Deputy Lead, Ending Deforestation and Conversion

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working at WWF could be your opportunity of a lifetime. All around the world, people are waking up to the devastating impacts of climate change and nature loss. The situation today is worse than the darkest predictions of just ten years ago, pushing billions of people to the edge and threatening lives and livelihoods.

At WWF, we are facing our biggest crisis – and our biggest ever opportunity – to create a better future for people and nature. With over 60 years of experience and an active presence in more than 100 countries, we work to achieve both on-the-ground and global policy action, from protecting and restoring species and their habitats, to transforming markets and policies toward sustainability.

Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from conservation science and advocacy to HR and finance. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us tackle this enormous global challenge and drive the urgent conservation impact needed to restore our planet.

What We Do We are an independent conservation organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and the ecosystem. From individuals and communities to businesses and governments, we are part of a growing global movement calling for bolder action on climate and nature, demanding that world leaders set nature on the path to recovery by 2030.

WWF works to address the most dominant drivers of nature loss through system-wide changes in how food and energy are produced and consumed, and in how financial systems are structured. By implementing change in every country, we aim to drive visible and positive impacts on the ground, helping to restore nature in the most critical places around the world, from the Amazon to the Coral Triangle.

Engaging everyone means addressing the barriers to participation faced by some groups in society, including local communities. Conservation will only be sustainable if it is owned by, and benefits, local people. That’s why Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be at the centre of action on climate and nature. WWF is committed to using its resources and global network to support these communities in creating together the most effective solutions where they live.

Humanity is still in time, we have a clear pathway to solve this crisis. At WWF, we call on everyone to join the global movement, change how we live, and take action now. CONTRACT TERM: FIXED TERM/PART TIME Role Summary The Deputy Lead is a senior leadership role responsible for driving delivery, technical coherence and network-wide coordination of WWF’s Ending Deforestation and Conversion agenda.

Working in close partnership with the Global Lead, the role ensures that the CEO Push, Breakthrough and wider initiative are effectively implemented, technically robust, and fully connected across the WWF Network, including the DCF Community of Practice and priority landscapes. This is a leadership role with significant responsibility for programme delivery, integration and engagement across the Network Major Functions Provide direct support and coordination to the Breakthrough pillars.

Lead development and operationalisation of the Breakthrough (theory of change, workplans, monitoring) and ensure technical coherence and integration across pillars, regions and thematic areas. Translate strategic priorities into clear, actionable workplans and delivery pathways Act as central coordination point for the DCF Community of Practice.

Strengthen knowledge sharing, alignment and collaboration across the network. Produce concise, action‑oriented network updates and briefings and maintain and strengthen SharePoint site to ensure transparency, institutional memory and efficient collaboration. Support delivery in priority landscapes and link global strategy to on-the-ground implementation.

Support alignment across policy, advocacy, communications and corporate engagement teams working on deforestation and conversion issues. Lead development of fundable concepts, proposals and donor narratives. Establish monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting systems. Lead technical horizon scanning and provide insights for decision-making.

Required Qualifications and Experience Significant experience in programme delivery and coordination of complex global initiatives Deep understanding of deforestation and conversion drivers, including supply chains, finance, policy and governance. Proven ability to operate across a global network and drive alignment and execution Strong experience in programme design and implementation Experience working in or with tropical forest countries and landscape programmes.

Track record of engaging with senior stakeholders across multiple domains Degree in environmental science, policy, economics, or related field (or equivalent experience). Required Competencies Strategic Delivery & Execution: Ability to translate a global vision into clear, actionable priorities and coordinated delivery across a complex network, ensuring consistent execution and impact Strong communication and influencing skills and able to provide clear insight, structured analysis and practical recommendations to support decision-making Ability to lead and support distributed teams, communities of practice and technical collaborators Ability to navigate complexity and drive system-level change.

Working Relationships Internal – WWF Brazil CEO and leadership team; Biodiversity Practice Core Team; regional and country offices; DCF Community of Practice. External – Senior representatives from governments, private sector, financial institutions, NGOs, multilateral organisations and coalitions focused on deforestation and land-use systems.

WWF Values The role holder is expected to demonstrate WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration. Please upload your covering letter and CV in English. Priority will be given to applications with both documents indicated. Work permit restrictions may apply. If you are currently employed by WWF international please apply via Canopy and Search Jobs Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

At WWF, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every individual feels valued and respected. We believe that a diverse workforce will help us to achieve our mission to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing fair and unbiased consideration for all candidates regardless of their background. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and join us in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.