Manager Leadership Development

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working at WWF could be your opportunity of a lifetime.

All around the world, people are waking up to the devastating impacts of climate change and nature loss. The situation today is worse than the darkest predictions of just ten years ago, pushing billions of people to the edge and threatening lives and livelihoods. At WWF, we are facing our biggest crisis – and our biggest ever opportunity – to create a better future for people and nature. With over 60 years of experience and an active presence in more than 100 countries, we work to achieve both on-the-ground and global policy action, from protecting and restoring species and their habitats, to transforming markets and policies toward sustainability.

Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from conservation science and advocacy to HR and finance. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us tackle this enormous global challenge and drive the urgent conservation impact needed to restore our planet.

What We Do We are an independent conservation organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and the ecosystem. From individuals and communities to businesses and governments, we are part of a growing global movement calling for bolder action on climate and nature, demanding that world leaders set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. WWF works to address the most dominant drivers of nature loss through system-wide changes in how food and energy are produced and consumed, and in how financial systems are structured. By implementing change in every country, we aim to drive visible and positive impacts on the ground, helping to restore nature in the most critical places around the world, from the Amazon to the Coral Triangle.

Engaging everyone means addressing the barriers to participation faced by some groups in society, including local communities. Conservation will only be sustainable if it is owned by, and benefits, local people. That’s why Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be at the centre of action on climate and nature. WWF is committed to using its resources and global network to support these communities in creating together the most effective solutions where they live.

Humanity is still in time, we have a clear pathway to solve this crisis. At WWF, we call on everyone to join the global movement, change how we live, and take action now.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position title: Manager Leadership Development Reports to: Director Talent Development Supervises: N/A Level: 5 Date: April 2026

1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT

To build a thriving, future-ready WWF workforce by ensuring that people at all levels have the skills, capabilities, and development pathways needed to deliver the WWF Strategy.

• Embed WWF’s core values and standards to strengthen the culture and create the right working environment across the Network.
• Develop and maintain P&C standards, policies, systems, and platforms that attract, develop, and retain the right people for the organisation.
• Create the conditions for high performance, ensuring that staff can perform at their fullest potential and maximise their contribution to WWF’s conservation goals.

2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS

The Manager, Leadership Development designs and rolls out the leadership framework and ensures a pipeline of leaders. Supports the Talent Development Director in delivering WWF International’s global approach to talent development. The role strengthens leadership capability across all levels of the WWF Network by designing, delivering, and continuously improving leadership development pathways that enable people to succeed in delivering the WWF Strategy. The position ensures that leadership development initiatives are future focused, equitable, aligned with WWF values, and integrated into broader learning, capability building, succession planning, and talent mobility efforts.

3 MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership Development Strategy & Framework

• Develop and implement an organisation-wide leadership and management development strategy aligned with organisational priorities and culture aspirations.
• Define leadership capability frameworks, management expectations, and leadership pathways for different employee groups (e.g., first-line managers, senior leaders, functional leaders, executive leadership).
• Translate organisational values and desired behaviours into practical leadership expectations and development interventions.
• Ensure leadership development supports organisational transformation, new operating models, and culture change.

Management & Leadership Capability Building

• Design and deliver scalable leadership and manager development programmes for global and geographically dispersed teams.

• Build core management capabilities, including:

• People leadership,
• Inclusive leadership,
• Leading in complexity and ambiguity,
• Performance management,
• Coaching and feedback,
• Change leadership,
• Employee engagement,
• Team effectiveness,
• Psychological safety and wellbeing,
• Cross-cultural and remote leadership
• Develop targeted onboarding and transition programmes for newly appointed managers and leaders.

Learning Design & Programme Management

• Lead the design, sourcing, facilitation, and evaluation of leadership development interventions, including: (Leadership academies, manager essentials programmes, Workshops and virtual learning, Coaching and mentoring initiatives, Action learning, Peer learning communities, Leadership retreats, Self-directed learning pathways)
• Manage external vendors, facilitators, coaches, and learning partners.
• Ensure programmes are inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant across regions and contexts.

Leadership Effectiveness

• Support leaders in navigating organisational transformation and change processes.
• Facilitate leadership team effectiveness initiatives and team development interventions.
• Promote leadership accountability, collaboration, and shared ownership in a matrixed operating environment.

Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers on leadership effectiveness and team development.
• Partner with functional leaders to identify capability gaps and tailor interventions.
• Collaborate with DEI, safeguarding, wellbeing, and People & Culture colleagues to ensure integrated leadership practices.

Measurement, Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Develop measures to assess leadership effectiveness and learning impact.
• Use employee engagement data, performance insights, 360 feedback, and organisational metrics to identify development priorities.
• Monitor programme effectiveness and continuously improve learning offerings.
• Report on leadership capability progress and return on investment.
• DEI, safeguarding and wellbeing teams
• External facilitators, leadership coaches, and learning providers

4 PROFILE

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, organisational Development, Psychology, Education, or a related field. (For example: Associate Diploma in People Management CIPD Level 5)
• Minimum 7 years of experience in leadership development, talent development, organisational development, or similar fields.
• Experience designing and delivering leadership development programmes in global, multicultural organisations.

Required Skills and Competencies Technical Expertise

• Strong grounding in adult learning theory, instructional design, and leadership development methodologies.
• Skilled in needs assessment, program design, facilitation, and leadership coaching.
• Ability to measure and evaluate the impact of leadership development initiatives.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with an ability to engage diverse global participants.
• Ability to build trusted partnerships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• High cultural sensitivity and commitment to fostering inclusive leadership.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to inspire trust and foster collaboration and the ability to influence stakeholders.

Organisational Skills

• Strong organisational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

• People & Culture (P&C) Teams – Collaborates with Talent Acquisition, P&C Partners, Learning & Development, and Organisational Development teams to design and deliver leadership initiatives.
• Senior Leadership Team (SLT) – Supports leadership capability building and organisational culture initiatives as necessary
• Country Offices & Practices – In alignment with the Talent Development Director, engages with People & Culture and leadership teams across the WWF Network to ensure alignment, gather insights, and support programme implementation.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Leads – Works together to embed inclusive leadership practices into learning programmes.
• Finance & Operations Teams – Coordinates on budget planning, resource allocation, and logistical support for programmes where necessary.

External

• Learning & Development Vendors – Manages relationships with consultancies, facilitators, and instructional design experts.
• Coaching and Assessment Providers – Works with accredited external coaches and providers of tools.
• Academic and Professional Institutions – Engages with universities, leadership institutes, and professional bodies to stay current on best practices.
• Peer Networks in the NGO and Social Impact Sector – Exchanges knowledge and benchmarks leadership development trends and innovations.
• Event and Programme Delivery Partners – Coordinates with external venues, online platform providers, and logistical partners as needed.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organisational needs

Please upload your covering letter and CV in English. Priority will be given to applications with both documents indicated.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 02 June (midnight CET)

Work permit restrictions may apply.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

At WWF, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every individual feels valued and respected. We believe that a diverse workforce will help us to achieve our mission to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing fair and unbiased consideration for all candidates regardless of their background. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and join us in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.