Senior Director, European Oceans Program

Environmental Defense Fund seeks Senior Conservation Project Manager for its Oceans Program, Gulf of Mexico regional office based in Austin

The Senior Director, European Oceans Program, will lead the development and implementation of the Oceans European program strategy, working with pivotal government decision makers, fishing industry and NGO partners in the EU to design sustainable fishery management programs and policies.

With world attention focused on both the environment and the economy, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is where policymakers and business leaders turn for win-win solutions. This leading green group, with programs from Boston to Beijing, has tripled in size over the past decade by focusing on strong science, uncommon partnerships and market-based approaches. You can be part of a vibrant workplace that welcomes diverse perspectives, talents and contributions, where innovation and a focus on results are a way of life.

Essential Functions

The Senior Director, European Oceans Program, will be the Oceans Program’s principal representative in Europe, leading strategy development and execution to achieve EDF Oceans’ vision for Europe to create sustainable fisheries that produce more fish in the water, more food on the plate and more prosperous communities. The Senior Director will be a senior leader in the Oceans program, contributing to the intellectual foundation of our work, working through challenges to programmatic success, capitalizing on emerging opportunities, serving as a spokesperson with a variety of audiences and raising funds to support our work.  S/he will liaise with and contribute to broader EDF initiatives, including strong collaboration with EDF’s Executive Director, Europe. This position is based in London.

Key Responsibilities:

• • Serve as the Oceans program’s primary representative in Europe, acting as a resource for European policy makers and fishery managers.
  • Analyze complex fishery management programs and develop strategies to create more productive and sustainable fisheries and healthy oceans by strengthening management and aligning stakeholders’ economic incentives with the health of the ocean.
  • Serve as the leader of the EU Oceans team, including staff and consultants, setting the team’s goals and objectives and managing them to ensure they are on track to meet their goals and objectives. Ensure timely and thorough communications to the Oceans management team on all significant program developments.
  • Work with others across the Oceans Program and throughout EDF to marshal the technical, communications and other expert support needed to successfully achieve our European oceans goals.
  • Forge alliances amongst disparate interest groups and coordinate between citizen and environmental interests. Help build regional and national coalitions, and promote conservation leadership in the commercial and recreational fishing communities, as appropriate.
  • Coordinate the European region’s work with appropriate European agencies including the European Commission, Council of Ministers and Parliament, member state fisheries ministries, and other relevant ocean conservation agencies.
  • Engage scientists, policy experts, and others to solve complex fishery management problems; represent the Oceans program in European fora and other leadership efforts.
  • Engage the media to effectively advance project objectives and communicate project results to a broad array of audiences.
  • Supervise the program and operational work of the European program and maintain a unified sense of teamwork between members of the each team, and across countries, as appropriate.
  • Work with EDF development team to identify potential funding sources and secure grants to help maintain and expand the program’s funding.
  • Help to prepare and supervise the annual budget for the European program.
  • In coordination with the Oceans Program management team, provide leadership and strategic direction for the EU program to ensure the efficient use of resources and achievement of group and individual goals.
  • Support the work of the Oceans cross-functional teams by working collaboratively with them to identify projects and issues key to the work in Europe, finding ways to integrate their findings, thinking and projects into European work, and assigning European project staff to serve as members of functional teams.
  • Liaise with the Executive Director, Europe and EDF-UK Board of Directors as needed.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of European and member state oceans & natural resource conservation laws and regulations.
• Minimum 10 years of experience, with a significant amount of time spent working with relevant European and member state governmental agencies, industries, and NGOs on natural resource or fisheries management.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a growing program and staff.
• Demonstrated expertise on the biological, economic, and management issues related to major European fisheries, especially commercial and recreational fisheries, or an analogous natural resource management issue.
• Demonstrated ability to work constructively with nonprofit colleagues and partners, scientists, economists, industry leaders, regulators and public policy decision makers.
• Ability to use science, law, economics and advocacy to initiate and win positive environmental change.
• Experience achieving results in environmental policy and politics.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Bachelor’s Degree required. Law degree or a Masters or Ph.D. in marine biology, natural resource economics, or related discipline, highly preferred.
• Fluent in English. One other European language a plus, Spanish or French preferred.

Due to the volume of employment applications and queries received, EDF is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. Environmental Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer.