Senior Specialist, Sustainable Debt

World Wildlife Fund · Washington

Apply on the company website

Company Description

Since our founding in 1961, WWF has been committed to protecting nature and its resources. We understand that nature is our planet’s greatest asset, intrinsically linked to human survival — and that it needs our help. Our work to reverse nature loss and conserve biodiversity has never been more urgent.

As the world’s leading conservation organization—with offices on six continents and in nearly 100 countries—our global reach includes the world’s most critical forests, river systems, wetlands, savannas, and ocean habitats. By conserving these places and supporting sustainable livelihoods within them, we can keep the Earth in balance for people, wildlife, and the planet.

Job Description

Major Function

Situated within WWF’s Nature Finance and Investment (NFI) team, the Senior Specialist, Sustainable Debt supports the design, development, and implementation of WWF’s sustainable debt work to mobilize financing from debt markets for nature and conservation priorities. Reporting to the Senior Director, the Senior Specialist provides technical, analytical, coordination, and relationship management support across sovereign and corporate sustainable debt opportunities, including debt conversions, sustainability-linked loans, sustainability-linked bonds, and related instruments. The role helps advance transaction pipelines, supports due diligence and stakeholder engagement, contributes to the development of science-based conservation and financing frameworks, and coordinates across WWF teams, Country Offices, financial institutions, donors, and external partners to ensure high-quality execution aligned with WWF priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Support and Implementation: Supports the development and implementation of WWF’s sustainable debt portfolio to mobilize capital for conservation outcomes. Contributes to transaction origination, structuring, due diligence, preparation, and implementation of WWF-supported sustainable debt initiatives, including debt conversions, sustainability-linked bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and related instruments, in close collaboration with NFI colleagues, WWF US teams, external partners, and Country Offices across the global network.
• Corporate Debt and KPI Support: Supports WWF’s ability to provide credible, science-based key performance indicators (KPIs) and conservation guidance for corporate debt instruments that advance high-priority sustainability outcomes. Conducts research, prepares analyses, supports engagement with private sector firms in relevant sectors, and helps coordinate inputs from WWF technical teams and external advisors.
• Transaction Execution Support: Supports the parallel execution of multiple sustainable debt opportunities by coordinating workplans, tracking milestones, preparing materials, and synthesizing technical and financial information.
• Project Coordination: Maintains project management tools, pipeline trackers, budgets, meeting notes, and internal reporting products for the Sustainable Debt pillar. Coordinates across internal teams and external partners to support timely delivery of agreed activities, deliverables, and follow-up actions.
• External Engagement: Supports WWF’s engagement with governments, corporates, financial institutions, multilateral and bilateral partners, donors, legal advisors, technical experts, and civil society organizations. Prepares briefing materials, talking points, presentations, and follow-up documents for meetings and external engagements led by senior team members.
• Resource Mobilization Support: Supports donor and investor engagement by preparing concept notes, proposals, pitch materials, background research, and reporting inputs related to sustainable debt transaction development and implementation.
• Other Duties: Performs other duties as assigned, consistent with the roles and responsibilities of the position.

Qualifications

Key Competencies

• Financial and Analytical Acumen: Understands the basic features of debt instruments and applies strong analytical skills to support transaction development, financial analysis, due diligence, and partner engagement.
• Professional Presence and Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally with internal and external stakeholders and prepares high-quality written materials, presentations, and briefings for senior audiences.
• Partnership Engagement and Support: Supports coordination with governments, financial institutions, MDBs, DFIs, private sector actors, technical experts, donors, and civil society organizations.
• Resource Mobilization Support: Contributes to fundraising and investor-engagement materials, donor reporting, and business development products that support sustainable debt initiatives.
• Global Collaboration: Works effectively across cultures, geographies, and a highly matrixed global organization, including coordination with WWF teams, Country Offices, and international partners.

Skills and Abilities

• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience in management consulting, finance, conservation finance, international development, debt capital markets, development finance, sustainable finance, project finance, or related field is required; or an advance degree with 3 years of experience is preferred.
• Experience in fields, such as finance, economics, international relations, public policy, environmental economics, conservation, or related field is preferred.
• Demonstrated interest in sustainability, with at least a basic understanding of global environmental commitments/agreements, as well as, of corporate sustainability challenges.
• Working knowledge of debt instruments and markets; basic understanding of sustainable debt instruments, such as debt-for-nature swaps, sustainability-linked bonds, sustainability-linked loans, blended finance structures, or related mechanisms is required.
• Demonstrated ability to support complex projects involving multiple institutions and partners, including public sector, private sector, financial institution, multilateral, bilateral, donor, and civil society stakeholders is preferred.
• Strong research, writing, financial analysis, project coordination, and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex technical, financial, and conservation information for different audiences is required.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and follow through on tasks in a complex, fast-paced, and highly collaborative environment.
• Experience working in international or cross-cultural settings, including experience with or interest in working with teams and partners in the Global South.
• Experience supporting fundraising, donor engagement, or resource mobilization is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and ability to develop clear workplans, trackers, presentations, briefing notes, and other project management products.
• Fluency in English is required, as well as strong written, verbal, and presentation skills; Spanish and/or additional languages are highly desirable but not required.
• Ability to travel domestically; mostly internationally no more the 25%
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values:
  • COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  • INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  • RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  • COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

Additional Information

This is a 2-year Limited Term position.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  

Relocation is not provided for this position.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.

More jobs at World Wildlife Fund · Other jobs in Washington DC