Senior Manager: Conservation Planning & Compliance (Parks Division) at South African National Parks (SANParks)

• The Organisation requires the services of Senior Manager: Conservation Planning & Compliance to provide strategic leadership and forward planning for conservation planning, management effectiveness, and compliance across the Parks Division of SANParks, ensuring consistent implementation of Park Management Plans, adherence to conservation standards, and fulfilment of national and international environmental obligations. This position will report to the General Manager: Strategic Support and Environmental Coordination, Parks Division.

Location

• Garden Route National Park

Requirements

• NQF Level 8 in Environmental Management, Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science or equivalent relevant qualification.
• Minimum 6–8 years’ relevant experience in conservation management, protected area planning, environmental compliance or biodiversity governance.
• Demonstrated experience in management effectiveness assessments (e.g., METT/METTS).
• Experience coordinating reporting linked to international environmental conventions (e.g., UNESCO, RAMSAR, MPA governance).
• Experience working within conservation agencies, environmental public sector or protected area systems.
• Valid Driver License, own vehicle position involves extensive travel.
• Must be physically fit.

Knowledge & Skills Required

• Strategic coordination and systems oversight.
• Conservation governance and compliance management.
• Environmental reporting and policy interpretation.
• Stakeholder engagement with national departments and global bodies.
• Analytical thinking and synthesis of multi-park data.
• Planning, organising and multi-stakeholder coordination.

Added Advantage

• Master’s degree in environmental management, Conservation Planning, Marine or Biodiversity Science, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Environmental Law, Compliance or Protected Area Management.
• Certification in Monitoring & Evaluation or Environmental Impact / Compliance Auditing.

Responsibilities

Forward Planning, Strategic Alignment and System Integration (Parks Division)

• Lead and direct forward planning to ensure proactive alignment of conservation planning, compliance and reporting priorities across the Parks Division.
• Provide strategic oversight and direction through structured engagement with all national parks to proactively identify, prioritise, and address emerging conservation planning, management effectiveness, and compliance risks and opportunities.
• Develop an integrated annual and medium-term work programme for conservation planning, international reporting and management effectiveness across parks.
• Ensure alignment between Park Management Plans, divisional priorities, and SANParks strategic conservation objectives.
• Identify systemic risks, capacity gaps and priority interventions affecting implementation of conservation mandates across parks.
• Provide strategic guidance to parks on planning reviews, international obligations and compliance readiness.

Conservation Planning and Management Effectiveness Oversight

• Drive and oversee a coordinated, organisation-wide approach to assessing Park Management Plan implementation, enabling informed strategic decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Lead the consolidation and strategic interpretation of evaluation outcomes, ensuring annual summary reports and provide clear governance assurance to divisional and executive structures.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of management effectiveness assessments, including METT/METTS processes, across the Parks Division.
• Lead the tracking and monitoring of corrective actions arising from assessments, audits and internal reviews.
• Establish a standardised divisional system to monitor implementation progress against approved conservation plans.

Conservation Compliance and Standards Assurance Across Parks

• Develop and institutionalise conservation standards, compliance tracking and assurance mechanisms across the Parks Division.
• Ensure adherence to environmental legislation, policies, biodiversity governance requirements and approved management plans.
• Drive the identification, escalation, and resolution of systemic compliance risks across the SANParks estate through targeted corrective interventions.
• Provide consolidated executive assurance reporting on conservation compliance and standards implementation across SANParks parks.

International Conservation Obligations and Heritage Site Reporting

• Drive a standardised approach to annual assessments and reporting for SANParks-managed World Heritage Sites, including Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, Khomani Cultural Landscape and other identified key sites.
• Develop and oversee the coordination of consolidated SANParks reporting for parks contributing to the: Cape Floristic Region
• Ensure compliance with UNESCO reporting protocols, management effectiveness expectations and periodic review requirements.
• Lead and oversee SANParks’ institutional engagement and responses to international information requests and monitoring processes, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and governance assurance.
• Wetland (RAMSAR) and Marine Protected Area Governance Coordination
• Drive and manage Parks Division engagement with the DFFE RAMSAR Secretariat on wetland reporting and compliance matters. Manage RAMSAR Information Sheet (RIS) updates, requests and formal responses for SANParks-managed sites, including Wilderness Lakes, Langebaan Lagoon, Agulhas Plain Wetlands and other key sites.
• Represent Parks Division operations in national marine and estuarine governance structures, including Working Group 7 (Marine & Estuarine) and National Coastal Committee.
• Lead and direct coordinated strategic input into national MPA and coastal governance frameworks on behalf of SANParks, parks division.

MPA & Estuarine Conservation Planning Integration Across Parks

• Represent Parks Operations in development and review of Marine Protected Area and Estuarine Management Plans across relevant national parks.
• Integrate planning inputs between Park Planning, Scientific Services and park management teams.
• Ensure marine and estuarine plans align with biodiversity priorities, legislative requirements and international conservation best practice.
• Lead the monitoring of implementation progress and support adaptive management reviews across the Parks Division.

Salary

• R1,115,100.00 – R1,393,875.00 Annual Package

Paterson Grade

• D5

How To Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements should forward their applications accompanied by the required documentation listed below to the following:

• Documents Required
• Only interested persons who meet the above stated requirement should apply using the following link:
• https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/zVrSC0VpEq
• Supporting Documents such as Detailed CV, certified copies of qualifications, ID and other relevant documents must be emailed to [email protected] using reference number SNRCPC/09/2026 in subject line.
• Application that does not meet the requirements will not be considered.

Closing Date

• 30 September 2026