Local recruitment: Freshwater Project Manager

WWF is the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisation, with over 6 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

WWF South Africa is a national office that is part of the WWF network. We are a local NGO that has worked for 50 years with the aim of inspiring all South Africans to live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of our country and the wellbeing of all our people. WWFs work is for nature, for you.

Our work is challenging and exciting and we love what we do. To join our team, you need to be brilliant at what you do, passionate, results-orientated and have a positive attitude.

Background:

The purpose of this role is to provide operational and project management leadership across all WWF’s Freshwater projects, with key focus on the special projects. The role will ensure that projects are delivered in line with agreed objectives, scope, budget, and timeline, while maintaining quality, stakeholder satisfaction and compliance with WWF and donor requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

Freshwater Project Coordination  

• Apply effective project management approaches to effectively manage all freshwater projects to ensure they deliver successful outcomes in a timeous and acceptable manner.
• Provide operational coordination across multiple freshwater projects, ensuring clear workplans, activities and reporting requirements.
• Apply technical understanding of freshwater systems to support project delivery, including spatial planning inputs, interpretation of water-related data, and alignment with national and regional water policies and strategies.
• Coordinate and facilitate collaboration across thematic and cluster teams (e.g. freshwater, biodiversity, climate, finance, and policy), ensuring alignment with project objectives.

Ensure Continuous Project Tracking

• Monitor progress against agreed plans, identify risks, and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Experience with project management tool for overseeing workflows.
• Prepare regular status updates and executive summaries and provide high level overall insights for internal leadership, partners and funders.
• Engage and work closely with the Senior Freshwater Technical Specialist, Business Development & Marketing (BD&M), finance and administrative teams to ensure compliance with organizational policies and relevant regulations.
• Lead the financial management of the freshwater projects including funder contract conditions, actioning and tracking project cost recoveries, coordinating annual budget preparation and monitoring project expenses.

Support Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and communication across freshwater projects, ensuring timely information sharing, reporting and alignment with project objectives.
• Actively support the Senior Technical Specialist in managing partnerships, including coordination with funders, implementing partners, government counterparts, and landscape stakeholders.
• Contribute to and participate in relevant partnership platforms, and technical working groups

Minimum Requirements

• A minimum of a MSc level qualification in Science, in freshwater sciences or related discipline.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects, with experience of more than 7 years.
• Proficiency in Project management tools, including software’s for project management.
• A sound understanding of the freshwater policy landscape, with high level strategic relationships in government.
• Strong coordination and administrative management capabilities
• Must be fluent in English
• Must have report/ technical writing skills
• Strong communication, and problem-solving skills .
• An innovative team player likes to participate in interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience in coordinating teams on project delivery.
• Experience in stakeholder management and change facilitation.
• Must have good interpersonal skills.
• Good time management.
• A good understanding of the broad range of projects undertaken by WWF and knowledge of the relevant institutional and socio-economic landscapes in South Africa. 
• A valid driver’s license
• You recognise yourself in the values of WWF: Courage, Integrity, Respect, Collaboration and Inclusion

To apply, please submit a detailed CV and cover letter combined into a single document, fully motivating the relevant skills, experience, and creativity you can bring to the role. Kindly include the names, current email addresses, and telephone numbers of three relevant references.