experience working across countries and regions, and a natural ability to convene and inspire across disciplines, cultures, and knowledge systems. They will be equally comfortable thinking at the horizon through scenario planning and futures thinking and working with regional teams around the world to co-develop the tools and evidence needed to demonstrate biodiversity outcomes on the ground.
Core responsibilities span four areas: advancing TNC’s approach to biodiversity monitoring, indicators, and assessment, and supporting regional teams to design and demonstrate results; providing thought leadership and futures thinking — including scenario planning and forecasting; building embedded scientific capacity through sustained advisory relationships and cross-regional learning; and elevating TNC’s scientific engagement in global biodiversity governance arenas (e.g. IPBES, CBD). The Director will work in close collaboration with climate and social scientists to ensure the team’s work delivers the scientific foundation needed to advance our nature, climate, and people goals. The Director will also help position the organization to responsibly leverage emerging biodiversity technologies to advance TNC’s goals.
In this role, the Director is expected to demonstrate leadership maturity, intellectual humility, and a commitment to continuous learning, recognizing that addressing complex, global biodiversity challenges require building internal and external collaborations, learning alongside peers and partners, and adapting approaches as new evidence and insights emerge. The Director will lead and oversee complex, multi-year, multi-region biodiversity science initiatives, coordinating across disciplines, geographies, and stakeholder groups, and ensuring projects remain scientifically rigorous, financially sound, and aligned with organizational priorities despite uncertainty and evolving conditions. The Director works closely with philanthropy staff and TNC leadership to identify, cultivate, and secure funding for biodiversity science, including leading or co-leading grant writing, donor proposals, and complex funding pitches, and persuasively communicating TNC’s science-based mission and biodiversity goals to donors, partners, and other key audiences.
We’re Looking for You:
The ideal candidate is a leader and innovator who sees biodiversity science as core to delivering on TNC’s organizational goals for nature and people — someone who brings scientific credibility, a global perspective, and the cross-cultural relationships and leadership skills to make that vision real across a complex, highly matrixed organization. They should have strong collaborative science skills, experience leading interdisciplinary teams across geographies, a futures orientation, and genuine curiosity about the rapidly changing technological landscape for biodiversity science. Above all, they should have exceptional communication and networking skills, the ability to set a compelling vision and bring others into it, and the commitment to build lasting scientific capacity within TNC.
What You’ll Bring:
PhD or equivalent advanced degree in biodiversity science or a related field, plus 8 years of related experience including supervisory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Supervisory experience, including coaching, setting objectives, and managing performance; comfort directing work that increasingly involves AI-assisted tools and automated systems.
Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and scientific networking skills, including the ability to translate complex science for different audiences and cultivate high-value partnerships across sectors and geographies.
Experience working across disciplines and knowledge systems, including with Indigenous science, social science, and biocultural knowledge colleagues.
Experience writing grants and research proposals, directing complex multi-disciplinary research projects, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and international experience strongly preferred.
Experience with futures thinking, scenario planning, and global biodiversity governance arenas (e.g . IPBES, CBD), and a commitment to building scientific capacity within regions in which TNC works.
Genuine curiosity about rapidly evolving biodiversity science technologies, including AI-assisted tools and agentic systems, and an ability to guide their responsible application to conservation science.
Salary Information:
For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $121,635 -$182,495 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA.
For all other applicants pay ranges will not be tied to the above pay range, will be based on location, will be in local currency, will be based on the local labor market, and will fall within a range based on factors including qualifications, specific skills, and experience.
Who We Are:
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”
What We Bring:
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.
Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
We request Priority Protected Veteran & Disabled Referrals for all of our locations within the state.
What We Can Achieve Together:
The Global Director of Biodiversity Science (Director) is an exciting opportunity to lead a new science line within the Global Science team at TNC — a global conservation organization working in more than 80 countries. The Director will lead a small, biodiversity science team that serves as a core resource and integrative hub for scientists, practitioners, and partners across the Conservancy — setting and stewarding a bold scientific vision for biodiversity at TNC, and building the relationships, partnerships, and organizational will needed to bring that vision to life.
The ideal candidate will be as gifted at building relationships as they are at doing science — with deep expertise in biodiversity science, a truly global perspective shaped by experience working across countries and regions, and a natural ability to convene and inspire across disciplines, cultures, and knowledge systems. They will be equally comfortable thinking at the horizon through scenario planning and futures thinking and working with regional teams around the world to co-develop the tools and evidence needed to demonstrate biodiversity outcomes on the ground.
Core responsibilities span four areas: advancing TNC’s approach to biodiversity monitoring, indicators, and assessment, and supporting regional teams to design and demonstrate results; providing thought leadership and futures thinking — including scenario planning and forecasting; building embedded scientific capacity through sustained advisory relationships and cross-regional learning; and elevating TNC’s scientific engagement in global biodiversity governance arenas (e.g. IPBES, CBD). The Director will work in close collaboration with climate and social scientists to ensure the team’s work delivers the scientific foundation needed to advance our nature, climate, and people goals. The Director will also help position the organization to responsibly leverage emerging biodiversity technologies to advance TNC’s goals.
In this role, the Director is expected to demonstrate leadership maturity, intellectual humility, and a commitment to continuous learning, recognizing that addressing complex, global biodiversity challenges require building internal and external collaborations, learning alongside peers and partners, and adapting approaches as new evidence and insights emerge. The Director will lead and oversee complex, multi-year, multi-region biodiversity science initiatives, coordinating across disciplines, geographies, and stakeholder groups, and ensuring projects remain scientifically rigorous, financially sound, and aligned with organizational priorities despite uncertainty and evolving conditions. The Director works closely with philanthropy staff and TNC leadership to identify, cultivate, and secure funding for biodiversity science, including leading or co-leading grant writing, donor proposals, and complex funding pitches, and persuasively communicating TNC’s science-based mission and biodiversity goals to donors, partners, and other key audiences.
We’re Looking for You:
The ideal candidate is a leader and innovator who sees biodiversity science as core to delivering on TNC’s organizational goals for nature and people — someone who brings scientific credibility, a global perspective, and the cross-cultural relationships and leadership skills to make that vision real across a complex, highly matrixed organization. They should have strong collaborative science skills, experience leading interdisciplinary teams across geographies, a futures orientation, and genuine curiosity about the rapidly changing technological landscape for biodiversity science. Above all, they should have exceptional communication and networking skills, the ability to set a compelling vision and bring others into it, and the commitment to build lasting scientific capacity within TNC.
What You’ll Bring:
PhD or equivalent advanced degree in biodiversity science or a related field, plus 8 years of related experience including supervisory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Supervisory experience, including coaching, setting objectives, and managing performance; comfort directing work that increasingly involves AI-assisted tools and automated systems.
Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and scientific networking skills, including the ability to translate complex science for different audiences and cultivate high-value partnerships across sectors and geographies.
Experience working across disciplines and knowledge systems, including with Indigenous science, social science, and biocultural knowledge colleagues.
Experience writing grants and research proposals, directing complex multi-disciplinary research projects, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and international experience strongly preferred.
Experience with futures thinking, scenario planning, and global biodiversity governance arenas (e.g . IPBES, CBD), and a commitment to building scientific capacity within regions in which TNC works.
Genuine curiosity about rapidly evolving biodiversity science technologies, including AI-assisted tools and agentic systems, and an ability to guide their responsible application to conservation science.
Salary Information:
For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $121,635 -$182,495 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA.
For all other applicants pay ranges will not be tied to the above pay range, will be based on location, will be in local currency, will be based on the local labor market, and will fall within a range based on factors including qualifications, specific skills, and experience.
Who We Are:
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”
What We Bring:
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.
Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
We request Priority Protected Veteran & Disabled Referrals for all of our locations within the state.
About The Nature Conservancy
We are a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. We're proud of what we've accomplished since our founding in 1951: The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.
Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably, and helping make cities more sustainable.
What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, conserve enough habitat to slow down species loss, and safeguard people.
Our planet faces the interconnected crises of rapid climate change and biodiversity loss. We have years, not decades, to address these existential threats.
We are an organization that is known for its strong mission and unique set of values. We offer an environment with a strong organizational culture and highly value our people understanding that they are the heart of our work.
