Deputy Director, Strategy & Operations

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Deputy Director, Business Strategy, Culture, and Operations serves as a member of the Business Unit Leadership Team and as the principal strategic partner and delegate to the Business Unit Director, providing leadership for organizational effectiveness, business operations, culture, and operational excellence. Working in close partnership with the Business Unit Director, the Deputy Director shares responsibility for the overall effectiveness, capacity, culture, and success of the Business Unit.

The role is responsible for translating business strategy into actionable operational plans, ensuring alignment of resources, priorities, processes, and organizational capabilities to achieve conservation outcomes.

The Deputy Director serves as the Business Unit's senior operational and organizational leader and may assume delegated authority for significant portions of business unit strategy, operations, workforce planning, organizational culture, and implementation of key priorities. The Deputy Director oversees key operational functions including business planning, compliance, employee engagement, facilities, safety, sourcing and supplier management, and other operational services. As the delegated representative of the Business Unit Director, they facilitate cross-functional coordination, drive strategic initiatives, support organizational change, and promote an effective, engaged, and high-performing workplace culture.

The Deputy Director serves as a critical link between the Business Unit and divisional and global functions. Working closely with functions such as People, Finance, Conservation, Philanthropy, and External Affairs, the Deputy Director ensures effective collaboration, alignment, and execution across a matrixed organization. They represent the Business Unit in divisional and enterprise initiatives and help ensure organizational priorities are implemented effectively across programs and functions.

The Deputy Director cultivates strong partnerships with staff, leadership teams, board members, donors, volunteers, vendors, community partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders to advance business unit priorities and strengthen organizational effectiveness.

The Deputy Director serves as a member of the Business Unit Leadership Team and strategic partner to the Business Unit Director, helping shape organizational priorities, resource allocation decisions, and operating approaches necessary to achieve conservation outcomes. As the Business Unit's deputy leader, the Deputy Director works closely with the Business Unit Director to ensure the overall health, effectiveness, and success of the organization.

They help establish priorities, facilitate decision-making, remove barriers, and coordinate implementation of strategic initiatives across functions and programs.

The Deputy Director leads operational planning efforts, including organizational capacity planning, workforce and resource alignment, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives that enable achievement of short- and long-term business objectives. They serve as a principal strategic advisor to the Business Unit Director and Leadership Team on organizational effectiveness, operating models, talent and workforce planning, risk management, culture, and business strategy.

The Deputy Director leads complex cross-functional initiatives, organizational change efforts, and enterprise projects involving multiple stakeholder groups and business functions. They ensure effective stakeholder engagement, communication, risk management, and adoption of new organizational priorities, structures, processes, and ways of working.

The Deputy Director champions employee engagement and…