Senior Director, Tourism Finance at Conservation International

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct rapid assessments of priority KPAs to identify and determine viable ecotourism opportunities.
• Perform gap analysis for KPAs with viable tourism potential (policy, infrastructure, biodiversity, access to capital) to identify specific funding needs and develop roadmap to implementation.
• Lead the design and implementation of an ecotourism financing facility.
• Collaborate and align with other program facilities to align with CI’s conservation and organizational priorities.
• Responsible for the development and scale-up of CI Africa’s concessional lending program for protected areas (CI Ventures), including deal and pipeline management of new and existing tourism-linked transactions.
• In collaboration with the Structured Nature Finance lead, structuring of structured financial transactions and management of internal approval processes, including risk assessments.
• Development of alternative, innovative funding strategies for the tourism finance facility.
• Ensure compliance with CI policies, funding agreements, and local requirements.
• Effectively engage stakeholders, including tourism partners, protected area managers, government and NGOs, technical colleagues, funders, and other partners important to program success.
• Represent the organization externally and serve as a trusted point of contact for CI.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Typical office environment
• Local and/or international travel of 30% or more time, often in difficult travel conditions.
• Ability to work in remote locations or under difficult working conditions.
• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in (Conservation) Finance.
• 10 or more years of working experience in the ecotourism sector, (conservation) finance, or a related field.
• Experience working and/or traveling in diverse geographies, including East and Southern Africa.
• Business development and client management track record.
• Ability to work in remote locations or under difficult working conditions.
• Strong financial skills with in-depth knowledge of and experience with various financial product offerings, incl. debt, equity, and the design of innovative financing structures.
• Demonstrated understanding of the complexities around the challenges of ecotourism as a contributor to conservation, including potential unintended consequences in specific ecosystems, as well as the involvement of a multitude of stakeholders.
• Team player and able to work effectively with diverse work groups in a multicultural environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills.
• Proven ability to multitask and meet priorities.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and under minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in English required.