High Seas Policy Advisor

OFFICE LOCATION

Arlington, Virginia, USA

This position is negotiable anywhere The Nature Conservancy is authorized to conduct business. Arlington, VA is TNC's headquarters.

Who We Are

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor .

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

What We Can Achieve Together

The High Seas Policy Advisor leads TNC’s work to support the ratification and implementation of the BBNJ (High Seas) Treaty and our efforts to ensure that Regional Fisheries Management Organizations support the deployment of electronic monitoring on industrial fishing vessel. They are responsible for delivering key conservation goals spanning Africa, North and Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, and continue to scope out new geographies and fundraising opportunities in this field. They are responsible for working with national and/or international government and business entities at all levels to further this work. They monitor internationally negotiated agreements, legislative, administrative, and/or corporate initiatives and policies, and develop and implement strategies to influence corporate practice and public policy for conservation at a large scale, national and/or global level. In addition, they liaise with counterparts within the organization, especially colleagues working on marine protection issues in the Protect Ocean, Land and Freshwater, fisheries management issues in the Provide Food and Water Sustainably strategy team as well as colleagues in TNC’s regional and country programs, to provide and extract useful lessons and experience and to coordinate on joint policy/practice approaches. The High Seas Policy Advisor reports to the Director, Global Ocean Policy in the Policy and Public Funding Business Unit.

This is a term-limited position. We currently anticipate that the needs for this position will end in March or April 2026, at which time employment with TNC will also end.

The location for this position is negotiable (globally) anywhere TNC is authorized to conduct business, with a preference for the Americas and Europe.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU

The challenges facing our planet today require comprehensive solutions that address the well-being of people and nature and lay the foundation for future conservation efforts. Promoting policies that provide benefits to both people and nature is critical to securing lasting conservation outcomes. The work and expertise of The Nature Conservancy’s Policy and Public Funding programs are integral to this effort. The Policy and Public Funding business unit is helping to shape the government policies that help make possible achievement of transformative conservation outcomes to address climate change, enhance protection of lands, waters, and the ocean, and provide food and water sustainably. We have an awesome task at hand, and the work that you do here will have a direct impact on our success.

We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. To implement these priorities, we collaborate actively in a non-confrontational manner with public sector agencies, NGOs, academia, business and the finance sector.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, environmental policy, management or other relevant field and 5 years of government relations, or equivalent combination education/experience.
• Fluency in English.
• Analytical and project management experience. Experience in successfully developing and implementing complex projects in an unstructured environment.
• Experience developing, directing, and managing multiple projects and implementing strategic program goals.
• Experience with communication and presentations.
• Experience with negotiation skills.
  
  

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of the BBNJ Treaty and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
• Experience of working with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, particularly those managing tuna stocks
• Knowledge of fisheries policy and management, including the use of electronic monitoring as transparency and enforcement tool
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience appreciated.
• Master’s degree appreciated
• Experience presenting to and communicating with management-level individuals within the corporate sector.
• Excellent team player with experience working in multi-disciplinary groups, using influence and interpersonal skills, listening, diplomacy and tact to build strong relationships with governments, corporations, partners, donors, volunteers, and all levels of staff.
  
  

What We Bring

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

SALARY INFORMATION

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position is generally within the range of USD $80,000 – USD $128,000 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience.

APPLY NOW

To apply for job ID 56313, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/ . Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org .

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.