Are you passionate about developing organisations to have global conservation impact?
BirdLife International is a Partnership of 124 national organisations operating in 119 countries or territories and a Global Team.
We’re the only global Partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet.
For over a century, we’ve built a movement that turns local knowledge into global impact. By uniting Partners from around the world, we strengthen conservation across borders, so birds and all life can thrive.
BirdLife International now seeks an exceptional individual to join as the Global Team’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
BirdLife’s Global Team is made of c280 people from 60 nationalities and distributed across offices in Amman, Brussels, Dakar, Nairobi, New York, Quito, São Tomé, Singapore, Suva Tokyo and its Headquarters in Cambridge, UK.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and a key member of the Global Leadership Team, the Chief Operating Officer will provide strategic leadership and vision to develop and ensure the efficient running of BirdLife’s Global Team.
This pivotal role will lead and manage the BirdLife’s four operational teams (Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology and Legal and Governance) while also ensuring the efficient and effective management of BirdLife’s offices around the world, fostering collaboration across teams, and driving the optimisation of our systems and processes.
In this role, the COO will provide strategic oversight of BirdLife’s core corporate services, ensuring strong financial stewardship, effective governance and robust risk management across the organisation. The postholder will lead business planning, budgeting and performance reporting, strengthen systems and controls, and ensure compliance with statutory and donor requirements. Working closely with the CEO, Council and senior leadership, they will support informed decision-making, organisational change and long-term sustainability, while overseeing legal, compliance, IT and enterprise systems to enable efficient global operations and collaboration across BirdLife’s international offices.
The successful candidate should bring significant financial credentials and proven strategic leadership and management experience, financial stewardship as well as operational oversight within complex, international organisations.
Along with knowledge of the UK charity operating environment, you will ideally have prior experience managing functions including IT, risk, compliance and finance within not-for profit organisations, together with a strong track record of leading and motivating multidisciplinary and multicultural teams through periods of change and growth.
An influential communicator, you will excel at collaborative working, cultivating trusted relationships, and inspiring confidence across colleagues and Partners. Most importantly, the next COO will demonstrate a strong commitment to BirdLife’s mission, values and Partnership model, bringing a results-driven mindset to drive organisational excellence in an increasingly volatile and dynamic external operating environment.
Fluency in English is essential, and the ability to work in other languages would be an asset. Candidates should be willing to undertake occasional international travel.
If you want to help us build a future where birds and all life thrive, we would love to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and short covering letter, detailing your interest and how you fulfil the role description and personal specification to (https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/VacancyDetail/48b1a661-0c01-83a8-f3e4-3a1ee7db1462), quoting reference 8255.
The deadline for applications is Monday 9th March 2026 09.00GMT.
The role will ideally be based in BirdLife International’s Global office in Cambridge, UK or in Nairobi, Kenya, although we may consider other locations where we have a BirdLife Global Team office for the right candidate. A competitive remuneration package will be offered and BirdLife International will be able to support with relocation for the right candidate.
Perrett Laver will conduct an executive search process in parallel with the public advertisement of the role. Longlisted candidates will be invited to interview with Perrett Laver in Late March. The Selection Panel will subsequently meet to decide upon a final shortlist for the post in early-April following which, interviews with BirdLife International will take place. If you require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please advise us of these so that we can make appropriate arrangements.
BirdLife values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity. For our full diversity, equity and inclusion statement please see here.
To confidentially get in touch about this role, or for advice on your application please email, Mary.Beale@perrettlaver.com
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