The Coral Reefs of the High Seas Coalition is a global alliance of partners convened by Conservation International that aims to protect coral reeds in areas beyond national jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas. The Coalition seeks to generate the science, strategic communication, and political support that is necessary to catalyze action. It does this by convening experts and organizations focused on the conservation that previously worked in isolation. Currently, the Coalition is working on a campaign to support the protection of the Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges, two seamount chains in the southeastern Pacific, and is starting work in the Emperors Seamounts in the north Pacific.

The Coalition Director will provide technical and programmatic support and oversight for the Coral Reef of the High Seas Coalition, maintaining and building the coalition, and leading it towards collective impact.  The director will manage all aspects of the project life cycle including project planning, fundraising, work plans, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on deliverables and project status. The director will ensure compliance with project standards, donor requirements, and project alignment with institutional priorities. The director will provide scientific leadership for the Alliance. The director will represent CI and the Coral Reef of the High Seas Coalition as a key technical resource and build alliances/engage key external stakeholders including government and NGO officials, donors, and others critical to project success. The director will manage and monitor project budgets and write donor reports as required and will collaborate on and lead efforts to secure project funding, expand the project pipeline, and manage funding relationships with key partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Oversite

• Lead collaborative processes with Coalition members to set the vision and strategy of the coalition
• Manage all aspects of the project life cycle including project planning, fundraising, work plans, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on deliverables and project status.
• Ensure compliance with project standards, donor requirements, and project alignment with institutional priorities.
• Manage subgrants and contracts for coalition partners and activities
• Develop and manage budgets of all coalition donors.
• Actively fundraise for coalition activities. Identify potential funders and develop funding proposals
• Develop regular progress reports on coalition activities, including bi-yearly reports to donor and annual reports to coalition membership.

Coalition Coordination

• Lead monthly meetings with key Coalition members to plan upcoming activities and track progress made.
• Lead planning and execution of annual meetings with broader coalition members.
• Keep broader coalition membership engaged through regular communication
• Maintain all coalition documents, contacts, and calendar of events

Science Leadership

• With coalition members, set and oversee the delivery of scientific priorities for the coalition’s work
• Coordinate and contribute to the development of science articles that highlight the importance of conserving priority regions on the high seas.
• Coordinate and contribute to the development of abstracts and presentations at relevant conferences.

Policy Leadership

• Coordinate engagements with relevant high seas policy fora, including BBNJ, RFMOs, ISA, CBD. Coordinate with coalition members and CI policy team on ways to synergize engagements. Coordinate communications with heads of delegations of key countries and develop background policy briefs wherever these could advance coalition conservation goals.
• Build relationships with key government officials, particularly in foreign and environmental ministries of key countries. Use coalition content to highlight how national priorities can be advanced at various policy fora and regularly offer support. This will require working closely with key coalition members who are best connected to each government office.

Communications

• Maintain a curated library of images and videos that speak to the importance of protecting priority areas on the high seas.
• Coordinate the development of factsheets and StoryMaps that synthesize key information from coalition science articles in an impactful way. Work with coalition members and CI editorial team to craft key messages, as well as the CI design team to develop layouts that make use of curated imagery.
• Work with the CI communication team to develop press releases and media pitches for upcoming coalition publications or expeditions. Closely coordinate these with communication teams of all relevant coalition partners.
• Coordinate the development of videos that synthesize key information from coalition science articles in an impactful way.
• Maintain coalition website, Twitter account, and YouTube account.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.