Conservation Program Associate

The Nature Conservancy; United States; On-site; USD 79,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy is seeking a Conservation Program Associate to provide operational, programmatic, and monitoring support for the Large-Scale Fisheries program. The role coordinates global staff, country units, consultants, and partners to deliver conservation outcomes and accountable performance across the program.

Responsibilities include planning, evaluation, and knowledge management, plus grant development and donor reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Policy, Resource Management or related field and 3 years of related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience supporting complex projects and strategic initiatives in an unstructured environment.
• Analytical and project management experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate activities across global program staff, country business units, consultants, grantees, and external partners to advance shared conservation objectives.
• Manage program planning and accountability processes, including work plan reviews, coordination meetings, decision tracking, action item follow-up, and implementation reporting.
• Lead monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting activities, including maintaining results frameworks, monitoring systems, databases, indicators, and reporting tools.
• Develop and maintain systems, processes, and tools that support collaboration, knowledge sharing, internal communications, and organizational learning across the program.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate virtual and in-person meetings, workshops, trainings, and other program events.
• Develop and manage contracts and agreements with consultants, vendors, and service providers, including tracking deliverables and supporting implementation of contracted activities.
• Support budget development, financial tracking, donor reporting, and compliance with TNC policies, donor requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Support program development through grant proposal preparation, donor engagement, partnership development, and identification of funding opportunities.
• Exercise independent judgment and decision-making based on analysis, experience, program priorities, and organizational objectives.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Policy, Resource Management or related field

Tools

SmartSheet

Asana

Job description

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Conservation Program Associate provides operational, programmatic, and monitoring support for the Large-Scale Fisheries program. The position serves as a central coordination and accountability function, helping to align the efforts of global program staff, country business units, consultants, grantees, and external partners toward shared conservation objectives.

The Associate leads monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting activities across the program to support effective implementation, informed decision-making, and adaptive management. The role facilitates planning, coordination, and communication processes that promote accountability, collaboration, and timely delivery of program priorities, while ensuring that performance, lessons learned, and impacts are effectively communicated to TNC leadership, donors, partners, and other stakeholders.

The Conservation Program Associate also contributes to program development and organizational growth by supporting resource mobilization, strengthening knowledge management and information sharing, identifying opportunities for strategic partnerships, and advancing communications and engagement efforts that enhance program impact and visibility.

The location for this position is flexible within countries in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO and has an established office (in North America these are USA, Canada; in Latin America these are Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru; in the Caribbean these are The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands; in Africa these are Angola, Gabon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia; in Europe these are Croatia, Belgium, Germany, and the UK). Salary ranges will vary depending on the selected candidate's location. This is a 2-year, term-limited position, with opportunities for extension based on funding availability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Conservation Program Associate coordinates planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting activities across the Large-Scale Fisheries program.

The position manages systems and processes that support program accountability, performance tracking, collaboration, and information sharing across a matrix of global program staff, country business units, consultants, grantees, and external partners. The Associate supports adaptive management through analysis of program performance, identification of lessons learned, and communication of results and impacts to internal and external stakeholders.

The role provides operational and administrative support for program delivery, including coordination of meetings and work planning processes, management of contracts and budgets, compliance monitoring, knowledge management, communications, and support for program development and resource mobilization.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Coordinate activities across global program staff, country business units, consultants, grantees, and external partners to advance shared conservation objectives.
• Manage program planning and accountability processes, including work plan reviews, coordination meetings, decision tracking, action item follow-up, and implementation reporting.
• Lead monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting activities, including maintaining results frameworks, monitoring systems, databases, indicators, and reporting tools.
• Develop and maintain systems, processes, and tools that support collaboration, knowledge sharing, internal communications, and organizational learning across the program.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate virtual and in-person meetings, workshops, trainings, and other program events.
• Develop and manage contracts and agreements with consultants, vendors, and service providers, including tracking deliverables and supporting implementation of contracted activities.
• Support budget development, financial tracking, donor reporting, and compliance with TNC policies, donor requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Support program development through grant proposal preparation, donor engagement, partnership development, and identification of funding opportunities.
• Exercise independent judgment and decision-making based on analysis, experience, program priorities, and organizational objectives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Policy, Resource Management or related field and 3 years of related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience supporting complex projects and strategic initiatives in an unstructured environment.
• Analytical and project management experience.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated
• Knowledge of international fisheries, marine conservation, natural resource management, international development, or related conservation programs.
• Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Experience with monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting systems, including performance measurement, indicator tracking, data management, and results reporting.
• Experience supporting public donor-funded programs, including grant management, donor reporting, compliance, and project administration.
• Experience in developing and implementing knowledge management, organizational learning, or internal communications initiatives.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, track deliverables, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Experience working independently and exercising sound judgment in a fast-paced, matrixed organizational environment.
• Experience working with project management systems such as SmartSheet and Asana.

Salary Information:

Job family: Conservation

Job code: 700046IC

Grade: 6

USA

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range in Arlington, VA for this position is generally within the range of $79,100 - $90,780 USD for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

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TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to [e-mail] with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.