Freshwater Project Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY – This position is based in Arlington-VA or Brazil (remote)

The Freshwater Science team within the Moore Center for Science (MCS) at Conservation International conducts high-impact, innovative, and applied research in support of advancing actionable freshwater science, employing a range of spatial analysis and modeling techniques, remote sensing, GIS, and in-situ monitoring. CI’s Freshwater Science team also leads a vast portfolio of conservation projects being implemented on the ground across multiple geographies worldwide. Both of our science and practice work is done in close collaboration with colleagues across CI’s Global and Field Programs so that the conservation of freshwater ecosystem can happen faster and have a greater impact on people and nature.

Our work is grounded in a system-wide perspective engendered by our ‘healthy watersheds’ approach to watershed management, that ensures benefits flow to both people and nature. That perspective is critical for our, and partners’ ability to contribute to delivering on one of the most important global policy goals of this decade—the ‘Freshwater Challenge’. This Challenge aims to bring 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million ha of inland waters under restoration by 2030. Our freshwater work seeks to maximize the delivery of this goal through, and in the context of, CI’s institutional priorities. Our freshwater science recognizes that local communities are deeply invested in securing their water supply, as well as resilience against cycles of floods and droughts, which are all benefits shaped by healthy freshwater ecosystems.

The Freshwater Science team is now looking for a Project Manager to provide input into CI’s freshwater science work to monitor conservation results and evaluate the effectiveness of strategy and implementation. This position provides support in developing metrics and indicators and establishing goals and tracking progress towards these goals. The Freshwater Project Manager will be responsible for several projects, supporting the design of frameworks, tools, and standards for monitoring and reporting freshwater conservation achievements, and developing theories of change. They will also support the analyses of monitoring and effectiveness data, using analytical results to provide feedback to field programs and other divisions. Additionally, the Manager will support CI’s corporate engagement portfolio, assisting companies to understand their freshwater usage and impacts and ultimately developing and setting science-based targets for freshwater. The Freshwater Project Manager will report to the Freshwater Science Lead of CI’s Moore Center for Science. 

This position does not directly supervise staff but acts as a technical or subject matter expert to others. Work duties are performed under supervision.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the design of CI’s Freshwater Science frameworks, standards, and guidelines for monitoring and reporting freshwater conservation achievements at the level of individual projects.
• Support the development of metrics/indicators and their use in tracking progress toward the project’s goals.
• Support the development of theories of change and effectiveness measurement systems for freshwater science strategies.
• Support development and implementation of evaluations of key CI strategies and interventions to facilitate learning and adaptive management.
• Assist companies in assessing their freshwater footprint, providing expert guidance on the development of science-based targets for freshwater.
• Coordinate planning sessions for project development and execution.
• Create a detailed work plan for projects.
• Document project activities, obstacles, and results.
• Provide summarized project plan documentation as needed.
• Create and maintain project share point sites.
• Support collaboration across CI’s country programs, Moore Center for Science, and other key CI divisions (e.g., Conservation Finance, Center for Natural Climate Solutions, and Center for Sustainable Lands and Waters).
• Provide technical support on analysis of freshwater data.
• Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Work is performed in a typical office environment.
• Frequent travel: > 25% may be necessary.
• Flexibility in work schedule to accommodate time differences between HQ and the region may be necessary.
• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.
• Expected to be a 2-year assignment.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience; technical background in ecohydrology, water resource management, hydroinformatics, climate-freshwater nexus, or related fields.
• 4 to 6 years of proven track record of successful project management.
• Experience working with hydrological modeling.
• Experience working with spatial analysis using traditional software (e.g., QGIS, ArcMap).
• Multi-tasking capability to efficiently manage multiple projects.
• Strategic thinking and creative planning.
• Ability to identify and analyze problems, create innovative solutions, and make informed decisions to facilitate project success.
• Ability to work closely with supervisor, independently, and as part of a broader team.
• Eagerness to work effectively across geographically distributed, multi-cultural teams and within and across organizations, especially in the Global South.
• Highly organized and with strong attention to detail.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in ecohydrology, water resource management, hydroinformatics, climate-freshwater nexus, or related field.
• Experience working in a developing country context.
• 2-5 years of experience in corporate sustainability, water resource management, or environmental consulting.
• Multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese).

Application Deadline: August 31, 2024 (11:49 PM EST)