Global Director, Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation

Global Director Of Indigenous And Community Leadership In Conservation

The Global Director of Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation (ICLC) is a bold, strategic, and visionary leader responsible for advancing one of TNC's most critical global priorities.

Reporting to the Global Managing Director, Equitable Conservation, this position will lead a global team and is responsible for advancing Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation as a cross-cutting transformative practice across TNC. The Director supervises a small, specialized global unit and works through a complex matrix of regional, country, and global teams, providing strategic leadership, influence, and coordination to advance shared conservation outcomes with and for Indigenous Peoples, Tribal Nations, and local communities.

This role will:

• Drive a global strategy that advances Indigenous and community leadership across TNC's conservation work
• Shape how TNC delivers on its 2030 goals and beyond through equitable, durable, and community-led outcomes
• Influence systems, financing, partnerships, and governance to align with self-determined stewardship and rights-based approaches
• Partner with Equitable Conservation teammates on a vision of biocultural restoration for the planet

The Global Director, ICLC operates at the most senior levels of the organization, leading across boundaries to catalyze change at scale and position TNC as a global leader in shifting power to communities.

The Global Director, ICLC leads the design and execution of a global transformative practice that crosscuts all of TNC's work. The Director leads a global team of ~6 staff, works across regions and functions, and engages senior internal and external stakeholders to accelerate a shift toward conservation models rooted in equity, rights, and local leadership. They lead the global strategy of Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation, partnering closely with regional and global teams as well as local communities, rights holders and stakeholders to deliver conservation outcomes that respect and advance Indigenous rights and sovereignty.

They will manage a team toward a vision of self-determination.

They provide strategic direction, organizational influence, and management oversight to ensure that Indigenous and community leadership is embedded in conservation outcomes, partnerships, and systems. They also have the ability to understand enabling conditions as they shift, and adjust strategy and team accordingly, while grounded in global community reality and expectations.

They serve as the primary spokesperson for TNC to internal and external audiences (including staff, volunteers, Board of Trustees, public and private donors, government agencies and officials, community leaders and other partners) and cultivates these audiences to support and promote TNC's mission and vision.

This role is remote and can be based in any country where TNC has an entity and room for additional employees. This role may include travel up to 25% of total time.

Responsibilities & Scope

Global Strategy & Transformation

• Lead and evolve TNC's global ICLC strategy, ensuring alignment with team and organizational priorities as well as external movements
• Translate vision into actionable frameworks, priorities, partnerships and investments, including evaluation and adaptive management
• Drive integration of ICLC across conservation, climate and policy programs and influence high-level decision-making

Systems Change & Organizational Influence

• Embed Indigenous and community leadership into core programmatic strategies
• Advance strategies for governance and decision-making, funding allocation and finance mechanisms, and external partnerships
• Position ICLC as a central driver of conservation impact and organizational transformation, influencing global and regional conservation strategies and outcomes
• Strengthen organizational capacity to partner effectively with Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead and manage a global, multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed team
• Build a high-performing, inclusive culture aligned with TNC's values
• Serve on Conservation Leadership Team and Equitable Conservation Leadership Team as an expert on Indigenous-led approaches
• Develop a succession plan for ICLC leadership

Partnerships & External Leadership

• Serve as a global thought leader and spokesperson for Indigenous and community-led conservation
• Build and sustain partnerships with Indigenous leaders and community organizations, as well as global NGOs, multilaterals and funders
• Represent TNC in global forums and influence the broader conservation and climate fields

Resource Mobilization & Delivery

• Advance and support global fundraising and donor engagement strategies
• Align resources and investments with ICLC global priorities
• Ensure effective delivery of programs and measurable conservation outcomes

Cross-Organizational Leadership

• Collaborate across Equitable Conservation and other TNC…