Managing Director (gn) Frankfurt Conservation Center gGmbH

Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt von 1858 e.V. • Other • Frankfurt • 3d ago

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is an internationally operating conservation organisation based in Germany that has been supporting conservation projects in Africa, South America, South East Asia and Europe for many decades. Following our mission to conserve wildlife and ecosystems we are focusing on protected areas and outstanding wild places.

The Frankfurt Conservation Center (FCC) focusses on nature conservation and sustainable development. It aims to be a world leading knowledge center that promotes research and training towards change, in particular in behaviour, business practice, policymaking, and dialogue with society. Located in Frankfurt, a metropolis of diversity and finance, it serves as a vibrant space for creative and practical ideas to sustainably preserve our planet – for the benefit of people and nature alike. Conserving biological diversity, limiting climate change, and promoting sustainable development are pivotal challenges we are facing, requiring an integrated approach. Therefore, we act as an innovative knowledge center bringing together experts and organizations from science, practice, politics, business and civil society.

The FCC is led by three complementary shareholders (Goethe-University Frankfurt, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt Zoological Society) with strong support of eight partner organizations (BioFrankfurt e.V., Conservation International, Institute for Socio-Ecological Research, KfW Foundation, KPMG, Nature Trust Alliance, TRAFFIC, Zoo Frankfurt).

About the Position

Frankfurt Conservation Center (FCC), in close cooperation with Conservation International (CI), seeks to hire a Managing Director to oversee the initial development of the FCC. This is a unique opportunity to establish a world class knowledge center, advance global nature conservation strategies, and attract additional collaboration partners and funders to shape a sustainable socio-ecological future.

The FCC Managing Director is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership of the FCC to achieve its ambitious mission and goals in the areas of global biodiversity conservation – in particular during the start-up phase. The Managing Director leads and develops the FCC as a globally active conservation accelerator. In the initial phase, FCC staff and operational support will be provided by the FCC partners, and it is the purpose of the position to expand those capacities.

Your Tasks

Overall leadership and management of FCC programmes, staff and operational structure
Representation of the FCC to a national/international target audience of scientific and conservation authorities with the aim of prioritizing nature conservation matters and biodiversity preservation, through networking, representation and relationship building with the business and financial sector as well as with political contacts and academia
Development and management of the FCC and its core programmatic activities (Applied Research, Training & Education, Communication & Engagement, development and provision of Strategies & Solutions for nature conservation and biodiversity preservation) together with all members, but also with external partners
Development and implementation of the ambitious public relations and communications plans and coordination of outreach activities to “mainstream biodiversity conservation” more widely
Expansion and coordination of fundraising activities to finance FCC development and operations
Engagement with the CI Fellowship programme and regular communication with CI in Germany

We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, disciplines and backgrounds. Ideally, the FCC Managing Director adds value to the science- and evidence-driven community of highly skilled conservation practitioners by bringing in his/her experience in leading and building a new venture.

Strong track record in nature conservation with a clear focus on biodiversity, climate solutions, sustainability or nature conservation financing, policy making or regulatory frameworks, particularly in the Global South
Start-up mentality and experience in building and managing larger organizations (or substantially expanding existing institutions), as well as managing large cross-functional teams (comprised of different stakeholders)
Strong commitment to nature conservation, global collaboration and fundraising for lighthouse projects
Successful record of collaborating, negotiating, and relationship-building in nature conservation across cultures and sectors
Excellent communicator to lead interaction and communication with FCC members and external partners and audiences
Proficiency in both German and English is essential; other languages are an advantage

This position will help turning a vision into reality, responsible for staffing and empowering teams, setting the FCC's initial priorities, and integrating additional partners. We offer an initial 2-year contract with a long-term perspective, accompanied by industry-standard benefits, including 30 days of annual leave.
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to send an email to jobs@fzs.org.

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