Reserves and Project Delivery Manager - Nature Foundation

Hender Consulting; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging benefits

Job summary

Nature Foundation in Adelaide is seeking a senior leader to manage reserves and delivery of externally funded conservation projects. The role oversees on-ground operations across reserves, ensuring plans are followed and objectives met in partnership with Conservation Science.

The successful candidate will lead a distributed field team, work with Traditional Owners, and maintain critical external relationships while driving efficiency and impact across South Australia’s landscapes.

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in natural resource management, ecology or a related discipline.
• Current driver’s licence and 4WD experience are essential.
• Sound financial and commercial acumen is important.

Responsibilities

• Lead on-ground operations across the reserve portfolio and delivery of externally funded conservation projects.
• Manage reserves according to Reserve Management Plans including fire, feral animal and weed control, and visitor management.
• Scope, contract and deliver externally funded projects on time, on scope and within budget, with ecological quality assured in partnership with Conservation Science.
• Oversee on-Country partnerships with Traditional Owner partners with cultural safety and operational depth.
• Lead a distributed field team across Witchelina, Hiltaba and other reserves, with role clarity, safety, and high delivery standards.
• Foster relationships with adjacent landholders, fire authorities, local government and mining/exploration tenement holders.

Education

Tertiary qualification in natural resource management, ecology or related discipline

Job description

Nature Foundation is a leading not-for-profit, apolitical organisation that invests in conserving, restoring and protecting South Australian landscapes, flora and fauna. It has contributed to the protection of more than 1.15 million hectares of South Australia, manages 500,000 hectares across ten reserves, and is the third largest non-government conservation land manager in Australia. Its goal is one million hectares under conservation management by 2030.

Reporting to the CEO and as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Reserves and Project Delivery Manager is a newly created role that will lead on-ground operations across the reserve portfolio and delivery of externally funded conservation projects. As the organisation expands its on-ground delivery capacity, key outcomes for the role include ensuring that:

• reserves are managed to Reserve Management Plans — fire, feral animal and weed control, infrastructure, biosecurity, access and visitor management — with defensible conservation outcomes across the portfolio;
• externally funded projects (biodiversity offsets, restoration grants and other on-ground partnerships) are scoped, contracted and delivered on time, on scope and within budget, with ecological quality assured in partnership with Conservation Science;
• on-reserve offset obligations are met — Significant Environmental Benefit offsets at Witchelina and Murbpook and the carbon project at Hiltaba — are delivered to regulatory standard for the life of each commitment;
• a distributed field team of Conservation Land Managers at Witchelina, Hiltaba and the regional reserves, a Land Management Officer and seasonal staff — with project staff added as contracts are secured — are led with role clarity, safety of practice and high standards of delivery;
• on-Country partnerships with Traditional Owner partners are delivered with cultural safety and operational depth, in support of partnership governance held by the CEO;
• relationships with adjacent landholders, fire authorities, local government and mining and exploration tenement holders are maintained with local presence and credibility.

Applications are encouraged from candidates with demonstrated senior leadership of multi-site reserve or land management operations, experience delivering externally funded on-ground projects — including scoping, contracting and cost recovery — and a record of leading distributed teams in remote settings. Working knowledge of SEB and carbon project compliance, experience working with Traditional Owners on Country, and sound financial and commercial acumen are important. A tertiary qualification in natural resource management, ecology or a related discipline, a current driver’s licence and 4WD experience are all essential.

The successful candidate may currently be working in an environmental management position within private industry, a government national park, another conservancy or an Aboriginal corporation with transferrable skills and leadership experience.

This senior position is Adelaide-based with substantial time on-reserve across Hiltaba, Witchelina and other reserves. A competitive package is offered, with salary packaging benefits available through Nature Foundation’s status as a rebatable not-for-profit employer.

For more reserve information, Nature Foundation - Nature Reserves