IISD’s Resilience Program is a multidisciplinary team of policy researchers who work with governments, civil society, communities, and businesses to help them manage risks linked to climate change, biodiversity loss, and conflict. Its work focuses on planning, people, and nature—preparing for a different or uncertain future, making sure different genders and social groups influence and benefit from investments in resilience, and harnessing the role of ecosystems to help communities manage risks.

The Project Manager will be responsible for managing multi-million-dollar grants from Global Affairs Canada to support climate adaptation in developing countries. The candidate will work as part of a program, with supervision, to contribute to the delivery of projects, the development of new projects, and support for research and outreach content. One of the projects that this role will manage is the Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas (CAPA) Initiative. The CAPA Initiative seeks to promote natural solutions to strengthen climate resilience and protect biodiversity in and around protected areas and critical landscapes in the Global South. The CAPA Initiative’s intervention sites cover marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and landscapes in Belize, Fiji, and the Greater Virunga and Kavango-Zambezi landscapes. The CAPA Initiative is jointly implemented with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Regional Office for Africa and its country offices in Uganda and Zambia, alongside the Fiji and Belize offices of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Scope

•  Oversee operational planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting on IISD projects and initiatives.
•  Support donor and partner relations and contribute to fundraising efforts.
•  Develop and contribute to project and proposal documentation.

Responsibilities

Operations and project management

•  Responsible for the operational management of initiatives and projects, including work plan and budget development/adjustment, communication with stakeholders, contracting, evaluation, and reporting.
•  Set up, track, and refine project finances with the support of the project management and accounting teams.
•  Oversee, allocate, and approve project expenses for the appropriate budget in accordance with IISD’s policies.
•  Plan and monitor timelines, milestones, delivery deadlines, resources, and outputs using project management tools and collaborate with team members to recommend optimizations.
•  Prepare contractor agreements in collaboration with technical leads and the contracting team and track contractor deliverables and payments.
•  Support the coordination of events, logistics, and team travel arrangements.
•  Track outputs and ensure their inclusion in knowledge management systems and reporting.
•  Feed accurate data on the project(s) into IISD-wide annual budget planning processes.
•  Assist with the continued development and streamlining of IISD policies and procedures.

Donor relations and fundraising activities

•  Contribute to the preparation of narrative and financial reports to funders.
•  Assist with the development of funding proposals, including but not limited to coordinating the proposal development process, drafting text for inclusion in the proposal’s objectives and methodology section, and preparing descriptions of past projects and planned team members.
•  Support other IISD personnel with the management of external relations, identification of new opportunities, and development of proposals.
•  Review potential donor agreements for their compliance with IISD financial policies and procedures.

Communications and Outreach

•  Actively maintain a network of project partners and contacts, including individuals from governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia.
•  Participate in the planning and organization of conferences, briefings, seminars, workshops, programs, and other initiatives hosted or facilitated by the program.

Other

•  Contribute to the improvement of operational processes and document lessons learned for institutional learning purposes.
•  Other tasks and responsibilities, as assigned.

Qualifications

•  A bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
•  Availability to travel internationally.

Knowledge and Experience

•  A minimum of 5+ years of experience in project management.
•  Experience in international development and working in developing countries.
•  Experience managing grants from Global Affairs Canada.
•  Relevant work experience in the field of nature-based solutions, climate change adaptation, and/or conservation.
•  Experience developing and managing work plans, budgets, and milestones.
•  A high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Excel) and experience in handling web-based communications and other project management systems.
•  Experience working in fast-paced, multi-project environments.

Skills 

•  Demonstrated organizational and planning skills, including an ability to coordinate meetings and events.
•  Good communication skills and the ability to work interactively with stakeholders from different contexts, countries, and backgrounds.
•  Fluent in written and spoken English; ability to work (read, write, speak) in French or Spanish would be considered an asset.
•  Analytical capacity and ability to become familiar with new topics quickly.

Behavioural Competencies

•  Results-focused; able to work quickly and accurately to meet tight deadlines without compromising the quality of the results.
•  Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work comfortably across different cultures, commitment to inclusivity, positive demeanour, and ability to communicate effectively.
•  A motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and manage and prioritize multiple tasks.