Senior Manager, Accelerating Implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework

LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenya

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working at WWF could be your opportunity of a lifetime.

All around the world, people are waking up to the deepening crisis of nature loss. A growing realisation that nature is our life-support system. And that nobody will be spared from the impacts of its loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge. Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from HR and finance to advocacy and conservation science. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us create a better future for people and wildlife.

What we do

We are an independent conservation organisation, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.

This is a fixed term opportunity from 1 July 2024 for 3 years.

1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT

WWF works to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of nature, people, and climate. These include sustaining the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife, supporting policy-based solutions to address natural resource governance challenges; working to influence new policies, and incorporating best practices on using evidence; all in a manner that creates sustainable and enduring change collaborating with partners from local to global levels. A strong commitment to collaboration for greater impact shapes all WWF’s work, aligned with its mission of building a future in which people live in harmony with nature. 

2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS

WWF is seeking to recruit a Senior Project Manager for a newly launched project on Accelerating the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework through Community Led Conservation (from here on known as the GBF Project)

The Senior Project Manager will direct the implementation of the GBF project which aims to put Community-Led Conservation at the heart of GBF Implementation in five mega-biodiverse countries (Papua New Guinea, Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Vietnam). The five countries will work in partnership with and across key national, regional, and global actors, including national governments and civil society organisations. The five WWF country offices will lead project implementation in close collaboration with local and regional partners in the five sub-regions (Congo Basin, Mekong Delta, The Pacific, East and Southern Africa, and North Africa) as well as with the WWF Regional Offices in the Congo Basin, East and Southern Africa, North Africa, and Asia Pacific. 

In parallel, the target countries and the above regions work very closely with the WWF Global Conservation, Policy, and Public Sector Partnerships teams, ensuring a full and diverse collaborative partnership approach at the national, regional, and global levels. The project approach will leverage WWF's expertise and convening power of partnerships to drive national, regional, and global impact while ensuring inclusivity and human rights principles are at the forefront of conservation and policy efforts.

The Senior Project Manager will have overall responsibility for the successful implementation and conclusion of the GBF project by providing leadership, strategically managing risk, financial and administrative oversight, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation. The successful candidate reports to the Senior Director, Policy Influence and Engagement in the Country Office Division and will be part of a multidisciplinary team, working closely with other WWF staff and partners especially the Project Managers in five project countries; focal points from the regional offices; the Global Policy and Public Sector Partnerships Teams; the Planning, Impact & Measurement Team, and the Global Resource Mobilisation Team. The candidate should be a highly motivated self-starter, results-focused with a genuine interest in working for a sustainable future.

3 Major Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management and Implementation (70%)
Provides strategic and technical, operational, financial, and managerial leadership.
for successful implementation of the program. 
Leads the development of annual work plans and ensures their effective implementation to the required standard of quality and within the timeline and budget parameters.
Ensures effective and coherent planning and implementation by connecting the delivery teams, additional support, resources, and experts, as needed.
Works closely with 5 x country/landscape-level project managers and regional and global focal points to ensure efficient operations and delivery of outcomes including reviewing and evaluating implementation challenges and recommending remedial measures.
Conducts monthly reviews to ensure accountability of all project activities as well as the accurate and timely reporting of financial deliverables and obligations.
Works with the Impact Measurement Team and others in the development and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan for the project to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of program performance against set targets and periodic evaluation of program impacts.
Leads in developing and maintaining strong relationships with critical partners for the project, ensuring all stakeholders internally and externally are brought on the journey.
Ensures that the project progresses in accordance with its contractual obligations and complies with donor regulations and internal WWF organisational policies. 
With the support of Project finance: monitors the overall project spending, requests budget revisions when needed for the project donor(s); and revise the overall and country financial reports (internal and external reports). 
Provides regular reports and recommends key actions to the Technical Lead and the Steering Committee for effective delivery of the project
In agreement with the Senior Director, Policy Influence and Engagement (Overall Technical Lead), and the Global Resource Mobilisation Team, keep the project Donor(s) informed of progress.

Communication, Outreach, and Knowledge Management (20%):
In coordination with the communications teams at the regional and international levels, drives communication activities related to the project including developing high-quality technical/narrative reports and other relevant project documents.
Provides leadership in documentation (case studies, statistics, and relevant updates, knowledge products, and narrative reports, etc), and sharing of lessons learned across the landscapes and the region, including profiling achievements.
Leads in the planning, organisation, and documentation of learning events, presentations, briefings, seminars, workshops, and other initiatives hosted or facilitated by the project.
Prepares internal and external-facing presentations and materials to effectively communicate information about—and increase interest in the project and its activities.
Leads in the design and implementation of the development of knowledge products.
Ensures that all teams involved in the program communicate effectively and work together as a cohesive unit. This may include facilitating meetings between team members, providing updates on project status, etc.
Business Development and Representation 
Support with the identification of new fundraising opportunities, the development of new project ideas and proposals, and the management of external relations. 
Establish and actively maintain a network of partners and contacts including individuals from governments, civil society organisations, the private sector, and academia.
Represent WWF at international and national fora related to this project as needed

4 PROFILE

Required Qualifications. 

At least 15 years of demonstrable experience, of which at least 10 years in designing, and implementing large-scale transboundary multi-million-dollar, multiyear and multi-country projects.
Excellent project management, financial analysis skills, and data analytics skills
Proven experience of working within a large matrix international organisation and ability to mobilise teams towards a common goal
Proven track record of successfully managing internal and external multi-cultural stakeholder processes.
Excellent negotiation, facilitation, and influencing skills with an ability to exert influence internally and externally across a broad spectrum of partners (government representatives, donors, public figures, CSOs, etc., . 
Ability to compare data from different sources, draw conclusions and develop appropriate solutions, and take action consistent with available facts
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; ability to write cohesive technical and analytical reports, program documents, and deliver presentations, and ability to communicate cross-culturally and across diverse teams. 
Excellent understanding of recent trends, and developments in the Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets especially those that relate to IP&LCs would be an asset
Working knowledge of French is an advantage.
Required Skills and Competencies. 

Critical and strategic thinking with a strong focus on results, impact and learning.
Proficiency in using: Microsoft Office 365, Zoom, and CRM platforms; 
Project Management training and certification
Self-starter, able to work on own initiative and be responsive and flexible to the constantly changing environment 
Willingness to travel extensively and work across different time zones and physically diverse and remote landscapes.
Demonstrates WWF behaviours in way of working: Strive for Impact, Listen Deeply, Collaborate Openly, Innovate Fearlessly.
Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organisation: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal. 

In all activities, the Senior Project Manager will foster collaboration with the country offices, the regional conservation and program quality teams, and global policy and public sector partnership teams; relevant practices; the impact measurement team, Country Directors, Conservation Directors, Quality Assurance advisor, Monitoring Evaluation team, Communications and finance teams, and Global Resource Mobilisation.

External. 

The Senior Project Manager will interact with local, regional and global government representatives and partners working on GBF implementation, current and prospective donors, as well as any other key stakeholders with an interest in WWF’s GBF implementation work.