Application Guide
How to Apply for Chief People Officer
at PANTHERA
🏢 About PANTHERA
PANTHERA is a unique conservation organization solely dedicated to protecting wild cats and their ecosystems globally. Unlike broader environmental groups, it focuses specifically on combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade through scientific research and on-the-ground initiatives. Working here offers the rare opportunity to directly contribute to saving endangered species like tigers, lions, and jaguars while building HR systems for a mission-driven, globally distributed team.
About This Role
As Chief People Officer at PANTHERA, you'll design and implement HR strategies that support a remote, international team working across challenging environments from Africa to Asia. This role is impactful because you'll directly enable conservation efforts by building systems that attract, retain, and develop talent operating in remote field stations and headquarters alike, ensuring the organization can scale its protection of wild cats effectively.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve morning video calls with HR managers in different time zones to discuss recruitment for field positions in Africa, analyzing engagement survey data from remote staff, and developing policies for employee safety in high-risk regions. You'd likely spend afternoons collaborating with conservation program leaders to align HR strategies with field operations and reviewing compensation structures for international hires.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who PANTHERA Is Looking For
- Has 15+ years of HR experience with 5+ years in senior leadership at an international organization with multiple global offices (not just multinational corporations)
- Possesses deep expertise in managing HR for distributed/remote teams, including compensation structures across different countries and compliance with varied labor laws
- Demonstrates experience in nonprofit or mission-driven organizations where HR supports both field staff (e.g., rangers, researchers) and administrative teams
- Has successfully scaled HR systems during organizational growth periods, particularly using technology to support remote collaboration and performance management
📝 Tips for Applying to PANTHERA
Highlight specific experience managing HR for teams in developing countries or remote locations, as PANTHERA has field staff in areas like Central Africa and Southeast Asia
Quantify your impact on employee retention and engagement in previous roles, especially metrics related to remote or distributed teams
Demonstrate knowledge of HR compliance across multiple countries, not just U.S. labor laws, given PANTHERA's global operations
Show how you've aligned HR strategy with organizational mission in past roles, using examples from conservation, environmental, or nonprofit sectors if possible
Tailor your resume to emphasize supervisory experience (7+ years) and specific HR functions mentioned: staffing, compensation, benefits, performance management, employee relations, compliance, and professional development
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Explain how your HR philosophy aligns with conservation values and supporting staff working in challenging, sometimes dangerous environments to protect wild cats', 'Provide a concrete example of developing an HR strategy that scaled organizational capacity while maintaining culture in a distributed international team', 'Describe your approach to using HR metrics to track staff well-being and productivity, particularly for remote or field-based employees', 'Highlight experience with technology implementations that improved HR processes for globally dispersed teams']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study PANTHERA's specific conservation programs (e.g., Tigers Forever, Jaguar Corridor Initiative) to understand where staff are deployed and their operational challenges
- → Research the organization's current team structure on LinkedIn to understand their geographic distribution and departmental setup
- → Review recent PANTHERA publications or news about their anti-poaching efforts to understand the field realities their staff face
- → Look into conservation sector HR challenges, particularly regarding remote work, duty of care for field staff, and funding constraints common in nonprofits
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on corporate HR experience without demonstrating understanding of nonprofit constraints or mission-driven culture
- Using generic HR terminology without connecting it to PANTHERA's specific context of remote field operations and conservation work
- Neglecting to address how you would handle the unique challenges of supporting staff in developing countries with different labor laws and working conditions
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!