International Wildlife Credit Advisor

WWF-NL is a professional and dynamic organization with an informal work culture based in Zeist, the Netherlands. The working language is English.

The organization consists of four departments: Conservation, Engagement, Organization & Talent Development, and Finance & Operations. In light of this, WWF-NL’s Conservation department is seeking a mid-level International Wildlife Credit Advisor (32–40 hours). 

This role reports to the Thematic Team Lead, Bart Geenen. You will work closely with colleagues in the WWF network and partners around the world. 

Our planet’s survival depends on healthy ecosystems that provide a wide range of benefits for people while serving as a home for wildlife. Wildlife populations thrive in healthy and connected habitats where they are free to move. However, species and their movements are increasingly coming into contact with human activities. There is growing competition for land, and resource extraction is increasingly depleting natural areas. Food production, infrastructure and urban development, and economic growth are the main drivers behind the degradation and fragmentation of habitats, leading to increased tension between human activities and wildlife coexistence.

WWF’s goal is to protect, manage, and restore vital conservation areas and wildlife populations by working in close collaboration with local communities. We need to connect well-managed natural habitats to ensure resilient landscapes, while taking into account climate change and promoting a compelling socio-economic vision for a world where people and wildlife can coexist in the same landscape. This calls for innovative ideas regarding new forms of coexistence where local people benefit from healthy wildlife populations within a nature-based economy. Do you share our ambition to restore healthy, connected, and climate-resilient landscapes where people and wildlife live in harmony? If you’re ready for this challenge, please contact us.

Roles and responsibilities

The International Wildlife Credit Advisor will:

• Drive innovation in the area of Wildlife Credits (also known as Biodiversity Credits) within the WWF Network and connect with external developments and experts on this topic.
• Investigate financial mechanisms to engage the private sector in performance-based payment models related to wildlife credits.
• Position wildlife coexistence and landscape connectivity within a broader socio-economic development framework that offers clear benefits to local communities—such as Wildlife Credits—and is directly relevant to addressing larger societal challenges.
• Pilot Wildlife Credits in WWF-NL priority landscapes in collaboration with national offices, while incorporating key approaches such as Inclusive Conservation.
• Support local WWF offices in addressing wildlife-related issues and challenges and in developing comprehensive conservation programs with a focus on climate-resilient landscapes.
• Serve as the spokesperson on wildlife-related matters, specifically Wildlife Credits.

Required skills and competencies:

We are looking for someone who is able and willing to think outside the box and turn resistance into opportunities in a positive way. We are looking for a strategist who can determine a strategic and tactical path based on objectives and current activities. We expect you to be well-versed in the main global discussions on wildlife management, and to be particularly eager to expand your network and engage others in a challenging, visionary agenda. Being diplomatic, a connector, results-oriented, and tenacious are important qualities.

• You have an educational background in a field relevant to the theme (e.g., biology, wildlife management, forestry, nature conservation, climate studies).
• You have experience in wildlife conservation, human-wildlife conflict, connectivity, and climate adaptation.
• You should ideally have experience with sustainable finance.
• You have at least 5 years of relevant international work experience, particularly in the Global South.
• You have experience serving as an external spokesperson and translating complex ideas into compelling arguments and plain language.
• You have experience with project or program management.
• You have a keen understanding of organizational dynamics and are able to anticipate internal and external developments.
• You are well organized and work effectively within a matrix and network-structured organization.
• You have an excellent command of the English language (spoken and written). Knowledge of French and Spanish is a plus.

Core Values

You identify with the core values of WWF-NL:

• Courage
• Integrity
• Respect
• Collaboration

Our Offer

• An office surrounded by nature;
• Fun coworkers and the opportunity to build an international network;
• After-work drinks on alternate Tuesdays and Thursdays and vegetarian lunches in our cafeteria;
• An employment contract for 32–40 hours per week. Initially, a one-year fixed-term employment contract with a one-month probationary period will be offered;
• Salaries that are in line with the standard in the Dutch nonprofit sector; The minimum monthly salary for the International Wildlife Credit Advisor is 3,477 EUR and the maximum monthly salary is 4,743 EUR (based on a 40-hour workweek) (Please note that, due to the maximum salary, we are unable to sponsor a highly skilled migrant permit for individuals over the age of 30);
• Employees receive a personal budget consisting of an 8% vacation allowance and a 2.08% flexible budget, and are entitled to 6 weeks of vacation per year (based on a 40-hour workweek);
• We encourage flexible work arrangements, the use of public transportation, and biking for work-related travel. Employees receive an NS Business Card for second-class travel to and from work;
• We also have a hybrid work model, so employees can alternate between working from home and from the office.

How do I apply?

If you are interested in this position, please applyby March 5, 2023, using the application form on our website.

Please note that you must have a valid work permit to work for WWF-NL.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Babette Vanlancker (Recruiter) at bvanlancker@wwf.nl. Questions about this role can be directed to Bart Geenen (Thematic Team Head) via bgeenen@wwf.nl. For more information about WWF-NL, please visit our website: www.wnf.nl

We actively strive to ensure that our workforce reflects society and the international nature of our organization. We therefore especially encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

We take the safety and protection of our colleagues seriously. The successful candidate is therefore required to complete an integrity statement and provide a Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag). We may also request references.