Job Description

Pro-nature Enterprises Project ManagerConservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Cape Town or Johannesburg-South Africa or Gaborone-Botswana. Remote location could be considered.The Project Manager will provide project coordination for two projects currently being implemented by CI. Firstly, the manager will work with the Senior Manager to coordinate implementation, manage documents, and provide administrative support to project team members under the Pro-nature Enterprises for the People of Southern Africa project. The goal of the six-year project is to conserve essential habitats and ecosystems by unlocking nature-friendly enterprises for local communities in 3 Trans-frontier conservation areas of Southern Africa: (Kavango-Zambezi, Greater Limpopo, and Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools). The project is divided into 4 components: Component 1 focuses on rangelands restoration and working with livestock-keeping communities in Mnisi tribal lands (Outside Kruger National Park, South Africa), Habu and Eretsha communal areas (Okavango Delta, Botswana) and Simalaha Conservancy (Zambia), under Component 2 the aim is to have 250km of the Zambezi river (Zambia) under co-management of fisheries, component 3 focusses on enterprise development and is cross-cutting in all of the sites, with an additional site in Mvenyane Ward, Eastern Cape, South Africa, being an enterprise incubation program, and the final component ties it all together as a learning, documentation and dissemination element of the project. Each of these project sites has an implementing partner organization and each component has a component lead, based within CI and the bigger project team. CI channels grants and technical assistance to the partners to ensure timely, administratively compliant, technically rigorous, and collaborative implementation of project interventions. Reporting to the Senior Manager, the Project Managers main role will be to provide support to the project team across all project components of the Pro-nature Enterprises project as listed above. The Project Manager will be responsible for general project coordination which includes organizing project-related events (meetings, field visits, learning events, etc.), capturing meeting minutes, playing a key role in project administration, and supporting implementation partner organizations to have up-to-date implementation plans and other project functions. The Manager will also liaise closely with external implementing partners for the smooth learning of project functions, as well as working with the project team to develop communication materials related to the project and sharing externally.The Adaptation Accelerator Program (AAP) is a three-year Global Environment Fund (GEF) funded project in Liberia and Madagascar. The projects goal is to catalyze investment in adaptation-focused SMEs through adaptation accelerators in two countries. The project deploys technical assistance through business skills development as well as grants to a cohort of enterprises. Most of the enterprises are owned or led by women entrepreneurs. At a strategic level, the project aims to demonstrate pathways to unlocking access to finance for adaptation-focused enterprises in the least Developed Countries (LDCs). The project manager will be responsible for the coordination of the AAP project, ensuring implementing teams are on track to meet project deliverables and ensuring reports are submitted to the CI-GEF agency.RESPONSIBILITIESProject Coordination - Pro-nature Enterprises Project

• Coordinating project activities:

• Scheduling of monthly project meetings, developing meeting agendas with team members, preparing meeting minutes, and ensuring follow-up of actions with relevant people.
• Support implementation partner organizations to have up-to-date implementation plans, as well as measuring progress against those plans.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among the project team and implementing partners.
• Provide administrative support to project managers and other team members.
• Travel Arrangements: Support the project management team with site visits and/or other travel logistics, when needed.
• Procurement and contracting of service providers: Support the project management team with existing and upcoming contracts through drafting of Terms of Reference and working with the Grants and Contracting Unit to finalize and sign contract documents.
• Project compliance: support the external partners to comply with all internal requirements as outlined in the project operations manual and grant contracts.
• Ensure project documents are updated and project sharepoint is maintained,
• Ensure that all quarterly reports are submitted timely: Sending out reminders, collating reports, and providing feedback to partners.

• Work with the senior manager to draft the annual donor report for Pro-nature Enterprises

Learning, documentation and dissemination

• Coordinate component 4 activities under the Pro-nature Enterprises project

• In partnership with the senior manager and other component leads, coordinate logistics and implementation of the learning network meetings, as well as the project steering committee meetings
• Support the adoption of CIs conservation agreements model by external partners by supporting training sessions
• Support the Pro-nature Enterprises projects communication strategy - taking the lead of quarterly newsletters, managing social media, and working with the project team and implementing partners to put together stories from the field.
• Compiling and coordinating any communication materials related to the AAP project.

Project Coordination - Adaptation Accelerator Program Project

• Work with the implementing teams in Liberia and Madagascar to ensure all project deliverables are met as per the project design. Offer advice and backstopping to the implementation teams to ensure coherence in approach.
• Coordinating project activities:

• Setting up regular team meetings with implementing teams.
• Ensure project monitoring and evaluation are up-to-date.
• Identify and provide linkages to other projects.
• Play a central project focal person with other CI teams.
• Project reporting: Coordinate the compilation of timely and qualitative reports to CI-GEF agency.

General CSP support

• Actively be part of actualizing CSPs global strategy and contribute to tasks as outlined in the strategy.
• Collate documents for the CSP team as required.

Any other duties may be assigned by the supervisor from time to time.WORKING CONDITIONS

• Typical office environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel on a regular basis to field sites within southern and west Africa
• Flexibility to work extended hours to meet deadlines
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.
• This is a fixed-term assignment, "expected to be a 2-year assignment, anticipated to begin in August 2024 and end in December 2026."

QUALIFICATIONSRequired

• A Bachelor's degree (from a recognized institution) in the field of natural resource management, rural development, environmental sciences, or any related field.
• 4 to 6 years of experience in project coordination, with experience in management being a benefit.
• Proven in-depth experience in project planning, reporting, multi-stakeholder partnerships coordination, grants management, etc.
• Experience in planning, organizing, and facilitating events with attendees from different countries.
• Strong communication skills with a proven track record of developing communication materials (reports, newsletters, brochures, etc) and other products being highly desirable.
• Strongly self-motivated with a high problem-solving attitude. The ability to be a self-starter and work under minimal supervision is a big plus.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Eligibility to live and work in Botswana or South Africa without employers sponsorship.

Preferred

• Project Management Qualification.
• Post-graduate Degree.
• Experience working with community enterprises.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.See all Conservation International Career OpportunitiesConservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.

Conservation International