Head/Director – National Conservation Programme

Growth For Impact; Hinoba-an; On-site; PHP 992,000 - 1,389,000; Full time

Job summary

WWF-India is seeking a visionary leader to head its raptor conservation programme, driving strategic direction and ensuring the organization leads in raptor conservation across its secretariat and landscapes.

The role involves building and mentoring the raptor team, coordinating with government departments, NGOs, and scientific institutions, and guiding implementation of innovative approaches, data analysis, and dissemination of results.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in ornithology, ecology, wildlife, environment, biology, or related field.
• Minimum 15 years in conservation or related area.
• At least 10 years experience managing field conservation and research projects.
• Ability to design and implement strategies independently.
• Strong written and spoken English; knowledge of regional language is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for the raptor conservation programme.
• Manage and build the raptor conservation team in the Secretariat and landscapes.
• Support implementation of innovative and scientific approaches for raptor conservation.
• Ensure timely data analysis, report publication, and coordinate outreach activities.
• Coordinate with government and civil society partners for the long‑term survival of threatened raptors.
• Collaborate with central and state governments to support policies affecting vultures, other raptors, and their habitats.
• Track finances of the RCP, including budgeting and adaptive management.
• Work with the CCP team to coordinate with grantees and develop/implement capacity‑building approaches.
• Assess grant proposals for technical quality, feasibility, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Oversee grant disbursement schedules, compliance with financial and procurement norms, and timely submission of narrative and financial reports by grantees.
• Provide technical backstopping to grantees, including advice on project design, field methodologies, data management, and communication of results.
• Coordinate periodic field reviews and audits of grant-supported projects; document lessons learned, success stories, and scalable models for integration into WWF-India's wider programmes.
• Compile programme‑level synthesis reports on the CCP, highlighting contributions to biodiversity conservation in the country.
• Provide strategic oversight to WWF-India State and Branch offices to ensure alignment with WWF-India's conservation strategy, annual work plans, and compliance requirements.
• Support state and branch teams in planning, implementing, and monitoring biodiversity conservation projects.
• Establish and periodically review branch-level performance indicators and support course-correction where needed.
• Facilitate cross-learning between branches and landscape programmes.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Team management

Stakeholder engagement

Scientific/academic background

English communication

Data analysis & reporting

Education

PhD in ornithology/ecology/environment

Job description

ROLE

• – Provide strategic vision and leadership for the raptor conservation programme to establish WWF-India as a leader in raptor conservation.
• – Manage and build the raptor conservation team in the Secretariat and landscapes.
• – Support implementation of innovative and scientific approaches for raptor conservation.
• – Ensure timely data analysis, report publication, and coordinate outreach activities.
• – Coordinate with stakeholders, including government and civil society partners, for the long‑term survival of threatened raptors.
• – Collaborate with central and state governments to support policies affecting vultures, other raptors, and their habitats.
• – Track finances of the RCP, including budgeting and adaptive management.
• – Work with the CCP team to coordinate with grantees and develop/implement capacity‑building approaches.
• – Assess grant proposals for technical quality, feasibility, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• – Oversee grant disbursement schedules, compliance with financial and procurement norms, and timely submission of narrative and financial reports by grantees.
• – Provide technical backstopping to grantees, including advice on project design, field methodologies, data management, and communication of results.
• – Coordinate periodic field reviews and audits of grant-supported projects; document lessons learned, success stories, and scalable models for integration into WWF-India's wider programmes.
• – Compile programme‑level synthesis reports on the CCP, highlighting contributions to biodiversity conservation in the country.
• – Provide strategic oversight to WWF-India State and Branch offices to ensure alignment with WWF-India's conservation strategy, annual work plans, and compliance requirements.
• – Support state and branch teams in planning, implementing, and monitoring biodiversity conservation projects.
• – Establish and periodically review branch-level performance indicators and support course-correction where needed.
• – Facilitate cross-learning between branches and landscape programmes.

REQUIREMENTS

• – PhD or equivalent in ornithology, ecology, wildlife, environment, biology, or a related field.
• – At least 15 years of experience in conservation or a related area.
• – Minimum ten years of experience managing field conservation and research projects.
• – Ability to design and implement strategies and programmes independently.
• – Experience in managing teams and working collaboratively.
• – Ability to drive high‑level discussions with stakeholders, including government departments, scientific institutions, and NGOs.
• – Strong written and spoken communication skills in English; knowledge of any regional language is a plus.