Senior Programme Officer

Iucn; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 99,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in North America is seeking a Senior Program Officer to oversee restoration and sustainable land management across drylands, grasslands and forests. You will lead technical delivery, coordinate multi-partner work, and secure donor funding while ensuring compliance with international standards.

The role emphasizes land degradation neutrality, nature-based solutions and climate adaptation, with opportunities for international collaboration and

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in ecology, forestry, natural resource management or related field.
• 6–8 years of relevant professional experience in restoration, biodiversity conservation or sustainable land management.
• Experience with international donors or multilateral funds (GEF/GCF) is highly desirable.
• 4+ years in project implementation, coordination or management of field-based conservation initiatives.
• Ability to translate scientific knowledge into practical conservation and policy actions.

Responsibilities

• Provide programmatic oversight on ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management projects.
• Lead technical implementation with focus on drylands, rangelands, forests and grasslands.
• Coordinate workplans, budgets, reports and donor requirements.
• Incorporate safeguards, gender equality and Indigenous Peoples’ rights into project delivery.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with government, NGOs and funding partners.
• Translate technical findings into policy recommendations and knowledge products.

Skills

Project management

Ecology

Restoration

Biodiversity conservation

Soil health

Land degradation neutrality

Climate adaptation

Stakeholder engagement

English proficiency

Policy advocacy

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

PhD advantageous

Tools

ROAM methodology

Restoration Barometer

Red List of Ecosystems

Monitoring & evaluation frameworks

Job description

Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Location: North America Regional Office, Washington D.C., United States of America

Bonn, Germany, also considered as an alternative duty station.

Reporting to: Head Forest and Grassland Team

Work percentage: 100%

Grade: P2

Expected start date: 15 December 2026

Type of contract: Fixed-term (up to 24 months)

Closing date: 09 November 2026

BACKGROUND

Under the supervision of the Head of the Forest and Grasslands Team (FGT), the Senior Program Officer will provide technical expertise, project management, and implementation oversight across IUCN's portfolio in ecosystem restoration, forest and grassland conservation, drylands, rangelands, and sustainable land management. The position will particularly emphasize addressing land degradation, restoring ecological functions, improving soil health, conserving biodiversity, and strengthening ecosystem and community resilience.

The incumbent will manage and contribute to the technical delivery of projects and programs, ensuring alignment with FGT priorities, IUCN's Nature 2030 Program, and relevant international environmental commitments, including the three Rio Conventions. The role will support the integration of ecological and scientific knowledge into restoration planning, policy, implementation, and monitoring, with particular attention to land degradation neutrality (LDN), nature-based solutions, and climate adaptation.

A key responsibility will be to contribute to the development, implementation, and management of projects financed through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other international environmental and climate funds. The incumbent will support the identification of funding opportunities, the preparation of technically sound project concepts and proposals, and the delivery of donor-funded projects in collaboration with IUCN regional and country offices and relevant partners.

The Senior Program Officer will work closely with other FGT colleagues, IUCN programs, regional and country offices, Commissions and external partners. The position will contribute to technical partnerships, policy processes, capacity development, knowledge management and learning, and represent IUCN in relevant technical and policy forums.

JOB DESCRIPTION

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Programmatic oversight and management

• Manage assigned projects and workstreams on ecosystem restoration, drylands, rangelands, grasslands, forest landscapes and sustainable land management, ensuring effective delivery of agreed outputs and results.
• Provide technical guidance on the assessment, planning, implementation and monitoring of restoration and sustainable land management interventions, particularly in degraded dryland, grassland and rangeland ecosystems.
• Support the application of relevant IUCN tools and approaches, including the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), Restoration Barometer, Red List of Ecosystems and other relevant biodiversity, ecosystem condition and land degradation assessment methodologies.
• Integrate considerations of soil health, vegetation dynamics, biodiversity, water resources, ecological connectivity, ecosystem functions and climate resilience into project planning and implementation.
• Support integrated approaches that address the drivers of land degradation and promote ecological restoration, sustainable land use and improved management of natural resources.
• Ensure the quality, timeliness and technical coherence of assigned activities, including coordination with project partners, consultants and IUCN regional and country teams.
• Contribute to program learning, results monitoring and adaptive management, including the documentation and dissemination of lessons from project implementation.

2. Technical implementation of projects

• Lead or support the technical implementation of assigned projects focused on forest and landscape restoration, dryland and rangeland management, grassland conservation, sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation.
• Provide technical expertise on land degradation processes, ecosystem condition and recovery, soil health, restoration ecology, vegetation management and ecological resilience, including in arid and semi-arid landscapes.
• Support the design and implementation of interventions contributing to land degradation neutrality, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods.
• Coordinate the preparation and delivery of project workplans, budgets, technical reports, consultant assignments, partner agreements and other operational requirements in accordance with IUCN procedures and donor commitments.
• Support the implementation of GEF-financed and other donor-funded projects, including technical coordination, results-based management, monitoring and reporting, and compliance with relevant project requirements.
• Work with relevant specialists and project partners to integrate environmental and social safeguards, gender equality, stakeholder engagement, and the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities into project implementation.
• Support the development and application of monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks, including appropriate ecological and socioeconomic indicators to assess restoration outcomes and improvements in land condition.
• Translate technical and scientific evidence into practical guidance, implementation approaches and policy recommendations for governments, practitioners and project partners.

3. Program and project development and fundraising

• Identify and develop new program and project opportunities in ecosystem restoration, drylands, rangelands, grasslands, sustainable land management and forest conservation, working with FGT and IUCN regional and country teams.
• Contribute to the development of high-quality concepts and funding proposals for bilateral and multilateral donors, with particular emphasis on the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and opportunities through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other international environmental and climate financing mechanisms.
• Support the preparation of project concepts and full proposals, including technical assessments, theories of change, results frameworks, budgets, stakeholder engagement approaches and implementation arrangements.
• Identify opportunities to integrate biodiversity conservation, land degradation neutrality, ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation and nature-based solutions into coherent, landscape-level programs.
• Contribute to the identification of innovative approaches and financing opportunities for sustainable land management, ecosystem restoration and long-term conservation outcomes.
• Work collaboratively across IUCN programs, regional and country offices and Commissions to develop multidisciplinary partnerships and strengthen the technical quality and relevance of project proposals.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of IUCN methodologies, guidance and knowledge products to support project design and implementation.

4. Partnerships, policy engagement and representation

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with governments, UN agencies, international and regional organizations, research institutions, civil society organizations and financing partners working on restoration, sustainable land management, drylands and rangelands.
• Support IUCN's technical and policy engagement in relevant international processes, particularly those related to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Contribute to technical exchanges and collaborative initiatives on land degradation neutrality, drought resilience, ecosystem restoration, grassland and rangeland conservation, and sustainable land management.
• Represent FGT and IUCN at relevant technical meetings, workshops, conferences and policy dialogues, as agreed with the Head of FGT.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity development and collaboration among technical specialists, government agencies, implementing partners and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to technical publications, policy briefs, knowledge products and communication materials that demonstrate project results and inform policy and practice.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong technical and analytical skills and ability to apply ecological and scientific evidence to program and project implementation.
• Good understanding of international environmental policy frameworks, including the UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC, and their relevance to ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management.
• Excellent project management, planning, coordination and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities and meet donor and institutional deadlines.
• Strong writing skills, including demonstrated experience preparing technical reports, funding proposals, project documents and knowledge products. Scientific publications and quantitative analysis skills would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams across geographical locations.
• Strong interpersonal, partnership-building and communication skills, with sound judgment and diplomacy.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Working knowledge of French or Spanish would be highly desirable.
• Willingness and ability to undertake international travel as required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in ecology, forestry, natural resource management, environmental sciences, rangeland management, land management, geography or a closely related field. A PhD in a relevant discipline would be an advantage.
• Minimum of 6-8 years of relevant professional experience in ecosystem restoration, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management or related fields.
• Demonstrated technical experience in at least one of the following areas: dryland and rangeland management, grassland ecology and conservation, land degradation and restoration, sustainable land management, or forest and landscape restoration. Experience across multiple ecosystem types would be an advantage.
• Strong understanding of ecological restoration, ecosystem degradation and recovery, including vegetation dynamics, soil health, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and climate resilience.
• At least four years of relevant experience in project implementation, technical coordination or management of field-based conservation, restoration or sustainable land management initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in the development or implementation of projects funded by international donors or multilateral environmental funds. Direct experience with GEF project design, implementation, monitoring, or reporting is highly desirable. Experience with the GCF would be an additional advantage.
• Familiarity with GEF programming priorities, particularly the Land Degradation and Biodiversity focal areas, and integrated approaches linking ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience would be an advantage.
• Experience preparing technical project concepts and proposals, including results frameworks, workplans, budgets and monitoring arrangements.
• Demonstrated ability to translate scientific and technical knowledge into practical approaches for conservation, ecosystem restoration, sustainable land management or environmental policy.
• Experience working with government institutions, development partners, research organizations and local stakeholders, preferably in developing countries.

SALARY

The gross annual salary for this position is between USD 99'160 and USD 123'950. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.

APPLICATIONS

The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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