The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership is a globally influential institute with a mission to develop leadership and solutions towards a sustainable economy.
They are seeking an experienced, highly motivated Senior Programme Manager to join our Business & Nature team, part of the Centre for Business Transformation. In this role you will help business understand their impacts and dependencies on nature, set evidence-based goals and align their strategies and decision-making processes to protect and restore nature.
About the role
This is an exciting, highly visible opportunity to take responsibility in a critical area. CISL has been working with business on biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital for over 15 years and is well regarded for advancing ambitious business action, policy setting and financing. Our recent thought leadership and tools include the Biodiversity Impact Metric, a Biodiversity Strategy Primer and our research on the risk to businesses of pollinator loss.
You will be part of a dynamic team with unique access to CISL’s international network and the Cambridge community. You will be an entrepreneurial, self-starter, confident to:
- Take a lead in building and managing relationships with some of the world’s most influential companies, organisations and funders to identify and advance opportunities for nature positive strategies
- Lead collaborative projects and play an active part in developing and applying CISL’s thought leadership, frameworks and tools to enable companies to become nature positive
- Analyse and leverage scientific and industry evidence and trends to inform and support business understanding and action, producing high quality outputs
- Use subject matter expertise to act as advisor to colleagues and manage external delivery partners, providing critical input and overseeing project delivery to assure quality
- Develop joint project opportunities and work closely with colleagues in other portfolios connecting business, policy and finance on protecting and restoring nature
Your knowledge, experience and skills
- Commercially minded with strong project management experience and skills, including business development, financial planning, and bid writing
- Deep understanding of corporate supply chains and business approaches to investing in nature, and knowledge of current best practice, global trends and actors in this space
- Sound knowledge of biodiversity and natural capital and experience working at a senior level, able to identify business risks and opportunities and to build compelling business cases for action at both strategic and operational levels
- An active network of stakeholders in business and nature, including business leaders, NGOs and academics
- Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to synthesise technical information and translate it for a business audience in reports, presentations and at events
- Educated at least to degree level/ academic background in a relevant field. Postgraduate study in a relevant field is desirable.
For more candidate criteria please download the Further Information Document.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Human.Resources@cisl.cam.ac.uk.
Please quote reference EN25799 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Further details available on the CISL website.
