WWF-CEE is looking for: Regional Corporate Engagement Manager

Full-time permanent position
Location: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine

This is us:

WWF is the world's largest conservation organization, founded in 1961. We’re active in over 100 countries and have over 8000 employees.

WWF-Central and Eastern Europe is responsible for leading and to a significant extent implementing WWF’s efforts to reserve, restore and sustainably manage the natural values of the Danube Carpathian ecoregion, which we also call the Green Heart of Europe. With a team of over 230 highly specialised professionals, we are working across political borders through an ecoregional approach based on model projects, influencing policy, networking, capacity building, communication and crisis response.

This is you:

We’re currently looking for an experienced, energetic and highly motivated professional to join WWF-CEE as Regional Corporate Engagement Manager and lead our efforts in engaging the corporate sector to support the organisational work and mission in the CEE region, including financial and fundraising support, communications, advocacy, and conservation.

The job holder will play a key role in leading and developing the corporate engagement for WWF-CEE by cultivating regional partnerships, engaging with the WWF Network to bring corporate relationships to the region, and coordinating and supporting the corporate engagement of the country offices.

This is the role and the key responsibilities:

Lead and drive WWF-CEE's corporate engagement in the region

• Strategy and planning: Lead the development of regional Strategic and Annual Plans and related monitoring of WWF-CEE corporate engagement
• Serve as the main contact for multi-country and/or regional corporate partnerships in the CEE region
• Work with colleagues from Communications to promote awareness of the environment and WWF’s work in the corporate sector
• Work with relevant regional directors and leads as well as country offices to develop products, tools, and campaigns relevant to corporate engagement in the CEE region

Engage and develop partnerships

• Cultivate and nurture relationships with current regional corporate donors, ensuring effective account management
• Develop offerings for potential corporate donors, including funding proposals, presentations, and MoUs, and coordinating proposals with relevant colleagues
• Understand and manage partner needs, and develop mutually beneficial plans translating into market advantage for the partner, and funding, communications, and conservation benefits for WWF
• Maintain and update the corporate database for targeted, existing, and potential partners, and keep records of the interactions to ensure proper partnership stewardship and future growth
• Identify new revenue opportunities within existing accounts, encouraging additional engagement by the partners
• Conduct due diligence on potential corporate partners following WWF criteria
• Evaluate unsolicited partnership inquiries for alignment with WWF’s strategic goals
• Handle invoicing for assigned corporate partners
• Track performance and fulfill partnership reporting needs
• Serve as WWF-CEE point of contact for relevant corporate engagement actors in the WWF Network and liaise with them on possibilities for extending international corporate partnerships to the CEE region

Support the development of corporate engagement across CEE offices

• Advise, support and guide country offices in their corporate engagement, including on strategy and tactics, as well as WWF Network rules and procedures
• Facilitate contacts and tools to support local corporate engagement
• Engage with relevant staff working on corporate engagement by ensuring the exchange of information, and identifying opportunities for professional development
• Support and advise on the selection, induction, training and development of relevant staff

The ideal candidate would have:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in marketing, communications and/or public relations
• Proven skills in communications, marketing, and project planning
• Effective communication skills, particularly in conveying the importance of conservation and WWF's work to corporate audiences (written and oral)
• Excellent social skills, the power to create communities and client orientation
• Proven organizational and diplomatic skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Intercultural awareness and sensitivity
• Experience working in virtual, cross-cultural teams within an international environment
• Strong team player with internal drive and ability to work independently
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, and dynamic learning
• Strong computer literacy and tech-savvy
• Fluency in English (written and oral) and one other language of the region (Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak or Ukrainian)
• Alignment and identification with the core values of WWF: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration and the relevant behaviors

The following would be an advantage:

• Skills in people management, coordination, team building, and support; coaching and mentoring experience
• Experience in non-profit or civil society organizations
• Understanding of conservation and sustainability issues, in particular of the CEE region

This is what we offer:

• The opportunity to make a difference: help us create a world where people live in harmony with nature
• Belong to an international community of over 8000 people #togetherpossible
• Challenging and fulfilling work in one of Europe’s most exciting eco-regions
• Friendly and highly professional working atmosphere in a multi-cultural environment
• Varying tasks and independent work style
• A pleasant working atmosphere and great learning environment
• We pay attention to work-life balance; we offer flexible schedules, work from home, 25 days off
• A salary according to NGO standards*

* The compensation package will be aligned with local salary and benefits conditions, in line with our reward policy.

If this feels like the right professional challenge for you, we look forward to getting your application package (CV and cover letter, both in English), to the attention of Larisa Fortunescu, at hr@wwf.bg no later than 20 th of March.

Please understand that we can only reply to short-listed candidates.