Senior Vice President, Conservation & Chief Conservation Officer

Overview

The Senior Vice President, Conservation and Chief Conservation Officer is a visionary, experienced, and strategic leader responsible for delivery of WWF-Canada’s ambitious conservation goals and cutting-edge analysis on emerging conservation threats and opportunities towards greater abundance and stability for native wildlife populations.

All WWF-Canada’s conservation work is done in partnership, with a particular focus on supporting Indigenous-led conservation priorities. As a member of the Senior Management Team, this role ensures effective planning, implementation, and collaboration across the WWF-Canada organization, with a wide array of external partners, and with the WWF International Network.

WWF-Canada is currently in the third and final phase of its 10-year Strategic Plan, Regenerate Canada.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of WWF-Canada’s high-impact conservation strategy towards greater biodiversity and ecological resilience and reduction in climatic disruptions.
• Oversee a strong culture of accountability for measurable outcomes including excellence in program and project design, partnership, execution, and reporting.
• Provide timely guidance to the CEO on emerging opportunities for accelerating conservation and on complementary government engagement.
• Remain open to and informed about new approaches to conservation to ensure WWF-Canada continues to draw on current and emerging understanding of good practice.
• As the leader of a large team with varying perspectives and skills, exemplify WWF-Canada’s values of courage, integrity, respect, and collaboration.
• Foster and mentor a high-performing, resourceful, committed, and agile team.
• Collaborate with and support senior leadership in other WWF-Canada divisions including Strategic Communications, Development, Finance & Planning, and People, Culture, and Technology.
• Maintain on-going working relationships with peers throughout the WWF International Network in addition to remaining up-to-date on emerging WWF Network initiatives relative to WWF-Canada’s work.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years’ experience in conservation, including 8+ years in leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of one or more facets of conservation such as stewardship and protection, wildlife habitats, complex ecosystem restoration, threat reduction, conservation innovation, application of traditional knowledge, or similar.
• Experience working directly with Indigenous leaders and communities on priority issues such as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, culturally important habitat, stewardship of lands and waters, and emerging issues like increasing frequency and scale of wildfires or accelerating loss of sea ice.
• Demonstrated accountability for leading a multi-year strategic vision and execution of that vision.
• Demonstrated accountability and management of budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across areas of responsibility in an organization or community.
• Exceptional problem-solving and communication skills.
• Practical experience leading and managing teams towards clear outcomes.
• Prior experience of operating effectively within a global network model is a strong asset.
• English plus another language in an area where WWF-Canada is working (e.g., French, Swampy Cree, Inuktitut, a Central Coast Salish language) is an asset.
• Identify & align with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration

Other Information

• Travel nationally to regions where WWF-Canada works and, occasionally once or twice a year to global meetings, is required.
• This job is being posted to fill an existing vacancy.

Deadline to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this exciting opportunity, please click <Apply>, and ensure that your application is received on or before September 1, 2026.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and we may close this posting before the advertised date if we identify a suitable candidate pool. We encourage you to apply early and thank you for your interest in working for WWF-Canada.

Commitment to Diversity and Accessibility

Our vision is a Canada with abundant wildlife where nature and people thrive and we value and rely on diversity of thought, knowledge, expertise, and lived experience to help bring our vision to life.

We recognize that experience comes in many forms and skills are transferable. If you feel that your unique experiences can enhance our vision, we encourage you to apply – even if you don’t meet 100% of the requirements.

We encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

We are committed to a barrier-free and equitable recruitment & selection process. If you are contacted in relation an opportunity to join our team and require an accommodation at any point in the process, please advise the recruiter of your specific needs. We commit to managing these requests in a confidential manner