Programme Manager - Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business & Biodiversity

BACKGROUND

Provide leadership, vision and high quality management for the Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business & Biodiversity programme. This will include strategic planning, continued programme development, portfolio implementation and management of all relevant interventions in a cost effective manner and providing high quality of technical input.

The Programme Manager reports to the Regional Programmes Development Manager.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Programme Manager will be a senior member of the ROWA (Regional Office for West Asia) programme team that delivers the technical programme of IUCN at the regional level in West Asia. 

The Programme Manager will work with the Programmes Development Manager, other Programme Managers and Project Managers/Coordinators to develop, resource, and manage thematic activities in West Asia and to link them with relevant activities of other IUCN programmes, members, commissions and partners.

The Programme Manager will be responsible for overall management and coordination of all activities of the Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity programme, including designing and delivering an expanded technical programme at the regional level that is in line with IUCN intersessional plan.

SPECIFIC TASKS

1. Portfolio Development 
• Overseeing and participating in the design, mobilization of resources, and implementation of new projects and activities at both the regional and country levels.
• Proactively fund-raise to ensuring the financial sustainability of the Regional Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity Programme.
• Developing concept papers and proposals.
• Networking for the submission of proposals (donors, ministries and other relevant funding sources).

2. Portfolio Management
• Developing and administering the strategies, work plans, budgets, internal agreements, contracts, financial resources, and project development pipeline of the regional Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity programme.
• Ensuring the timely delivery of physical and financial progress reports and other assessment reports.
• Networking among IUCN programmes and members and other organizations on Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity programme matters.

3. Technical Input
• Provide technical advice on Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity policy and practice, to ongoing programmes and projects in the region as required.
• Support and contribute to the flow of new knowledge and learning within the IUCN ROWA programme component team.
• Contribute to joint planning processes that seek to optimally align IUCN’s intersessional results in terms of focus, scope, desired outcomes and delivery mechanisms. 
• Build capacity of staff within the Protected Areas, World Heritage and Business and Biodiversity programme and facilitate capacity development on those issues in the region.

4. Project Management
• Managing the implementation of on-going projects.
• Strengthen the partnership spirit within the project stakeholders in different governmental and non-governmental bodies.
• Assist in the establishment and management of the national, governorate and local committees of the project.
• Ensure that each stakeholder fulfill their responsibilities in the field according to the work plans.
• Develop a strategy for identifying and building the capacity of Stakeholders to address project objectives.
• Field-based activities are efficiently and effectively implemented in accordance with agreed project plans, with the full participation of all project stakeholders.
• All contractual obligations to the donors are met.
• The project is linked and contributing fully to the region’s work.
• Develop guidelines and internalize them among staff and stakeholders to test the feasibility of identified solutions and to demonstrate their implementation.
• Design and oversee the implementation of the pilot projects activities in the field.
• Accordingly, prepare the pilot projects work plans, budgets and technical progress reports and present them.
• Supervise the work of the subcontractor: ensuring deliverables are received on time. 
• Identifying new opportunities: projects, partners, approaches, and donors.

5. Staff and consultant management
• The Programme Manager will coach, support and line-manage the following:
o Project Managers/ Coordinator and Field Coordinators under the thematic programme
o Field Coordinators
o Consultants of the programme

6. Other
• Performing any other duties as requested by the line manager.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 8 years of experience in nature conservation and environmental management projects  

• An international development expert, who posses minimum masters degree in a related field  

• Fluency in both English and Arabic  

• Strong Project management skills including planning, implementation, budgeting, and monitoring within a non-profit environment  

• Strong knowledge of protected areas issues and their linkage with livelihoods issues  

• Good knowledge and background on ecosystem management within the region  

• Capacity for coordinating with different national governmental and governmental institutions as well as with donors  

• Strong report writing skills  

• Good knowledge of IUCN, its mission and working requirements, previous experience preferred  

• Strong professional experience in Project design and proposals preparation  

• Sound knowledge of local community-based organizations and NGOs their institutional and technical issues  

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST).

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/