Managing Director, Peace Parks USA

Employment Status:                At-will appointment 

Reporting to:                           Chief Development Officer

Location:                                  Arlington, V/A

Working condition:                  Office-based

BACKGROUND

Founded in 1997 by President Nelson Mandela, HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and Dr Anton Rupert, Peace Parks Foundation is a non-profit organisation pioneering conservation at scale across southern Africa.

Working through Transfrontier Conservation Areas that span national borders, Peace Parks connects protected areas, supports biodiversity conservation and ecological resilience, strengthens local economies and promotes regional peace and stability. Its holistic approach is built on three pillars: conservation at scale, community development and conservation finance, ensuring that protected areas deliver long-term ecological and economic value.

To date, Peace Parks has supported governments in establishing 780 000 km² of Transfrontier Conservation Areas across southern Africa. It has field operations in eleven parks where wildlife populations have rebounded fivefold, and in seven ecological linkages supporting over 280 000 people annually through its interventions. Peace Parks gets involved at the invitation of government, promoting an Integrated Co-Management model, bringing government, communities and conservation partners together to jointly manage and strengthen protected areas for long-term ecological, social and financial sustainability.

The Foundation’s Vision 2050 is to secure 17 fully functional transboundary landscapes spanning  980 000 km², making it one of the world’s largest land-based conservation initiatives. 

www.peaceparks.org

THE OPPORTUNITY

Despite the United States being the largest philanthropic market in the world for conservation, climate, and sustainable development, it has historically accounted for approximately six percent of Peace Parks' funding. With new anchor funding established in the US, a registered US entity in place, and a 2035 strategy that requires significant new funding, Peace Parks is ready to build a serious, sustained presence in the country.

The Managing Director Peace Parks USA will lead that effort. This is a builder's role and a rare opportunity to establish and grow an organization's presence in a major market from the ground up, with the full support of senior leadership and the backing of a 29-year track record. The Managing Director will shape Peace Parks’ positioning, relationships and fundraising platform in the United States, while connecting US philanthropic and institutional partners to conservation impact across Africa. 

THE ROLE

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, US Board and senior leadership across Peace Parks, the Managing Director will lead the development and growth of Peace Parks’ presence, partnerships and fundraising platform in the United States. The role will bring Peace Parks’ frontline conservation experience and unique transboundary perspective to US audiences, sharing lessons on how sustained investment in Africa delivers transformational and cost-effective outcomes for biodiversity, regional security, cooperation and resilience.  The role will be responsible for developing and executing the US fundraising strategy, building and stewarding high-level relationships, positioning Peace Parks with priority philanthropic and institutional audiences, and ensuring that US engagement translates into meaningful and sustained support for Peace Parks’ work across Africa. The Managing Director will also be accountable to the US Board for the effective governance, administration and statutory compliance of Peace Parks USA, while ensuring strong alignment between the US entity and Peace Parks Foundation in South Africa.

The Managing Director will develop and implement a clear multi-year US strategy and annual operating plan, aligned with Peace Parks’ organizational strategy, fundraising priorities and US market opportunities.

This role will initially be supported by a Development Associate, and a South Africa-based support team, with responsibility for building an appropriately resourced US team as the organization’s funding base and operations grow in the first three years. The Managing Director will lead a partnership and donor strategy, cultivation and follow-through, working closely with senior leadership and field-based colleagues whose regular engagement in the United States will be central to securing major support. The Managing Director's role is to make those engagements productive and to build the infrastructure and relationships that allow them to succeed. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Managing Director successfully positions Peace Parks as a credible, reliable, high-quality and cost-effective implementation partner by building partnerships with peers, knowledge institutions and funders. She/he clearly articulates Peace Parks’ distinctive value to US conservation, government and philanthropic audiences, using Peace Parks’ track record to demonstrate how long-term conservation investment in Africa delivers transformational and highly cost-effective outcomes for biodiversity, security and resilience. In doing so, she/he generates significant and sustained financial, strategic and reputational support from US foundations, family offices, institutional funders and individuals.

Market positioning

• Position Peace Parks’ conservation approaches and achievements as attractive and credible models for sustainable landscape-scale conservation, community development and transboundary collaboration.
• Guide the development of US-facing narratives and materials that resonate with American audiences.
• Build Peace Parks’ profile and credibility within the US conservation, climate, philanthropic and sustainable development communities.
• Serve as a credible and compelling spokesperson and ambassador for Peace Parks in the United States. 

Fundraising and pipeline development

• Develop and manage a network of US foundations, family offices, individuals and institutional funding partners through senior-level engagements and partnership development.
• Build strategic relationships and alliances with funders, corporations, family offices, peer organisations, policy and academic institutions, advisers and other potential partners.
• Represent Peace Parks in relevant US philanthropic, conservation and policy forums. 
• Lead and oversee donor cultivation, solicitation, proposal development, stewardship and follow-through, working closely with Peace Parks’ Development Team and senior leadership.
• Maintain disciplined donor intelligence, CRM records, pipeline forecasting and progress reporting. 
• Plan and maximize the impact of visits by the CEO, CDO and field representatives through targeted briefing, relationship mapping, scheduling, engagement planning and structured follow-through.

US board development

• Partner with the US Board Chair and Board to develop an active and influential US Board that strengthens Peace Parks’ visibility, credibility, networks and access to funding.
• Ensure effective Board engagement, reporting and information flow, and support the Board in fulfilling its governance, fiduciary and fundraising responsibilities.
• Equip Board members to contribute effectively to fundraising, advocacy and relationship-building. 

Entity and team leadership

• Oversee the sound administration of the US entity, including governance support, compliance, budgeting and reporting.
• Ensure appropriate financial management, budgeting, forecasting and reporting for Peace Parks USA, in collaboration with the South Africa-based finance and corporate services teams.
• Ensure that Peace Parks USA operates in accordance with applicable US legal, regulatory, governance and reporting requirements and Peace Parks’ policies and procedures.
• Build, lead and develop the US team as it grows, while coordinating effectively with the South Africa-based support team, establishing objectives, accountability and performance measures.
• Develop sufficient fluency in Peace Parks’ conservation-finance work to represent it credibly and engage technical colleagues where appropriate. 

Financial sustainability

• Develop a sustainable operating model for Peace Parks USA, balancing investment in US capacity with growth in fundraising and strategic partnerships. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as business administration, finance, fundraising/development, international relations, environmental studies, conservation, sustainable development, public policy, or a related discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification is advantageous.

Professional experience and skills

• A minimum of 10 years’ progressive professional experience, including significant senior-level experience in fundraising, development, philanthropy, external relations, nonprofit leadership or a related field.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership role with responsibility for developing and executing fundraising, business development, external relations or market-development strategies.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful fundraising and resource-mobilization strategies, including experience securing significant philanthropic or institutional funding. Demonstrated experience cultivating and soliciting major donors, foundations, family offices and /or other high value philanthropic partners.
• Demonstrated senior leadership and people-management experience, including building, developing and leading high-performing teams and managing performance, budgets and organizational priorities
• Strong judgment, discretion and the ability to operate with credibility among senior donors, Board members and institutional partners.
• Experience overseeing organizational governance, compliance, financial management and / or statutory reporting within a nonprofit or other regulated organization.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with nonprofit Boards, senior executives and / or governance committees, with a sound understanding of nonprofit governance and fiduciary responsibilities.
• Strong understanding of Africa and the conservation and development context in sub-Saharan Africa, with the credibility and ability to represent Peace Parks’ work authentically with US stakeholders.
• Direct professional or lived experience in Africa is strongly preferred.
• Established networks and relationships with US philanthropy, conservation, climate, sustainable development or related sectors, with demonstrated ability to leverage relationships to create meaningful funding and partnership opportunities.
• Temperament to operate in support of senior leadership and a genuine team player who understands that the organization's strength lies with its CEO, CDO, and people in the field, and who knows how to amplify that strength.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including experience preparing articles, donor correspondence, executive briefings and external communications.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States. 

The following are highly desirable:

• Understanding of conservation finance, carbon and biodiversity credits, blended finance, impact investing and other innovative financing mechanisms, with the ability to engage credibly with technical specialists and funders.
• Demonstrated comfort building a new function from the ground up.
• Resourcefulness and self-direction to operate within a lean US team and build the function over time. 

Location and terms

Arlington, VA is strongly preferred, given proximity to the conservation policy and philanthropic community. The role may begin with shared office space through a partner organization. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with the seniority of the role. The position involves regular travel within the United States and approximately three trips per year to Peace Parks' landscapes in southern Africa.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a Curriculum Vitae and motivation letter, with full address, telephone number, and email address. These should be submitted by 9 November 2026. 

Please apply online.

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