Project Manager, Nature Fund Advisory

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, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Belgium, United Kingdom (remote), or Germany (remote). This role offers remote or hybrid work flexibility.

Amid growing consensus that the protection, restoration, and improved management of ecosystems can provide at least 30% of the climate mitigation needed to limit warming to 1.5°C, Conservation International (CI) has set ambitious targets to realize the potential of Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) worldwide. CI's Carbon Finance (CF) unit within the Nature Finance Group (NFG) invests in Natural Climate Solutions that help combat climate change by reducing deforestation and conserving critical ecosystem services. These NCS solutions include the protection, enhanced management, and restoration of forests, rangelands, wetlands, and other natural systems.

The Nature Fund Advisory team acts as impact advisors to private and public investors looking to deploy return-seeking capital into NCS projects in ways that deliver tangible climate, community, and ecological outcomes. The team works to establish ESG and impact criteria for these investment vehicles, conducts due diligence on potential investments, and carries out annual impact monitoring for our client partners.​​​​​​​​​​​ The team taps the deep knowledge and technical expertise within CI to catalyze and improve the quality of gigatons of emission reductions in the voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

This position is an integral part of the Nature Fund Advisory team. The Project Manager will have two core responsibilities: (A) overall project management of the Nature Fund Advisory workflow and (B) distillations of lessons learned and best practices identified from the projects CI due diligence and management of that information in an associated database. The first responsibility includes project and budget planning, implementation, tracking, and reporting on deliverables and project status. The Project Manager will ensure project results meet project standards, and project deliverables are completed on time and within budget. The second responsibility focuses on creating and maintaining a knowledge management database and template system that will record relevant information extracted from due diligence reports into a format that is accessible by the rest of the institution for ongoing learning and development.

This position does not directly supervise staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide project management support of Nature Fund Advisory tasks, which generally fall into ESG and Impact criteria establishment, due diligence, and annual monitoring and evaluation.
• Ensure final reports are consistent in formatting, language, and results by weaving together the different writing styles and technical frameworks used to create final drafts.
• Help oversee the progress of projects to ensure they stay on track, on time, and within budget.
• Draft summary reports on each project and create and maintain a knowledge management database to help extract learnings.
• Identify trends and corrective actions to resolve problems and ensure future project efficiency and success.
• Prepare high-quality status updates, reports, and presentations for senior management and donors, and ensure project and team information is accurately updated on the Nature Fund Advisory SharePoint.
• Support due diligence site visit planning.
• Create and maintain project files.
• Ensure compliance with CI policies, funding agreements, and local requirements

Perform related duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This is a full-time position
• Travel within the region will consist of approximately ~10-15% of the person’s time, often to remote locations and in difficult travel and working conditions.
• Flexibility in work schedule required to accommodate time-zone differences between the Arlington, VA office, and international field offices located in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.  

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in a natural resource management-related field or another relevant discipline.
• Experience and understanding of Natural Climate Solutions or conservation projects.
• 4 to 6 years or more of relevant work experience.
• Excellent project management and organization skills, and a strong attention to detail.
• Familiarity with project management software (Monday.com, Asana, etc.).
• Experience working with partners in the Global South, with an understanding of the on-the-ground realities and challenges of project development and delivery.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to build on existing knowledge to develop new approaches.
• Proven team player and able to work effectively with diverse work groups in a multicultural environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; Proficient in written and spoken English.
• Ability to work well under pressure, multitask, set priorities, and deliver quality results.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and under general supervision.

Preferred

• Ability to communicate in Spanish, Portuguese, or French.
• Knowledge and expertise in environmental markets, especially in voluntary carbon markets. Experience with analysis, structuring, and valuation of natural resources and/or other investments.
• Understanding of the economic and environmental issues facing developing countries and the local communities.

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.