Assistant Director: Project Coordination – Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction Project

South African National Biodiversity Institute; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental organization in South Africa seeks a Project Coordinator to oversee compliance and governance for the Eco-DRR project. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in project and grant management, a relevant degree, and strong communication skills. This role involves collaboration with various stakeholders to enhance community resilience against climate-related risks.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience, with 3 years in a supervisory role.
• Familiarity with South African environmental regulations.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate donor compliance and reporting for the Eco-DRR project.
• Contribute to project planning and drafting of documentation.
• Manage project-level monitoring and evaluation.

Skills

Project management

Grant management

Climate Change Adaptation

Stakeholder engagement

Financial management

Excellent communication

Education

Degree in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Management or equivalent qualification (NQF 7)

Postgraduate qualification (NQF 8)

Tools

MS Word

MS Project

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Overview

SANBI offers basic annual salary of R582 444.00 plus 37% in lieu of benefits

Reference Number: BRAM/2025/002

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is leading the implementation of a project entitled “Scaling up Ecosystem-based Approaches to managing climate-intensified disaster risks in vulnerable regions of South Africa” (the Eco-DRR project). The USD 40.1 million project is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with cofinancing from SANBI, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), for a period of 8 years from 2025 to 2033. The goal of the project is to improve the resilience of communities that are vulnerable to climate change-exacerbated floods, droughts and wildfires through the implementation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Eco-Disaster Risk Reduction measures. SANBI is looking for a self-motivated individual to provide support to all aspects of Eco-DRR project coordination, with emphasis on ensuring compliance with donor reporting requirements including monitoring and evaluation, relationship management, and project governance and oversight structures.

The position requires a degree in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Management or equivalent qualification with NQF 7. A postgraduate qualification in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Management or equivalent qualification with NQF 8 will be an added advantage. This position also requires 6 years of work experience in the relevant field, 3 years of which should be in supervisory level.

Key competencies

The following competencies are required for the candidate to be successful in this position: well-developed project management and grant management skills; keen interest in Climate Change Adaptation and environmental/developmental issues; passion for making a difference in vulnerable communities; flexibility and reliability; familiarity with South African regulatory environment for tracking Environmental and Social Safeguards policy implementation; extensive knowledge and understanding of project management techniques, tools, methodologies, and frameworks; comprehensive knowledge and understanding of public sector policies including Human Resources Management, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology Management and Corporate Governance; being highly organised and efficient; a clear-thinker able to solve problems and see all sides of a situation; ability to manage high pressure and juggle multiple stakeholders across multiple projects; outstanding stakeholder engagement and relationships management; attention to budgeting, financial management and reporting; systemic visualisation of projects entailing programme planning and problem solving; proven ability to perform monitoring & evaluation of multi projects; ability to work under pressure with a diverse team while being quality, cost, compliance, and safety conscious; extensive knowledge and experience with legislation, policies, procedures, processes, and frameworks related to project management, donor funding and stakeholder management; excellent communication skills at all levels (verbal and written); excellent computer literacy with MS Word, MS Project, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet and Outlook; possession of a valid driver’s licence with at least one-year practical driving experience and willingness to travel.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate donor compliance, reporting and governance processes and requirements for the Eco-DRR project
• Contribute to Eco-DRR project planning, and the drafting of project budgets, reports and other project documentation as required
• Coordinate project-level monitoring and evaluation, supporting the implementation of the Eco-DRR project’s knowledge management strategy
• Provide general support to the management of the Eco-DRR project

Note: This position may be subject to a skills test as part of the selection process. Applicants must provide full contact details for referees. Personal information will be processed for purposes of assessing suitability for the advertised position, including verification of qualifications and background checks. See SANBI’s website for more information.

Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. SANBI reserves the right not to fill this position. All applications will be considered with preference given to candidates from designated groups in line with SANBI’s Employment Equity Plan.