Country Director, WWF Mesoamerica

Company Description

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million members and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF works at multiple levels: global, regional, national, and local.

With four decades of work in Mesoamerica, WWF has worked successfully with a wide range of stakeholders, including government, the private sector, civil society, international cooperation agencies, and the WWF network itself. This has allowed it to expand the scope of its work in the region and strengthen collaborative ties with actors in other parts of the world.

Job Description

Major Function

The Country Director provides vision and leadership for WWF Mesoamerica (Guatemala, Honduras and Belize) and effectively represents WWF with key stakeholders, partners, and internationally audiences. Leverages the WWF Network’s resources and capacity to strengthen and empower the country office to deliver high-impact conservation results that contribute to WWF’s global goals and priorities, mobilize human and financial resources to advance WWF’s mission, and enhances WWF’s positioning and recognition as a leading conservation organization in the region.

The Country Director provides effective leadership in guiding the strategic direction of WWF Mesoamerica through three connected pillars: Conservation Impact, ensuring that WWF’s Mission is aligned with the national context and conservation policies of Guatemala, Honduras and Belize; an Organizational Culture of integrity, inclusion and accountability in alignment with WWF Values; and Operational Excellence, managing the organization as a Center of Excellence in accordance with WWF’s management approach.

This position is fully accountable for risk management and compliance with WWF standards and policies, donor requirements and local laws. The Country Director makes sure these risks are identified early, reduced and reported.

The Country Director reports directly to the Senior Vice President, Country Offices and LAC Secretariat, and is accountable for the overall performance, strategic direction, and operational effectiveness of WWF Mesoamerica.

Key Responsibilities

• The Country Director leads the strategic planning, implementation, and adaptive management of WWF Mesoamerica’s integrated strategy. This includes fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, transformation, and functional integration to position the WWF Mesoamerica office as a center of excellence. By promoting an integrated strategic plan and collaboration across functions, the Director ensures the delivery of high-level conservation impact and contributes to advancing WWF’s Global conservation goals, maximizing the impact of our work in Mesoamerica.

• Builds and maintains a positive organizational culture that aligns with WWF values and principles, and promotes transparency, open communication, and collaboration throughout the organization. Leads WWF Mesoamerica´s organizational development process to consolidate and strengthen organizational capacities in line with WWF Mesoamerica’s strategy. Identifies and develops talented team members to lead critical strategic business functions.
• In coordination with the SVP, US Country Offices and the network, the Country Director is responsible for leading the resource mobilization and fundraising strategy with multilateral financing Institutions, bilateral and multilateral agencies, WWF national organizations, government agencies, foundations, corporate, and private donors. The Country Director builds and secure a diversified funding pipeline that keeps the office financially sustainable and supports both its conservation priorities and its day-to-day operations.
• Ensures the Country Office is accountable and able to identify, monitor and manage organizational risk. Ensures that WWF US, procedures and standards for operational, financial, personnel and administrative systems and outputs are effectively implemented by WWF Mesoamerica.
• Establishes and oversees a monitoring and evaluation system to measure the performance of the country office towards its strategic plan, and reports regularly to the Senior Vice President, US Country Offices.
• Ensures ethical and sound financial management practices for the WWF Mesoamerica offices and the successful and timely delivery of project work. Ensures timely and accurate technical and financial information from WWF Mesoamerica to donors, WWF-US, WWF-International and all relevant parts of the WWF Network according to agreed standards.
• Ensures that WWF Mesoamerica cooperates with financial, operational and programmatic audits and follows-up in a timely manner on audit recommendations and ensures compliance with WWF-US and/or WWF-International Board policies, procedures and standards.
• Establishes an effective internal communication system to ensure that all staff working for WWF Mesoamerica are fully informed of WWF’s Mission, conservation architecture and strategic approaches and kept informed of new developments, policies and procedures as and when they arise.
• Establishes leadership for effective external communications mechanisms and informs results and achievements to WWF-US Country Office Unit, network, donors, partners and others.
• Provides leadership for WWF Mesoamerica´s engagement with partners and policy advocacy including with private sector, government, international cooperation, NGOs and others. Establishes and maintains strong working relationships with key individuals and entities (local, national, regional, and international) regarding WWF’s position and priorities. Participates in forums, workshops and conferences on behalf of WWF to build and nurture transformative/ strategic partnerships.
• Ensures good working relations with concerned government agencies and other partners in Mesoamerica and oversees positioning of the country office agenda where it connects with national priorities.
• Responsible for assuring the coordination and delivery of WWF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF), ensuring the management of risk in the overall portfolios and that safeguards are implemented to WWF standards within defined landscapes and seascapes. The Country Director is accountable to the CEO, WWF-US for implementing the ESSF in-country and for ensuring that risks and mitigating strategies are approved and included in relevant projects, that a Grievance Redress Mechanism is established, and that timely and effective measures are taken to ensure compliance.
• Serves as part of the regional leadership and governance structure, actively contributing to cross-office collaboration and transboundary conservation priorities.
• Actively contribute to LAC governance by taking part in the LAC Forum and the regional cabinets, and by involving and coordinating team members in these spaces.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills and Abilities

• An advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in Conservation, Natural Sciences, Management, International Development, Policy, Sustainability, or related field. Higher academic qualifications may be substituted by relevant work experience.
• Proven and successful experience of minimum 12 years in higher leadership positions in NGOs (preferable) leading a large group of staff, multi-disciplinary and diverse teams and networks.
• Proven experience leading and managing organizations, including strategic planning, financial and risk management, and leading organizational transformation and change, with sound decision-making in complex and uncertain contexts.
• Excellent communications skills, and demonstrated ability to motivate diverse teams and staff, handle and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, encourage teamwork, apply critical thinking, and successfully solve problems in a dynamic work setting.
• Technical proficiency in the fields of Conservation, Natural-Resource Management or International Development in Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, with successful outcomes in public relations and fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience in working effectively with local communities, governments, non-profit organizations, and the private/corporate sector to build partnerships and achieve common objectives.
• Proven experience in public policy, and the ability to build relationships with and effectively influence decision-makers in both the public and private sectors, at the national and regional levels.
• Proven experience mobilizing public and private resources to keep the offices running and sustainable, and to advance the organization's conservation mission.
• Strong knowledge of Guatemala, Honduras and Belize political, social and economic context with credible and ethical standing in the society.
• Fully bilingual English- Spanish (oral and written communication) is required.
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

Additional Information

Please send your Cover Letter and CV in English by November 6th, 2026.