Nordics Public Funding and Partnerships Lead (m/f/d)

TNC recognises that Europe play a leading global role in advancing climate and biodiversity goals through policy and public funding mechanisms. Public institutions in Norway and other Nordic countries- such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland- play a central role in funding and supporting environmental causes through strong policy frameworks, public investment and international cooperation. We believe that strong and effective partnerships with public institutions in Nordic countries are vital to advance global policy goals and to mobilise much needed public and private financial resources towards meeting the world’s climate, nature, and sustainable development goals.

The Europe Public Funding and Partnerships (PFP) team at TNC  plays an instrumental role to develop and manage trusted partnerships with European governments, bilateral and multilateral public funding mechanisms and funds, and development financial institutions These partnerships are key to mobilise and deliver public funding resources for highly impactful projects and initiatives around the world that help to advance people, nature, and climate goals.

TNC’s will play an instrumental role within a wider, dynamic team of professionals to deliver public funding outcomes for highly impactful projects around the world. This is a fully remote position with no physical office. You will work with a distributed, multi-country team. Reporting to the Europe Director of Public Funding and Partnerships, our new Lead will be responsible for delivering against the following objectives:

Public Funding Intelligence & Pipeline Development

·       Shape and manage the development and implementation of TNC’s long standing strategy on engagement and resource mobilisation for biodiversity and climate with Norway key public sector institutions including Norway’s Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment and Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) and Norfund. Develop partnerships and engage with other relevant Norwegian organisations, public, private or civil society, that can support the advancement of climate and biodiversity global priorities.

·       Develop partnerships and identify opportunities for public funding and/or blended finance and/or innovative finance mechanisms with other Nordic bilateral and multilateral organisations including Ministries of Foreign Affairs and development aid departments, Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (Nefco), Finnfund, Denmark Impact Fund, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Swedish Environmental Protections Agency (SwEPA).

·       Provide senior leadership and strategic guidance within TNC on Norway’s and other Nordic governments and related organisations funding trends and positioning opportunities. Advise internal teams across TNC on funding rules, eligibility requirements and partnership frameworks.

·       Supported by the TNC’s Europe Public Funding Manager, build and maintain an active pipeline of potential funding opportunities aligned with TNC’s priorities through both competitive calls for proposals and proactive positioning of TNC projects for collaborative funding opportunities.  

·       Working with the Europe Public Funding Manager, support teams across TNC to submit high quality proposals and/or establish effective relationships with partners to access public funding, providing strategic input on project design, eligibility requirements, budget structure, compliance, and partner arrangements based on strong knowledge of public donors’ funding priorities and cross-cutting requirements (such as equity and inclusion).

·       Work with teams implementing Nordics’ donors funded projects to support high quality, timely, compliant delivery of contracts/grants to ensure TNC remains a partner of choice for this set of public donors and its related institutions.

·       Work with external stakeholders and teams across TNC to explore, identify and influence the creation of opportunities for blended finance initiatives with Nordics’ development financial institutions and funds that have the potential to mobilise public-private sources of funding for climate and biodiversity, as well as other innovative finance mechanisms.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

·       Manage strategic relationships with key contacts at the aforementioned Norway’s key public sector institutions and bodies and support engagement with country delegations in partner countries as appropriate.

·       Develop and manage relationships and establish TNC as a strategic partner with other Nordic organizations

·       Represent TNC in relevant networks, working groups, and information sessions including possibly in public speaking roles at conferences and events.

·       Collaborate with TNC’s Europe Policy and other teams across TNC as required to support access to a strong network of relationships and position TNC as a trusted adviser and partner with Norway’s and other Nordic relevant public entities and organizations.

She/he/they will report to the Europe Director of Public Funding and Partnerships. The location for this position is Oslo, Norway. No relocation or immigration assistance can be offered with this position.

Required Qualifications

·       Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience working with Norway’s and other Nordics public institutions and with their funded programmes and finance mobilisation initiatives for biodiversity and climate.

·       Deep knowledge of Norway’s   climate and biodiversity global priorities and related financing streams and program cycles with an established network of strategic relationships.

·       Knowledge of the public development aid landscape and a established network of relationships with other key Nordic climate and biodiversity public sector agencies, development financial institutions and funds 

·       Strong track record of identifying and securing public sector funding, ideally within environmental and/or climate-related areas.

·       Demonstrated experience engaging Norway’s and other Nordic institutions and navigating public funding programmes and blended finance mechanisms.

·       Proven experience in managing and coordinating internal and external stakeholder strategic partnerships across a variety of priorities and topics.

·       Experience implementing and managing multiple complex projects, on time and to agreed budgets.

·       Experience with client management databases and tracking tools.

·       Fluency in Norwegian and English; additional European languages are an asset.

Desired Qualifications

·       Master’s degree in a relevant field related to public policy, business, sustainability, or public fundraising or experience, coursework, or other training in business, sustainability or fundraising

·       Expertise in public and blended finance for climate, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions

·       Knowledge and application of current and evolving trends in international development aid, public funding and blended finance trends

·       Familiarity with European multilateral funding mechanisms and European-based public funding agencies

·       Experience supervising, coaching and delivering through others.

·       Experience negotiating complex agreements and contracts

·       Experience in leading or managing a proposal development team

·       Familiarity with communication technologies and best practices

·       Collaborative mindset and ability to work in a globally dispersed, multi-cultural and highly matrixed environment

·       Experience building coalitions, and strong networks

·       Strong analytical and organisational skills.

·       Proven presenting skills and strong communication abilities; experience in engaging effectively and sensitively in complex negotiations

·       Strong interpersonal, and diplomatic skills.

·       Commitment to TNC’s values of respect, integrity, diversity, and innovation.

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

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

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization 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.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
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 [email protected]  with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.