Position Summary
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is dedicated to saving the world’s coral reefs. Our teams are leading science-based, holistic projects that support resilient coastal communities, create reductions in water pollution, and promote sustainable fisheries so that coral reefs can adapt to global climate change. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1994, CORAL is proud to operate as a passionate and highly motivated remote working team. We take pride in addressing some of the most significant challenges with a blend of creativity, scientific rigor, and a profound sense of humanity. We invite qualified individuals to join us in our mission to make a lasting impact on the health and sustainability of coral reefs worldwide!
The Director, Strategic Impact is key to our long-term success in developing and executing a highly strategic, innovative, and collaborative plan to advance critical coral reef conservation programs, systems, and resources ensuring that initiatives have the right level of support and technical assistance to achieve CORAL’s envisioned impact. The ideal leader will be a strategic systems thinker and implementer. This role will be accountable for operations that enable strategic deployment of funding and strategic interventions with an emphasis on ensuring collaborations, initiatives, and processes are geared to increase efficiencies and effectiveness now and into the future.
The Director develops and establishes strategic partnerships with external partners from the coral reef conservation ecosystem (nonprofit, science, business, philanthropic, and government sector) to expand and strengthen CORAL’s stakeholder and partner relationships for organizational impact and growth. This role will be knowledgeable of a wide range of strategy, impact, monitoring and evaluation, government affairs, communications, and programmatic skills. This is a growth-focused role for an experienced and proven relationship manager with the opportunity to pursue results-focused goals with clear key performance indicators (KPIs).
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Strategic Partnerships (45%)
- Develop, execute, and manage successful partnership strategies to enable expanded impact and to accelerate progress toward accomplishing CORAL’s strategic goals.
- Build, maintain, and improve relationships with various beneficial entities within the science, nonprofit, government, and business sectors to support the delivery of program focus areas in partnerships with other CORAL staff.
- Partner with CORAL staff, partners and consultants to implement cultivation and stewardship programs for government officials.
- Research, identify, and outline a partner prospecting plan to grow the range and size of CORAL’s strategic partnerships.
- Represent CORAL and its interest with member associations, coalitions, and networks and assist in strategic placements for other CORAL leaders.
- Meticulously track partner outreach, correspondence, input, and requirements, including meeting notes and tasks.
- Develop, disseminate, collect, and report all financial and program management requirements for formal partnerships.
- Leverage CORAL board members, CORAL Council members, donors, and partners to connect with key stakeholders and constituents.
Operationalize Theory of Change and Strategic Priorities to Drive Impact (45%)
- Lead teams in analyzing their programs to align with CORAL’s Theory of Change and building robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress and impact
- Lead the ideation, preparation, and delivery of work plans and strategic updates on impact requested by the leadership team, board of directors and other priority partners.
- Direct the strategy for programmatic operational excellence and impact and oversee the implementation for process improvement, program workflows and capacity management, data planning and reporting, and compliance.
- Partner with the Development and Marketing team to prepare marketing materials reflecting CORAL’s theory of change, operating model to educate partners on the value proposition of CORAL to drive partner relationships and collaboration opportunities that support shared goals and objectives.
- Manage enabling capacity, including partners and third party vendors and outsourced support. Identify gaps and proactively propose creative and innovative solutions. Partner with Directors Team to oversee systems, processes, and resources to ensure team compliance with all applicable financial and legal requirements
- Monitoring and Evaluation-Spearhead the alignment of organizational priorities by implementing comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems, ensuring program effectiveness and measurable impact.
Strategic Support of the Executive Director (10%)
- Build and maintain a close working relationship with the ED to understand organizational strategic goals, initiatives, and aspirations and to deliver as effectively, creatively, and innovatively as possible against goals.
- Monitor priorities to ensure the ED’s involvement in projects or decision-making takes place at key times, where input is most beneficial and needed. Manage conservation team internal meetings, balancing day-to-day/weekly discussions with long term strategic management and planning
- Lead annual planning processes, in the context of organizational needs by acting as a project manager and ensuring alignment with the ED. Engage with external peers and thought leaders to stay current on conservation impact trends and best practices to inform practices at CORAL
Competencies
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following.
Adaptability – Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles. Measures self against standard of excellence. Recognizes and acts on opportunities. Sets and achieves challenging goals. Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
Communications – Exhibits good listening and comprehension. Expresses ideas and thoughts in written form. Expresses ideas and thoughts verbally. Keeps others adequately informed. Selects and uses appropriate communication methods.
Continuous Learning – Assesses own strengths and weaknesses. Pursues training and development opportunities. Seeks feedback to improve performance. Shares expertise with others. Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.
Customer Service – Displays courtesy and sensitivity. Manages difficult or emotional customer situations. Meets commitments. Responds promptly to customer needs. Solicits customer feedback to improve service.
Problem Solving – Develops alternative solutions. Gathers and analyzes information skillfully. Identifies problems in a timely manner. Resolves problems in early stages. Works well in group problem solving situations.Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities. Contributes to building a positive team spirit. Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views. Gives and welcomes feedback. Puts the success of the team above their own interests.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education/Experience
Essential
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred or equivalent experience
- Minimum 5-7 years of experience in non-profit conservation, preferable ocean conservation or coral reef conservation
- Exceptional skills in the areas of interpersonal interactions, professional discretion, confidentiality, and accountability
- High degree of initiative and strategic problem solving
- Solid project management skills
- Proven track record of partnership management experience
- Strong interest in and understanding of CORAL’s mission
- Effective networker and experience in strengthening relations with partners across the full range of disciplines, including communications and sponsor relations
- Excellent verbal and written communications, especially adept at developing and pitching persuasive development presentations and execution plans
- Able to work effectively as part of a small, proactive team
- Ability to work for extended days and on weekends during critical points in program cycles or for major planned events
- Experience tracking key deliverables and following up on outstanding items
- Highly organized multi-tasker who can manage competing priorities
- Willingness to travel, when appropriate
Desirable
- High sense of individual accountability
- Ability to set and manage expectations at all levels
- Ability to work and thrive in a fast paced environment
- Connected to global coral reef conservation coalitions
Language Ability: English, and Spanish is highly preferable
CORAL Values
Collaborative: We work in partnership with individuals, communities, organizations, and governments to find real-world solutions to save coral reefs; We believe that we are stronger when we work together.
Adaptable: We pride ourselves on our ability to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems with creativity, science, and humanity.
Committed: We are dedicated to creating lasting change for coral reefs and the people who depend on them; We hold ourselves accountable to communities, supporters and each other.
Science-based: Our solutions are informed by traditional knowledge and the latest science; We use research and monitoring to tell us how to effectively keep reefs healthy so that they can adapt to the effects of climate change.
Optimistic: Our research shows that there is hope for coral reefs and the people who depend upon them; We believe that we can make a difference.
Compensation
$125,000-$182,662
Fully remote, autonomy and trust to do your job, generous benefits that include medical, dental, vision and disability insurance, 401K match, unlimited PTO, and paid holidays.
About the Coral Reef Alliance
Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is committed to saving the world’s coral reefs. We work at local, regional, and global levels to keep coral reefs healthy, so they can survive for generations to come. As one of the largest global NGOs focused exclusively on coral reefs, CORAL has used cutting-edge science and community engagement for nearly 30 years to reduce direct threats to reefs and to promote scalable and effective solutions for their protection.
The CORAL team is dedicated, passionate, and outcome-oriented. CORAL has 30 team members across remote work sites in the US, as well as at project sites in Hawai‘i, Mexico, and Honduras. Governed by an 11-15 member Board of Directors and supported by a flourishing group of conservation leaders and donors, CORAL has an annual budget that has grown to $5.5M.
How to Apply
Interested candidates, please apply by sending your resume to humanresources@coral.org. Please include the job title in the email subject line.
The Coral Reef Alliance is committed to workforce diversity. Qualified applicants will receive full consideration without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, health status, or national origin. The Coral Reef Alliance is committed to workforce diversity. Qualified applicants will receive full consideration without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, health status, or national origin.