Global Oceans Investment Officer

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY -This position is based preferably in Santa Barbara-CA, West Coast US (remote), or Arlington-VA. It is also open to CI Offices in the Americas. Please view a list of our offices here.

The Investment Officer, Global Oceans, is a manager-level position within the Conservation International Ventures program (CI Ventures), the impact investment arm of Conservation International (CI) that invests in small and medium enterprises across the landscapes and seascapes where CI works. The position will support the development of the CI Ventures portfolio in the Blue Economy through investing in and maintaining a diverse portfolio in emerging markets around the world.  We are looking for someone passionate about innovation & entrepreneurship and dedicated to supporting the growth of a sustainable blue economy.  

The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills and the ability to evaluate, integrate, and translate diverse financial and non-financial information in a manner that is useful for investment decision-making, with strong writing and research skills. Successful candidates will have a demonstrated understanding of financial analysis techniques using both qualitative and quantitative methods and experience in financial transactions involving public, private, or blended financing in a conservation and/or sustainable development context. 

This position will report to the CI Ventures Director of Global Ocean Investments within the Conservation Finance Division and will require collaboration engagement across multiple divisions including the Center for Oceans and Africa, Americas, and Asia-Pacific Field Divisions as well as with external partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Oceans Investment Officer will support the development and implementation of global ocean investment strategies and will primarily focus on: 

Investment Process: Implementation and management of blue economy investment opportunities across all aspects of the investment process including deal origination, investment analyses, and execution which includes but may not be limited to:

Sourcing and screening of blue economy investment opportunities in accordance with CI Ventures investment mandates and environmental, social, and commercial criteria. Conducting private market investment opportunity environmental, social, governance and fundamental economic and financial analyses.    Implementation and/or coordination of investment due diligence activities including prospective investee site visits, expert interviews, and industry and market research.   Preparation of investment memoranda, and presentation of research-based analyses of investment opportunities to the Investment Committee (and potential co-investors). Coordination with legal, finance and administrative teams on contracting and closing activities.    Partnership Management:

Cultivate strategic partnerships with key industry partners, enterprise accelerators and incubators, academic and civil society institutions, and other key partners to promote deal sourcing as well as follow-on and co-investment opportunities.  Institutional Priority Alignment: Support project execution in connection with investment opportunities & cross-divisional commitments

Support initiatives in connection with the fund investment strategy, including coordination with local field teams, investment advice and tracking of key requirements, activities, and deliverables, and associated scheduling, budgetary, and reporting requirements.  Contribute to research and development of tools, publications, and other knowledge assets relevant to resource managers, and policy and other decision-makers involved in economic decision-making related to blue economy development and other ocean conservation themes.   Provide subject-matter expertise and technical support in the formulation and development of business and financing plans, related market and economic research and analyses, and analytical tools, models, and frameworks.  Fundraising: Support fundraising efforts 

Assist cross-divisional, and cross-programmatic fundraising and development efforts, including supporting the development of aligned funding proposals, and strategic fundraising and communication materials.  Attend and speak at industry events, build and maintain a deep network in the blue economy VC ecosystem.  Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position may require domestic and international travel of 30% or more of employee time, sometimes in difficult travel conditions.  Extended work hours may be required to accommodate various time zones.  Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process. QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's degree and 4 to 6 years of professional experience in business, finance, accounting, or disciplines related to the Blue Economy. The ideal candidate will have experience in:

Financial Planning & Analysis 

Preparation, review, analysis, and interpretation of both general-purpose financial statements and reports (i.e. financial accounting), and financial forecasts, plans, budgets, and reports (i.e. managerial accounting).  Development, evaluation, and interpretation of ad hoc financial and economic analyses, models, and decision tools.  Direct Investments; Transactions 

Experience with private market debt and/or equity transactions, including but not limited to convertible debt and revenue-based financing transactions.  Fundamental analysis of private market debt and equity transactions using qualitative and quantitative methods.  Basic fluency of investment term sheets.  Preparation of investment memoranda, and coordination and management of due diligence, contracting, and disbursement requirements and processes.  Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

Effective Collaboration. Demonstrated ability to engage and collaborate within highly matrixed, cross-disciplinary, and geographically and culturally diverse teams and/or organizations to achieve shared goals. Analytical Skills & Abilities. Strong analytical and conceptual skills, and demonstrated ability to understand, evaluate, and interpret a broad range of economic, financial, scientific, and non-technical information used in economic decision-making.   Communication Skills. Superior written, oral and interpersonal communication and presentation skills.   Project/Program Management. Demonstrated ability to successfully execute on multiple workstreams with varying degrees of complexity. Ability to work independently. Domain & Subject Matter Expertise: 

Knowledge of common public and private sector investment structures and mechanisms (e.g. blended financing, credit enhancements, concessional financing tools, etc.) relevant to conservation and development financing. The position requires that the Investment Officer remain up to date on key economic and environmental issues and trends in relevant sectors and industries (e.g. seafood, fishing, aquaculture, marine tourism, blue carbon, etc.)   Technical Knowledge & Skills: 

Intermediate Excel modeling capabilities (Advanced preferred) Proficiency in construction, interpretation, and testing of investment valuation, sensitivity analyses, and other quantitative analytical models using Excel.  Demonstrated knowledge of private market debt and equity investment instruments and structures.  Languages 

English is required, other languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia) are a plus.

Preferred

Familiarity with natural climate solutions and relevant conservation, restoration, and management strategies.  Experience with geographically and culturally diverse clientele and/or audiences, and in multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary contexts.  Fluency in impact and/or sustainable development finance approaches and strategies;  Working familiarity with Salesforce, SharePoint, Microsoft Office, and O365 applications.  Advanced-level PowerPoint design and layout capabilities.  Experience working in emerging, developing market contexts.  A passion for marine life.   To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.

As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.