Senior Director, Tourism Finance

Role Overview

As the strategic and technical lead for the Tourism Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), you will guide its priorities, oversee delivery, and ensure its work advances program goals and Conservation International’s broader conservation agenda. You will bring together tourism businesses, governments, conservation partners, funders, and technical experts to develop practical solutions and secure the resources needed to sustain the facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the Tourism TAF’s strategic direction, manage implementation, track performance, and keep program activity focused on agreed objectives.
• Lead the selection and oversight of consulting firms and technical providers, ensuring their work is relevant, high quality, and delivered efficiently.
• Act as CI’s senior technical resource on tourism assistance, sharing guidance and progress updates with colleagues and leadership.
• Build funding and partnership opportunities with donors, investors, and other prospective supporters; manage progress toward resource mobilization targets.
• Prepare external-facing materials and briefings, represent the facility in relevant engagements, and maintain productive relationships with key partners and funders.
• Coordinate with tourism operators, protected-area managers, government and co-management partners, NGOs, and CI’s technical teams to support implementation.
• Work across CI programs to align Tourism TAF activities with organizational and conservation priorities, including coordinating with the Structured Nature Finance lead on complementary tourism finance transactions.
• Oversee staff and consultant contributions, the facility’s operating budget, donor obligations, funding risks, and compliance with CI policies, agreements, and local requirements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in tourism, conservation, business, finance, or a related discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in the tourism sector, including leadership of complex tourism, conservation, or sustainable-development initiatives across varied geographies, including East and Southern Africa.
• Demonstrated success in business development, strategic partnership building, resource mobilization, and client relationship management.
• Knowledge of conservation finance, including relevant trends and innovations, and technical experience with market assessments, tourism diagnostics, or destination management.
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs and coordinating effectively with diverse partners and multidisciplinary teams in multicultural settings.
• Strong planning and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage competing demands, adapt to changing circumstances, and work with limited supervision.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Portuguese and/or French language skills are an advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 30% within Africa, including to remote locations with basic facilities; flexibility to collaborate across time zones is also required.
• Must already be legally eligible to work in an African country where CI operates; work authorization or visa sponsorship is not available.
• A postgraduate degree in tourism, conservation, business, finance, or a related field is preferred.

What We Offer / Why Join

• A full-time role with the opportunity to shape a regional tourism assistance program and contribute to conservation priorities through partnerships and technical support.
• Work takes place in a normal office environment, alongside regular regional travel and collaboration with teams across multiple time zones. Details about flexible work arrangements are provided during the interview process.