Organisation : Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
Location : Sydney
Work type : Full-time
Sector : Conservation & Environment, Science & Technology
Salary type : Annual Package
Salary : $150,000 to $200,000, including superannuation
Application closing date : 16 Oct, 2018
About the organisation
The Wentworth Group was formed in 2002 as an independent group of scientists, economists and business people with the objective of better connecting science to public policy in Australia. Since its establishment, the Wentworth Group has built a national reputation for practical, high quality, and scientifically based policy reforms to improve the management of Australia’s land, water and biodiversity assets.
Central to the success of the Wentworth Group is our ability to harness the voluntary assistance from highly qualified experts who contribute their time, expertise and reputations to the development of public policy reforms. We work with governments, business leaders and citizens to improve the long term management and conservation of the Australian landscape.
Our core goals are to:
- Drive innovation in the management of Australia's land, water and marine resources;
- Engage business, community and political leaders in a dialogue to find and implement solutions to the challenge of environmental stewardship for the future of Australian society; and
- Build capacity by mentoring and supporting young natural resource scientists and economists to develop their skills and understanding of public policy.
Over the past 15 years our work has focused on five core areas:
- Landscape Conservation: National policy reforms to restore and maintain the health and productive capacity of Australia's land, water and marine resources, and turn around systemic failures in biodiversity conservation;
- Climate Change Science: Scientific implications for mitigation and adaptation policy, and optimising carbon in the Australian landscape;
- Environmental Accounting: Using the Accounting for Nature model developed by the Wentworth Group and partners to advocate for a regionally based system of national environmental accounts to measure the condition of Australia's environmental assets, and to enable farmers and conservation land managers to better integrate conservation into their business management practices;
- National Water Reform: Implementing the National Water Initiative, including the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, to return over allocated rivers to sustainable levels of extraction;
- Science Scholarships: Investing in the next generation of leading natural resource scientists, lawyers and economists.
Our Vision
The Wentworth Group’s goal is to be a catalyst for a fundamental change in the way society manages the challenges of environment and development.
We aim to be at the forefront of this change: to use our reputation as a respected voice in natural resource science to work with people across all sectors to make science meaningful to them, by offering evidence and choices, and then encouraging others to support changes in the way we manage our landscapes.
This requires us to invest more of our resources into working directly with people in regional communities and with business and industry leaders, to demonstrate the benefits of a healthy environment, which will then in turn create the political mandate for long-term social change.
About the role
The newly created Director position is an opportunity for a strategic thinker to have a significant impact in the future long-term management of Australia’s landscapes.
The role is to enhance the Wentworth Group’s position among Australia’s leading voices for natural resource science in linking science to public policy, and add to it an enhanced capacity to engage more directly with the community.
The new Director will work closely with the Convenor Peter Cosier and other Members, and be responsible for:
- Identifying strategic opportunities to achieve the Group’s goals, building on our five core areas and new initiatives;
- Engaging with government, business and civil society, in particular regional Australia;
- Working with Wentworth Group Members and our associates to deliver these opportunities;
- Overseeing a range of administrative functions, including financial management;
- Fund raising; and
- Managing a small secretariat of highly qualified professionals.
Selection Criteria
General Criteria
The successful candidate must demonstrate a substantial standing in a field of natural resource biophysical or social science; must be a passionate and effective communicator with experience in public policy; and must have a respected reputation as a strategic thinker.
The successful candidate must be an excellent communicator, and be able to demonstrate a high level of competency in synthesising complex scientific, economic and social information. They must also have a demonstrated history of building strong and trusting relationships with people, including people living in regional Australia.
Specific Criteria
Applicants must have:
- Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline.
- Substantial standing in a field of natural resource biophysical or social science.
- Extensive experience working in public policy across a range of natural resource management sectors, including industry, government and/or local communities within Australia.
- Competent in adapting scientific knowledge to the practical application in public policy.
- Experience in building and maintaining relationships including with regional communities and high-level decision-makers in business and government.
- An understanding of the role of public communication (including traditional and social media) in the context of advancing public policy in Australia today.
- Self-driven and highly motivated with experience in working autonomously and collaboratively.
- Project and time management skills with the ability to prioritise a wide range of potentially conflicting demands in a loosely-defined rapidly evolving context.
- Well-developed communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to travel domestically often at short notice.
How to apply
Applications not allowed for this job listing.
Please quote in application: Director, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists via Pro Bono Australia.
Sector: #Conservation_and_Environment, #Science_and_Technology
