Senior Nature-based Solutions Project Manager (Asia)

Overview

Application deadline: Wednesday, 4 September 2024
Locations: Cambridge, UK or Singapore or Remote based on application.  Up to 30% time spent in Cambodia.
Full time
Contract: 2 years fixed term
Salary: £40,000 – £45,000 pro rata plus competitive 12% pension benefit, subject to location, skills and experience
Annual Leave: Subject to location

BirdLife International is the world’s largest and oldest nature conservation partnership. Through our unique local-to-global approach, we deliver high impact and long-term conservation for the benefit of nature and people. Our Forests Programme leverages the power of Partnership to end deforestation and advance restoration and deliver landscape-scale conservation in the world’s most important tropical forest landscapes.

Carbon finance is an important mechanism to help address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Many sites where BirdLife Partners are working to address deforestation have high potential to use carbon finance to generate local and national economic benefits, advance biodiversity conservation, and combat climate change.

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic senior conservation project manager to support BirdLife Partners in their development of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects. The role will have an initial focus in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) in Cambodia, where the national BirdLife NGO Partner, NatureLife Cambodia (NLC), has been leading the implementation of a conservation programme for 5 years, with opportunities for engagement in the development of BirdLife’s ambitious global NbS project pipeline.

In Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary, NLC and BirdLife International, in partnership with the local people and the Government of Cambodia, have established a REDD+ carbon project to reduce deforestation-based emissions in and to enable local people to benefit for their role in protecting the forest. Work to design and implement this project is underway, and the project is currently under validation with Verra’s VCS and moving towards credit issuance in 2025. Under new national regulation, it will be integrated into Cambodia’s national nesting system, providing continuity with other new projects.  The project is structured to produce high quality, high integrity credits that reduce emissions and generate new local economic benefits, at a site critically important for biodiversity and rural livelihoods.

The Senior NbS Project Manager will provide strategic management, coordination and direction to lead delivery of BirdLife’s roles and responsibilities in the design, development and implementation of NbS projects. As the focal point for BirdLife’s collaboration in Lopmhat Wildlife Sanctuary, the purpose of the role will be to operationalize a high integrity REDD+ project, while enabling NatureLife Cambodia’s organizational development and leadership of the programme.

Specifically, the role will:

1. Coordinate all BirdLife International actions and responsibilities to deliver conservation in the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) in close collaboration with NatureLife Cambodia (NLC),
2. Provide strategic project management support and oversee financial management and reporting for investors and donors, including administering the project registry account, overseeing credit transactions and financial disbursements,
3. Coordinate multi-stakeholder partnership management and engagement, including with technical partners, Government, consultants, auditors, standards bodies, investors and donors,
4. Provide technical direction to the design, development and strategic implementation of LWS REDD+ Project,
5. Deliver strengthening and organizational support for NLC in relation LWS REDD+ project and establish a strategy to transition full management of the project to NLC over time,
6. Develop, secure and manage BirdLife International grant funding that supports forest conservation and carbon project development in LWS. This may include additional fundraising outside of the REDD+ project for conservation action in the landscape,
7. Input to the development of the broader NbS pipeline as opportunities arise and time permits.

The Senior NbS Project Manager will also be part of BirdLife’s growing global Forests Programme, with opportunities to input to and exchange experiences with colleagues and Partners working on forest conservation, restoration and conservation finance around the world.

This role presents a unique opportunity for an experienced senior project manager to put in place a lasting legacy for forests and biodiversity in Cambodia, as well as for our national Partner and the communities with whom we work. BirdLife is seeking an individual who can deliver this critical role with a high level of professionalism and independence, enabling our Partner to capitalize on the significant milestones achieved thus far.

The ideal candidate will have

1. Significant knowledge and experience of protected area and/or OECM management, including operations, zoning, budgeting, planning, legal issues, stakeholder engagement, etc.
2. Significant knowledge and experience of how to manage large, operationally and financially complex conservation or development projects with multiple stakeholders, including administration, financial planning and oversight, contracting and reporting
3. Knowledge of how to design, develop and implement high integrity and high quality forest carbon projects
4. Knowledge of financial planning and modeling, including cash flow modeling, for conservation initiatives and/or market-based mechanisms
5. Experience of implementing environmental/social development projects in developing countries, with an in-depth understanding of the challenges of rural forest-edge communities, ideally with experience in Cambodia
6. Experience of development or delivery of climate finance or carbon credit value chain projects, ideally with experience in REDD+ projects and carbon certification for VCS and CCBS and/or Plan Vivo or similar
7. Experience of engagement in or with the private sector, corporates or financial institutions, on climate or forest-related issues
8. Experience of engagement with government agencies, private sector, corporates or financial institutions, on climate or forest-related issues; Cambodia-specific experience is highly desirable
9. Experience of working in collaboration with national NGOs and/or community organizations, including delivering multi-faceted organizational development
10. Complete fluency in English required and working proficiency in spoken and written Khmer an advantage

Please see the full job description for further details.

BirdLife values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Find out more about our Diversity statement.

We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.

We will consider putting into place appropriate reasonable adjustments for candidates who may have a disability.

We are able to offer a hybrid model of working on site and from home/remote for most roles, which helps to ensure a flexible work life balance.