Conservation Innovation Manager

Blue Forest•Sacramento, CA

4d•$92,000 - $110,000•Remote

About The Position

The Conservation Innovation Manager reports to the Senior Manager of International Programs and will support Blue Forest's Conservation Innovation team in pursuing partnerships, international business development opportunities, and new conservation finance initiatives. Day-to-day responsibilities include driving project- and department-level workstreams, proactively identifying bottlenecks and solutions, leading meetings and partner engagements with an adaptive approach, and cultivating meaningful relationships. A successful candidate is a seasoned project manager and strategic operator who can keep complex, multi-stakeholder work organized and moving while simultaneously building relationships and developing new opportunities. This role demands the expertise, capacity, and judgment to move quickly to evaluate and advance high-potential opportunities, lead through ambiguity, and take business and partnership opportunities from zero to one. Deep understanding of the conservation opportunity, the economics and motivations of collaborating partners, and the ability to formulate compelling conservation value propositions are essential to success in this role.

Requirements

4+ years of relevant work experience in business development, partnership development, project management, conservation finance, climate or environmental initiatives, management consulting, or related fields
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize technical, market, or policy concepts into clear memos, live presentations, and two-pagers for diverse internal and external audiences; and comfort with public speaking
Proven ability to work across teams and manage multiple workstreams with attention to detail, foresight, and thoughtful follow-through
Strategic, solutions-oriented thinker with a passion for conservation, ecosystem resilience, or complex socio-environmental problems — and the ability to bring structure and forward momentum to early-stage, ambiguous initiatives.
Strong relationship-building skills and collaborative approach to working with diverse partners

Nice To Haves

Experience or exposure to market-based approaches to conservation (e.g. conservation finance, carbon markets, payments for ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, or public-private partnership models)
Experience working with utilities, government agencies, corporate sustainability programs, or Tribal Nations
Familiarity with economic or financial modeling, including the ability to evaluate project feasibility and develop business cases
Educational background in natural or social sciences
Fluency in a language other than English, most preferably Spanish

Responsibilities

Project Management & Internal Coordination (25%)
Maintain organized project tracking in Asana or other project management tools
Take thorough meeting notes, identify action items, and ensure accountability to project milestones
Support structuring timelines, milestones, and resource needs for new initiatives
Help coordinate cross-departmental collaboration around CI team priorities
Navigate ambiguity between business development opportunities, science, finance, and project execution
Stay informed on trends in conservation finance, carbon markets, ecosystem services, and related fields to identify emerging opportunities
Communications & External Engagement (25%)
Contribute to external-facing materials including pitch decks, funding proposals, partnership explainer documents, and conference content
Support thought leadership efforts by synthesizing technical, market, and partnership information into accessible content
Help plan and facilitate workshops, partner meetings, and internal working group sessions where science, project development, and finance intersect
Partnership & Business Development (25%)
Support cultivation and management of relationships with external partners including government agencies, utilities, corporate partners, science collaborators, and conservation practitioners
Help coordinate partner engagement activities, including site visits, meetings, workshops, and stakeholder convenings
Contribute to development of compelling value proposition materials, presentations, two-pagers, and partnership collateral for diverse audiences
Support international business development efforts and help evaluate opportunities in new geographies
Navigate and connect across Blue Forest’s internal teams—science, finance, project development, and communications—to advance cross-functional initiatives
Conservation Business Model Development (25%)
Research and analyze conservation finance models, identifying mechanisms that could inform and integrate with Blue Forest’s work across the CI team’s thematic pillars: FRB innovations, new ventures and geographies, and new benefit-stream innovations
Support economic modeling and analysis to evaluate the viability of potential conservation finance projects and partnerships
Develop an understanding of conservation finance transaction mechanics and translate that understanding into new business development opportunities and initiatives
Relentlessly ask “what would have to be true?” for a conservation finance project to move forward, applying first-principles thinking to identify and address barriers
Contribute to maintaining and advancing the CI team’s opportunity pipeline, supporting stage-gate processes that prioritize initiatives by mission alignment and feasibility

Benefits

100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage; subsidized coverage for dependents
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with a 5% employer match
4 weeks paid vacation and 17 paid holidays; paid sick time and volunteer time
3 months of paid family leave
Employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
Access to Dependent Care FSA and Health FSA
Public Lands Exploration stipend (reimbursements for visits to National Forests, county parks, etc.)
Monthly Home Office stipend or co-working space provided
Dependent care costs are subsidized for business travel
Additional stipends for health & wellness, home internet, and cell service
Financial support for professional development