Associate Director Of Corporate Engagement

Wildlife Conservation Society
Associate Director, Corporate Engagement
New York, NY
About Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society stands for wildlife and wild places. As the world’s premier wildlife conservation organization, WCS has a long track record of achieving innovative, impactful results at scale. We conduct field conservation in more than 50 nations and across the world's oceans. Using science and our wildlife expertise, we have supported governments and communities in the creation or expansion of more than 300 protected areas—from the remote mountains of Afghanistan to the windswept wilderness of Chile's Tierra del Fuego. We have worked with local communities to manage wildlife and wild places to enhance their lives and livelihoods.
In New York City, we provide 3.5 million visitors per year with immersive, educational, and memorable experiences connecting them with animals at our zoos and aquarium. For many, these visits represent the only opportunity they will ever have to see wildlife firsthand. Our parks in New York City have inspired more than 400 million people to care about nature and have helped support conservation field programs around the world.
We build on a unique foundation: Our reach is global; we discover through best-in-class science; we protect through work on the ground with local and Indigenous people; we inspire through our world-class zoos, aquarium, and education programs; and we leverage our resources through partnerships and powerful policy influence. Our nearly 4,000 diverse, passionately committed team members in New York City and around the world work collectively to achieve our conservation mission.
Position Summary
WCS seeks an Associate Director of Corporate Engagement to help build and manage a strategic global corporate program that aims to raise $10M+ through philanthropic, sponsorship, membership, and cause marketing partnerships, and contributes towards an overall department goal of raising $150M+ annually in private philanthropy. You will be instrumental in helping WCS save 50% of the world’s biodiversity, create nature-based solutions to climate change, inspire the next generation of conservationists through our world-class zoos and aquarium, and more. This is an exciting opportunity to join a team of four, based at our Bronx Zoo headquarters in New York City, who are ambitiously growing corporate support at WCS.
You will play a key role in designing and executing a corporate fundraising strategy for a portfolio of 30+ identified donors and prospects, with a keen eye toward developing a pipeline of new high-potential prospects. You will have demonstrated success in corporate philanthropy—sponsorship experience a plus—with a track record of soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts. You are a creative, entrepreneurial, organized, and highly motivated front-line fundraiser with exceptional communication skills, who thrives on meeting with donors and securing funding commitments. You will work with organizational leadership and Trustees to build relationships within the corporate sector, and you will work collaboratively with internal stakeholders, including program staff, to develop and implement funding opportunities for conservation initiatives around the world as well as capital and sponsorship support for zoological exhibits and education programs in NYC.
Primary Responsibilities
Reporting to the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement, the Associate Director will:

• Take a leadership role in developing and executing Corporate Engagement strategies in alignment with organizational priorities.
• Manage a portfolio of Corporate relationships with high capacity and top potential to support the organization.
• With the support of the Global Resources Research team, build a qualified pipeline of new prospects based on programmatic interests and potential for WCS engagement.
• Create prospect plans for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship that include in-person and virtual meetings, concepts/letters of intents/proposals, reports, and executive and trustee engagement.
• Working with the Senior Director, help lead and serve as a resource for a talented team of professionals with expertise in Corporate Engagement.
• Prioritize key actions for the President & CEO; the CDO; the VP for Institutional Advancement; and other senior staff, offering guidance and counsel in the engagement of existing corporate partners and the cultivation of prospective new partners.
• Build collaborative relationships with staff across the organization, serving as a knowledgeable and accessible resource, and as a primary point of contact for Finance, Legal, the Executive Office, and operations staff in the engagement of Corporate partners.
• Work in collaboration with conservation program staff, including the Markets Team, to identify and manage relationships with companies who engage in the key landscapes where WCS works.
• With support from the Global Resources Donor Communications team and Grant Development & Stewardship team, develop and review proposals, decks, agreements, reports, and correspondence to corporate donors and prospects. Ensure implementation of sponsorship/grant benefits and deliverables.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in nonprofit philanthropy or corporate sector with demonstrated ability to strategically manage corporate relationships and secure 6- to 7-figure commitments from corporations with shared values.
• Strong leadership skills with a keen business sense and advanced understanding of fundraising best practices.
• A strong collaborator with demonstrated ability to build organizational consensus and inspire donors through clear and persuasive communications.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment overseeing and executing complex or multiple time-sensitive projects, including meeting financial goals, project deadlines, and administrative requirements.
• Ability to interface effectively with the highest level of WCS donors and senior staff members.
• Contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.

Compensation
Compensation for the Associate Vice President, Institutional Advancement is $70,000 - $125,000 annually commensurate with experience and includes a stellar employee benefits package.
To Apply
Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement of interest to Jennifer Wall, Recruiter and Jonathan McIntosh, Partner with ThinkingAhead Executive Search.
Contact Information
Jennifer Wall, Recruiter
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
615-391-2811
jwall@thinkingahead.com
Jonathan McIntosh, Partner
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
615-391-2650
jmcintosh@thinkingahead.com
WCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. EOE/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled
ThinkingAhead Executive Search is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals. Personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic ancestry, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. This applies to every aspect of employment including hiring, training, advancement, and termination. The firm is committed to creating a just culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by practicing, within the company and the marketplace we serve, intentional strategies that serve marginalized individuals and groups.