Project Officer - Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance

Environmental Justice Foundation; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A global conservation NGO in London seeks a Project Officer to implement a project aimed at empowering fishing communities against illegal fishing. The successful candidate will manage project activities, coordinate training, and ensure effective data management. Applicants should possess at least 3 years of project management experience and be fluent in both English and Spanish. This is a full-time, permanent position offering a competitive salary and benefits, including hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

Flexible working arrangements

Cycle to work scheme

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience in project management across different contexts.
• Fluency in English and Spanish, with strong writing skills.
• Experience developing standard operating procedures and training materials.

Responsibilities

• Oversee in-country project implementation and coordinate country missions.
• Manage project databases and ensure effective data handling.
• Support budget tracking and administration of subgrants.

Skills

Project management

Bilingual English and Spanish

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Education

University degree in environment, international development, or social sciences

Tools

Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel)

Job description

Based: EJF office in London

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Salary range: £38,000 - 45,000 (according to professional experience and demonstrable capacities)

Reporting to: Programme Coordinator - Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance

About EJF

EJF exists to protect the natural world and defend our fundamental human right to a secure environment. We believe in equity and justice and a need to respect, defend, and empower communities most at risk from habitat loss, biodiversity collapse and global heating. We campaign for environmental justice.

EJF drives policy and changes to the very ‘architecture’ of environmental governance, securing permanent solutions through our determined, efficient, and effective approach to the protection of the natural world. Our campaigns focus on five priority, interlinked areas : ocean, climate, wetlands and forests, sustainable fashion, and environmental defenders.

About the role

EJF seeks a highly motivated candidate to support the rollout of our EU-funded project, the Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance, which aims to train, equip and empower small-scale fishing communities in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 15 countries across the Global South. The project focuses on three main pillars :

Community surveillance : EJF trains fishers on the use of our bespoke mobile app, DASE, which enables the documentation and reporting of IUU fishing.

Co-management associations (CMAs) : EJF sets up new CMAs or reforms existing CMAs in line with the principles of the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT), and trains them on artisanal IUU fishing issues and national advocacy.

National fisher associations (NFAs) : EJF supports NFAs through trainings on national advocacy and the VGGT principles.

The Project Officer joins the project at a critical stage in its implementation. The Global Toolkit has been introduced to 6 countries to date and is set to be rolled out to an additional 9 countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific in 2026. Due to the Latin America component of the project, the successful candidate must have strong proficiency in speaking and writing in Spanish.

You will work directly under the Programme Coordinator and in close collaboration with our in-country teams to successfully deliver all aspects of the project, from day-to-day project administration and financial tracking, to supporting strategic planning, coordinating field activities, and overseeing the delivery of subgrants to local partners.

The successful applicant will be someone with demonstrable professional experience across project management, who can give high‑calibre remote support and guidance to multiple in‑country teams and closely track and monitor the project’s implementation against agreed KPIs. You should be a proactive, creative and determined problem solver, have excellent organisational skills as well as the ability to think practically and strategically.

Initially, the role will require some international travel, occasionally at short notice.

Key responsibilities

Oversee in-country implementation of the project

Support the coordination of country missions that effectively engage small‑scale fishing communities in the project (including defining clear mission objectives, drafting ToRs, reviewing mission budgets, and supporting logistics where required)

Ensure the delivery of high‑quality, locally appropriate standardised systems; centralise information management and ensure access and data exchange along with learnings around best practices across country teams

Organise the review of existing training and guidance materials on participatory fisheries governance (e.g. the Global Toolkit document, PowerPoint presentations, guidance documents) and create new training and guidance materials

Mentor Latin American‑based partners to implement the Global Toolkit project (providing guidance, support and direction while monitoring progress and assisting to resolve obstacles)

As directed, represent the project in conferences and calls with external stakeholders (government authorities, partner NGOs, coastguards, etc) and support communications efforts, where relevant.

Develop and maintain practical impact tracking tools and templates, that are used by the in‑country teams to monitor key project metrics, and support donor reporting.

Manage the DASE app and database

Monitor, maintain, and improve the DASE database

Liaise regularly with the DASE platform provider to raise issues with the app and explore creative solutions

Explore the possibility of creating a new application with added features to support communities to report on environmental harm effectively (mapping different app providers, identifying necessary improvements, etc)

Ensure the safe and appropriate handling of sensitive data

Subgrant and financial management

Support budget tracking across project activities and ensure the budget is effectively spent (verifying financial information, liaising with the finance teams to process payments etc)

Support budget forecasting and reallocations, in coordination with the Programme Coordinator

Support the administration of subgrants and contracts (including drafting calls for proposals, assessing applicants, drafting subgrant agreements)

Reporting

Report in detail to the Programme Coordinator and as requested by the Senior Management Team (SMT), in person and in a monthly written report on the project, clearly highlighting actions, outputs and overall progress, alongside problems and challenges

Required experience and skills

A demonstrable commitment to EJF's Mission, Values and Vision, together with a strong sense of ethics, and a determination to achieve positive outcomes to restore and protect the natural world and defend our human right to a secure environment.

University degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. environment, international development, social sciences etc)

At least 3 years’ professional experience in project management, ideally across various geographies, contexts, and cultures

Fluency in English and Spanish

Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills and the ability to deliver agreed outcomes on time and within budget to the highest professional standards.

Strong ability to work independently and take initiative, while operating effectively within an international, multicultural team environment

Strong problem solving and creative thinking abilities

Comfortable taking and giving direction and feedback within an international, multicultural team while working independently and taking initiative and ownership of your workload

Strong writing skills, with an ability to simplify complex ideas into a comprehensible format and tailor writing styles to various audiences

Experience developing templates and standardising practices (SOPs, M&E, feedback processes, training materials)

You have strong skills across the Microsoft Office suite, particularly PowerPoint and Excel

Willingness to undertake some international travel

A commitment to team‑working and a collegiate approach.

Desirable skills

Experience working on fisheries governance issues (community surveillance, co‑management processes, VGGT principles, national advocacy)

Strong public‑facing skills and proven experience engaging and developing trusted relationships with various stakeholders in an international setting

Experience working with small‑scale fishing communities

Additional language fluency (ideally French)

Experience living and working in challenging environments

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance increasing every year

Hybrid working (3 days / week in the office)

Flexible working arrangements considered

Cycle to work scheme

Potential for unique opportunities and dynamic career development

An opportunity to work within a supportive and committed professional team that delivers high impact, protecting our natural world.

Applications

Applications : Please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum 1.5 pages) explaining why you are the right person for this job to : [e-mail].

Closing date for applications : 5 pm Friday, 16th January 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK.

EJF is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity within the workplace.