Position summary

WWF seeks a Managing Director, Sustainable Debt, within its Nature Finance and Investment team, to lead a team that designs and oversees the global strategy to mobilize debt-market financing for WWF's nature and conservation priorities, at both sovereign and corporate levels. You will build and lead a team responsible for identifying high-impact transaction opportunities, managing WWF's engagement from origination through close, and strengthening partnerships with sovereign, corporate, financial institution, philanthropic, and multilateral stakeholders, spanning debt conversions, sustainability-linked loans, and related instruments, while ensuring WWF's technical and conservation contributions are credible and high quality.

Why this role matters

This role turns debt markets into a source of large-scale capital for conservation. By originating and structuring debt-for-nature conversions, sustainability-linked bonds and loans, and related instruments, and by embedding science-based KPIs, you help WWF mobilize significant financing for its global nature and conservation priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Strategy and implementation: Originate, structure, and scale WWF's global sustainable debt portfolio, accountable for transaction origination, structuring, negotiation, execution, and portfolio oversight through mechanisms such as debt conversions and sustainability-linked bonds and loans.
• Corporate debt strategy: Build WWF's reputation and capability as a provider of science-based KPIs for corporate debt instruments, and cultivate relationships with private sector firms in key sectors and with banks, investors, credit enhancement providers, and lawyers.
• Execution: Manage parallel execution of multiple large debt transactions under complex and changing political and economic circumstances.
• Management: Oversee a small and growing NFI team, set priorities and a transaction pipeline, manage the Sustainable Debt Pillar's budget, and build capacity across WWF US and Country Office staff.
• External engagement: Represent WWF in public- and market-facing engagements and sustainable debt fora, and within the Debt for Nature Coalition.
• Collaboration and resource mobilization: Ensure alignment of integrated conservation finance initiatives across programmatic and Country Office teams, and lead efforts to raise donor funds and source investor capital.

Team and stakeholders

You will lead a multidisciplinary NFI team and collaborate across WWF US teams and Country Offices, engaging sovereign governments, corporate leaders, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, investors, philanthropic partners, and civil society, including the Debt for Nature Coalition.

Key details

• Work authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the US; not eligible for visa sponsorship.
• Travel: Domestic and international travel up to approximately 25 percent.
• Relocation: International and domestic relocation assistance may be offered based on budget.

Requirements:

• Advanced degree in Finance preferred; advanced degrees in Economics, Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science, or related disciplines also considered. Experience in private capital, asset management, or capital markets highly desirable.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in finance, international finance, debt capital markets, development finance institutions, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of innovative financial and nature finance instruments (debt-for-nature swaps, sustainability-linked bonds, blended finance), with the ability to negotiate complex financial and legal arrangements.
• An outstanding track record building alliances across institutions and partners, including sovereign and corporate partners and public and private financial institutions.
• Demonstrated success mobilizing financial resources from public and private sources, and a network across government, financial, development, corporate, and civil society communities.
• The ability to understand and influence systemic change, and experience leading multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, including significant experience in and with the global south.
• Commitment to global environmental sustainability, with prior international experience essential; fundraising experience a plus.
• Fluency in English required; Spanish and/or additional languages highly desirable.