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Regional hiringpublishedExternal employer
IUInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)•Environmental Conservation

Head, Red List Unit

Location

Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Full Time

Experience

10+ years

Compensation

£64.9K - £64.9K per year

Posted

1d ago

Summary and responsibilities

Role overview

Summary

The Head of the Red List Unit oversees the production and maintenance of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, ensuring its scientific rigour and integrity. This role involves managing publication processes, promoting communication of Red List information, and leading the Red List Unit staff and finances. The position also includes significant leadership and representation responsibilities within IUCN and with external partners.

Role Overview

The Head of the Red List Unit oversees the production, maintenance, and scientific integrity of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Serving as the key focal point for all Red List matters, this leadership role ensures that assessments and derivatives uphold the highest scientific standards without posing reputational risks to IUCN.

Core Duties & Responsibilities

1. Maintaining Integrity of the Red List

  • Technical & Review Support: Oversee technical support for the Species Information Service (SIS), review high-profile or controversial assessments, and ensure compliance with Red List and Green Status protocols.

  • Governance & Standards: Work with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Red List Partners; assist the Standards and Petitions Committee with updating categories, criteria, petitions, and taxonomic standards.

  • Ethics & Training: Manage ethics, compliance, conflicts of interest, petitions, and the development of global Red List training resources.

  • Collaboration: Supervise unit staff and coordinate with other BAKT assessment units, ensuring uniform procedures and training.

2. Managing Publication Processes

  • Web Production: Oversee periodic updates and production of the IUCN Red List website.

  • Data & Software Systems: Collaborate with internal/external software developers, data engineers, and Conservation Informatics Managers to optimize data dissemination, the SIS database, website functionality, and derivatives.

3. Promoting Communication

  • Media & Spokesperson: Act as a lead IUCN spokesperson for media events, interviews, and press releases in coordination with the Global Communications Team.

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Respond to sensitive inquiries from academics, governments, and multilateral environmental agreements (e.g., CITES, CMS, CBD).

  • Brand & Publications: Authorize Red List brand usage, promote product linkages, and lead or assist with global scientific analyses and publications.

4. Unit Management

  • Staff & Finance: Handle line management (work plans, appraisals), manage unit finances, and assist with annual budgets and mid-year reviews.

  • Fundraising & Projects: Identify funding sources, develop proposals adhering to internal policies, enter projects into the Project Portal, and oversee project implementation and reporting.

5. Leadership & Representation

  • Committees & Partnerships: Provide annual reports to the Red List Partnership and SSC, serve on governance task forces, and represent IUCN on the IBAT Data Requests Advisory Group.

  • Senior Management: Act as a senior management member within BAKT, advising leadership across the Science and Knowledge Centre, Director General’s Office, and regional offices, while supporting David Attenborough Building duty station matters.

Requirements

Education & Experience

  • Education: PhD in environmental sciences or a related field (or equivalent experience).

  • Experience: Minimum 10 years in a relevant field, with extensive experience in undertaking Red List assessments, international species conservation policy, and training programmes.

Technical Skills

  • Methodology: In-depth understanding of Red List and Green Status methodology, conservation biology, taxonomy, and practical biodiversity conservation.

  • Data & Systems: Technical expertise in data collection, management, and analysis; familiarity with ArcGIS/ArcPro, PostgreSQL, Ruby on Rails, GitHub, and cloud-based systems.

  • General Skills: Strong leadership, managerial, facilitation, writing, oral communication, and fundraising proposal skills.

Competencies & Behaviours

  • Personal commitment to species conservation.

  • Strong collaborative, team-building, and equitable leadership abilities.

  • Excellent organizational, decision-making, time management, and priority-setting skills.

Updated 1d ago

Candidate fit

Skills and qualifications

Additional skills

Leadership • 1+ yrs
Managerial experience • 1+ yrs
Red List and Green Status methodology • 1+ yrs
Data collection, management and analysis • 1+ yrs
ArcGIS • 1+ yrs
PostgreSQL • 1+ yrs
Conservation biology • 1+ yrs
Taxonomy • 1+ yrs

Experience

10+ years

How this role is positioned

Role classification

Job domains

Operations
Administration

Industries

Wildlife & Conservation

Employment

Full Time

Contract duration

Permanent

Hiring type

Direct

Global hiring

Location specific

Offer details

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

£64.9K - £64.9K per year

VisibilityShared on listing
CurrencyGBP
PeriodYearly

Location, schedule, and role shape

Work setup

Work conditions

Primary locationCambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Work typeOnsite
Global hiringNo

Bandwidth profile

peopleHigh • 9/10
physicalLow • 3/10
cognitiveHigh • 9/10
executionHigh • 8/10
creativityMedium • 6/10
uncertaintyMedium • 7/10
communicationHigh • 9/10

Context on the employer

Company snapshot

Company

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Team size

Growing team

Location

Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts.

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Head, Red List Unit

Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland • Full Time