Project Manager: Northern and Eastern Cape Drakensberg at WWF South Africa

This role will be based in the Northern Drakensberg SWSA but will require regular travel to the Eastern Cape Drakensberg area (approximately 1 week in 8). The role will require approximately 60% of its time to be dedicated to the Northern Drakensberg and 40% to the Eastern Cape.

Minimum Requirements    

• B.Sc. Hon or equivalent, in either of the following: water resource management, catchment management, environmental science, ecology, conservation, water governance. 
• At least 5 years’ experience of working on water stewardship/integrated water resource.  management/catchment management water governance issues.
• Experience of living or working in rural areas and engaging a range of rural communities including.  traditional leaders and people living on communal land to commercial farmers and government officials. 
• Knowledge and experience of Nature-based solutions, Natural Climate Solutions, Community-based Conservation, or other similar conservation approaches is essential.
• Experience of convening communities or practice and facilitating multi-stakeholder fora. 
• Technical capacity to translate water stewardship approaches into water related strategies/action plans and to manage project implementation.
• Efficient project management and administrative experience and leadership? skills are essential.
• Ability to work collaboratively and facilitate solutions focused engagements in a multidisciplinary and diverse working environment.
• Negotiation and diplomacy skills and ability to engage at senior management level in business as well as at a local level.
• Strategy development expertise as well as knowledge of key issues in water stewardship, water resource management, related policies and legislation and sustainability essential.
• An innovative and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Self-starter with ability to initiate new working relations and self-manage areas of work critical to achievement of deliverables.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing, presentation, and communications skills.
• Computer literacy essential (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Knowledge of the local catchments, institutions, role players, ecosystems etc. is advantageous.
• Fluency in English and a local language of the Northern Drakensberg areas is essential.
• Code 8 driver’s license with dirt road driving experience.

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Consolidate and grow the Northern Drakensberg Collaborative and the Umzimvubu Catchment Partnership, ensuring that the partnerships are well established and demonstrate their value to partners.
• Collaborate closely with local implementing NGOs, including ERS, INR, Wildtrust, Mahlathini and Lima.
• Develop networks and cultivate relationships in order to increase engagement/participation by key stakeholders in the partnerships and ensure that they continue to attract a vibrant voluntary community of stakeholders.
• Water stewardship projects are catalysed and implementation is effectively coordinated and/or supported.
• Unlock funding opportunities and catalyse new water stewardship projects through strategic engagements with funders.
• Project manage existing and future projects ensuring that they deliver successful outcomes in a timeous and locally acceptable manner.
• Actively lead and participate in the partnerships and any relevant communities of practice within them.
• Help to coordinate the various activities of the WWF Land and Biodiversity Stewardship, Sustainable Agriculture and Freshwater portfolios in the landscapes.
• Unlock funding opportunities through strategic engagements with funders, the WWF Business Development Unit and Freshwater management.
• Facilitate collaboration and learning between different partnerships alongside colleagues in the Freshwater Programme.
• Oversea monitoring, evaluation and learning on all WWF projects and of the partnerships as a whole.
• Develop communication that tell the stories of the partnership in collaboration with the WWF Communications team.
• Arrange and coordinate field trips in the landscapes for funders, colleagues, partners and other stakeholders.