Position specification luc hoffmann institute director

1. Position Specification
The Luc Hoffmann Institute
Director
June 2015

2. INTRODUCTION
This specification should be read in conjunction with information available on the Luc Hoffmann
Institute’s website at: http://luchoffmanninstitute.org/.
WWF intends to appoint a new Director of the Luc Hoffmann Institute. The new Director will lead
the Institute through the next stage of its evolution and development.
The Luc Hoffmann Institute was established in 2012 by WWF International to bring fresh analysis
and thinking to some of the planet’s most urgent conservation challenges. The Institute brings
scientists, policy-makers and practitioners together to deliver solutions to complex conservation
challenges, with a consistent focus on collaboration, communication and capacity building around
the world.
The Institute takes some of the most profound challenges which threaten environmental security and
future sustainability of the planet, many of which WWF practitioners experience on a daily basis. It
then enlists leaders from some of the leading academic institutions of the world to work
collaboratively on new approaches and innovative solutions, convened by the science researchers
who staff the Institute.
Reporting to the Director General of WWF International, the Director will provide strategic vision
for the Luc Hoffmann Institute, building strong relationships with research partners, WWF
conservation programmes as well as other NGOs, businesses and the public sector around the world.
The Director will also promote the environmental solutions derived from the Institute and encourage
their uptake and implementation by policy makers and conservation practitioners. S/he will also be
expected to further develop the Luc Hoffmann model of collaborative science, expand the fellows
programme, and diversify the revenue stream of the Institute.
The successful candidate must have a PhD or equivalent and demonstrated scientific authority in a
relevant field, proven experience in organisational development and multi-disciplinary team
management, and strong communication skills. A track record of leadership on environmental issues
is highly desirable. The Director will be guided by an international advisory board of scientists and
thought leaders from civil society and the private sector.

3. WWF International and the WWF Network
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) was founded in 1961. With projects in more than 100 countries,
and major offices in more than 70, it is today one of the leading conservation organisations of the
world. The Mission of WWF is: to create a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
Whilst the conservation of global biodiversity lies at the core of WWF the issues of sustainability of
human activity, the challenges of growth, development, and human livelihoods are at the heart of the
challenges they face.
Most of the WWF presences are autonomous legal entities in their own countries united by the WWF
brand, Mission and an agreed global programme of work. WWF International serves as the
coordinating centre of this global Network. The Luc Hoffmann Institute is an independent research
centre attached to WWF International, supported by a distinguished international advisory board.
The Luc Hoffmann Institute
Established in 2012, The Luc Hoffmann Institute is a research hub staffed with scientists, and analysts
researching urgent conservation issues. The Institute focuses on the generation of innovative,
evidence-based solutions through a collaborative process called co-creation – bringing top scientists
together with conservation practitioners and policymakers to explore issues and generate solutions
that can be put to use and scaled up to impact conservation around the world. Research projects are
defined by the needs of people using their science, including WWF’s own programmes as well as
those of other NGO’s, and decision-makers in the public and private sector. This work is supported
by the Luc Hoffmann Fellows program, where emerging scientists are given the skills, connections
and experience to become the next generation of environmental science leaders. The focus on
research for action means that all of the research projects within the Institute are supported through
a communication, engagement and magnification programme.
Research to Action
The Luc Hoffmann Institute has three core research programmes: (1) natural capital and ecosystem
services; (2) place-based conservation; (3) sustainable consumption and production. Each research
programme has 3 to 5 collaborative projects running concurrently and is staffed by a research lead.
These research leads work with conservation leaders around the world to build collaborative research
teams who create actionable products ranging from peer reviewed academic publications to methods,
tools, reports, and recommendations.
Conservation science capacity
The Luc Hoffmann Institute builds individual capacity in the regions where this capacity will have
the greatest impact. Institute staff work with local universities, think tanks, and government
ministries to connect decision makers to their own scientists, and the Institute supports these
connections by including these individuals within the Luc Hoffmann Institute collaborative research
processes. The Luc Hoffmann Fellows Program is at the centre of the Institute capacity-building
programme. The Luc Hoffmann Fellows program places highly skilled recent PhDs from around the
world at the heart of collaborative research teams, and the programme invests in these fellows by
building their networks inside and outside of WWF, and by providing skills, leadership training and
research opportunities. Luc Hoffmann Fellows leave ready to work effectively with conservation
programmes around the world to connect research and conservation.
Please see the link to ‘Our Strategy’: http://luchoffmanninstitute.org/about/our-strategy/.

4. THE ROLE
The next Director of the Luc Hoffmann Institute will take charge of a rapidly growing institute with
a talented cadre of fellows and staff, and with the full support of an international advisory board. S/he
will be expected to chart a course for the future, fostering cutting edge, trans-disciplinary practical
science and advancing solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges. The Director will be
the principal spokesperson for the Luc Hoffmann Institute and will represent the Institute in a variety
of settings, both internal and external to WWF. Direct reports to the Director include three Research
Leads, and the Global Science Communications Manager.
Opportunities and Challenges for the Director of the Luc Hoffmann Institute
Provide Strategic and Visionary Leadership for the Institute
The next Director will be expected to provide confident and insightful leadership for the Institute,
steering the work consistently toward research opportunities that have a clear pathway to impact.
S/he will be expected to enhance the Institute’s efforts to build its strategic capacity and strengthen
its reach and impact on solving pressing environmental and societal problems. The Director will
ensure that its research, communication and capacity-building programmes are well integrated into
the Institute’s programme and that its activities are agile and responsive to changing conditions. The
Director will take a strong role in promoting collaborative research among like-minded boundary
institutions, think tanks, NGOs and academic networks.
Magnify the impact of Luc Hoffmann Institute Research through close integration with policy and
practice communities around the word.
The Luc Hoffmann Institute sits at the global secretariat for the WWF Network, and the Institute’s
effectiveness is greatly enhanced by its ability to work collaboratively with WWF around the world.
The Director of the Luc Hoffmann Institute will be expected to strengthen collaborative relationships
between the institute and key WWF conservation programmes and partners, and to forge strong links
between the strategies of key conservation programmes and the evidence they will need to deliver on
their goals.
The Director will also be expected to work closely and collaboratively with leaders in civil society,
academia, and multi-national organisations to synergize work at the Luc Hoffmann Institute with
needs and capacities represented in the global conservation community. The Luc Hoffmann Institute
already enjoys strong global connections and the next director will have the opportunity to deepen
these connections, and set the Institute research direction within the broader conservation policy and
practice landscape.
Serve as a Unifying and Decisive Leader
A priority for the Director will be to ensure that the Luc Hoffmann Institute staff functions as a highly
effective team and has the capacity to respond to the many demands placed upon the Institute. This
will require skillful delegation, consistent internal communication, decisive and transparent decision-
making, and setting clear and consistent goals and standards. Continuing to attract, retain, coach and
develop the strongest possible staff will be essential.
Build Philanthropic Support
The Director should lead the Institute’s fundraising, both through personal involvement and by

5. working closely with the well-coordinated WWF system. With significant core funding already in
place from the MAVA foundation, new opportunities are focused on leveraging support from other
funding sources. The Institute’s business plan is founded on a principle of increasing value across
and beyond the WWF network. The director will be expected to examine and details of this plan, and
modify the strategy as needed, and continue to diversify the support base over the next 5 years.
Continue to build the Luc Hoffmann Institute’s Global Reputation
Communications and engagement are critical to the success of the Luc Hoffmann Institute, if it is to
become globally recognised as a center for action-oriented research and capacity building. As a key
spokesperson for the Institute, the Director must set a standard by intellectually and emotionally
engaging multiple constituencies—from senior policy makers, civil society and corporate leaders,
senior academics and board members, and a wide range of public audiences —and doing so in a wide
range of settings and through various media. S/he will need to oversee the development of innovative
communications campaigns and themes that will promote the Institute as a force for evidence-based
solutions to complex global environmental issues.
Develop Private Sector Partnerships
Through the current research programmes and projects, the Institute has already initiated some
private sector relationships, but there are clear opportunities for expanding these and deepening the
Institute’s connections. The Director has the opportunity to evaluate the Institute’s current work in
this area, build a strategy for stronger private-sector initiatives around the world focused on
sustainable consumption and production practices and the integration of green infrastructure and
natural capital into balance sheets and risk assessments.

6. CANDIDATE PROFILE
Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate must have a PhD or equivalent and demonstrated scientific authority in a
relevant field, proven experience in organisational development and multi-disciplinary team
management, and strong communication skills. A track record of leadership on environmental issues
is highly desirable.
The successful candidate will possess the following:
 Peer-reviewed scientific publications in a relevant field, and standing in the academic
scientific community;
 A record of strong leadership, and of managing an organisation through transition and growth;
 Demonstrated knowledge of international conservation and the role of science within
environmental and sustainable development decision-making;
 Strong knowledge of major environmental issues, related political and societal trends, and
expertise in one or more areas of cutting edge environmental research;
 A network of relationships across the environmental community;
 Excellent communication skills.
COMPETENCIES
Strategic Capability
 Scientific authority;
 Ability to translate the Institute’s vision into clear strategies for impact;
 A capacity to work collaboratively with the Board in the development and articulation of its
vision and on its translation into tangible results;
 A clear focus on organisational goals, amid multiple competing demands, and a capacity to
prioritise effectively in order to realise these.
Operational Management Skills
 A non-hierarchical approach and the ability to delegate responsibility appropriately;
 Talent in managing both people and budgets;
 A collaborative leadership style and comfort working across disciplines and organisations in
a facilitative style;
 Skills in human resource management, especially in coaching and mentoring young scientists,
building and consolidating teams, and creating an inspiring and conducive collaborative
atmosphere in the context of a decentralised delivery structure;
 Proven financial and organisational management skills.

7. Ambassadorial Skills
 Strong public-speaking and influencing skills;
 Strong relationship-building skills in diverse cultural and organisational contexts;
 At ease and efficacious with influential contacts and networks.
Personal Attributes
 Commitment to the Institute’s vision of aligning scientific research with conservation and
decision-making;
 Passion for and commitment to preserving and protecting the environment;
 High ethical values and commitment to diversity;
 Ability to solicit and synthesize input from a broad range of constituencies. A gift for
innovation, facilitation, communication, and decision-making in the context of a broad-
reaching institute.
Location Details
This position is based Gland, Switzerland. The role necessitates travel to meet research partners
around the world, we would anticipate several weeks per year at the discretion of the Director.
Compensation
Compensation will be both competitive and commensurate with the successful candidate’s
experience.

8. HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please send a full CV together with a supporting statement, briefly highlighting your
experience and skills against the requirements of the role, to Simon Kingston at
responses@russellreynolds.com including the reference number 1505-015L and job role in the
subject title. The closing date is 3rd
July 2015. All applications will be acknowledged.
CONTACT
Simon Kingston
Russell Reynolds Associates
Almack House, 28 King Street
London
SW1Y 6QW
United Kingdom
Tel: +44-20-7830-8089
responses@russellreynolds.com
Henry Scarlett
Russell Reynolds Associates
Almack House, 28 King Street
London
SW1Y 6QW
United Kingdom
Tel: +44-20-7198-1858
Henry.Scarlett@russellreynolds.com