Field Operations Manager: North

Peace Parks Foundation; Wes-Kaap; Presencial; ZAR 750.000 - 1.100.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Peace Parks Foundation is seeking a Field Operations Manager to coordinate operational support across Protected Areas and conservation projects within an assigned region. You will work with park management, project teams and regional support to strengthen compliance, reporting and the delivery of programme milestones.

Frequent travel to sites is required; a bachelor’s degree and substantial operations experience in NGO or conservation settings are essential.

Formación

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Operations Management, Public Administration or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification or professional certification in Operations Management or Project Management is advantageous.

Responsabilidades

• Coordinate and support operational systems across Protected Areas and projects.
• Ensure alignment with plans, budgets, policies and regulatory requirements.
• Provide timely operational information and escalation to management.
• Facilitate cross-functional coordination with regional support functions.
• Support procurement processes and efficient use of resources.

Conocimientos

Operations management

Project management

Budgeting

Donor-funded projects

Stakeholder management

Educación

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Postgraduate qualification in Operations/PM

Descripción del empleo

Duration: 3 Year fixed-term contract

Reporting to: Regional Manager: North

Location: Regional Office

Working conditions: Frequent travel to Protected Areas and project implementation sites within the assigned regional portfolio.

Background

Founded in 1997 by President Nelson Mandela, HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and Dr Anton Rupert, Peace Parks Foundation is a non-profit organisation pioneering conservation at scale across southern Africa.

Working through Transfrontier Conservation Areas that span national borders, Peace Parks connects protected areas, supports biodiversity conservation and ecological resilience, strengthens local economies and promotes regional peace and stability. Its holistic approach is built on three pillars: conservation at scale, community development and conservation finance, ensuring that protected areas deliver long-term ecological and economic value.

To date, Peace Parks has supported governments in establishing 780 000 km² of Transfrontier Conservation Areas across southern Africa. It also co-manages eight parks where wildlife populations have rebounded fivefold and supports more than 280 000 people annually through its interventions. With formal government mandates and strong community partnerships, Peace Parks offers a proven model for building resilience for people and nature across southern Africa’s most significant landscapes.

The Foundation’s Vision 2050 is to secure 17 fully functional transboundary landscapes spanning 980 000 km², making it one of the world’s largest land-based conservation initiatives.

www.peaceparks.org

Job Purpose

The Field Operations Manager is responsible for providing effective operational, administrative and implementation support across a portfolio of Protected Areas, conservation programmes and related projects within an assigned region.

The position will ensure that operational systems, administrative processes, project implementation activities and support services are effectively coordinated and delivered in accordance with organisational strategies, approved plans, budgets, policies, procedures, standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

This role will work closely with Protected Area management teams, project managers, regional and corporate support functions, to strengthen operational effectiveness, organisational compliance, and the successful delivery of regional programmes and projects.

Field Operations Manager responsibilities

• supporting Protected Area, Special Purpose Vehicle (Co-Management structures) and project teams to strengthen operational systems and capacity;


• facilitating implementation of approved operational priorities and workplans;


• identifying and helping to resolve operational constraints;


• coordinating access to relevant regional and corporate support functions; and


• providing the Regional Manager with timely operational information, escalation and decision support.

This role will work closely with Protected Area management teams, project managers, regional and corporate support functions.

Duties And Responsibilities

Protected Area Operational Support

• Assess the protected areas' operational support needs jointly with the relevant management teams, with emphasis on the delivery of operational milestones and targets


• Support the implementation of basic Park operational disciplines, ensuring that minimum standards are met, best practices are considered and that the appropriate systems are introduced and maintained.


• Provide guidance and inputs on operational planning including annual operational plans, implementation plans and associated budgets, systems and procedures.


• Facilitate access to technical expertise, corporate services and peer learning.

Regional Operational Coordination

• Coordinate and periodically review operational priorities and workplans with the responsible managers.


• Identify dependencies, bottlenecks and constraints requiring cross-functional support.


• Facilitate resolution of operational issues and elevate matters outside delegated authority.


• Promote consistent application of approved operational systems, standards and working practices.

Project Implementation Support

• Work with project managers to address constraints affecting agreed milestones.


• Support complex or shared operational requirements across projects or sites.


• Provide operational information to the Regional Project Management Officer (RPMO) for formal tracking, performance management and reporting purposes.

Operational Risk Management, Compliance and Internal Controls

• Support the identification, assessment and management of operational risks across the regional portfolio.


• Maintain awareness of key operational, financial, project and compliance risks.


• Ensure that relevant risks are documented, monitored and escalated appropriately.


• Support the implementation of organisational risk management processes and mitigation measures and assist responsible managers to address compliance gaps.


• Promote compliance with health, safety and security requirements.


• Ensure that significant operational incidents are timeously reported, managed and closed out in accordance with organisational procedures and timelines.


• Contribute to the development and implementation of corrective actions arising from incidents, audits and risk assessments.


• Promote application of all policies, procedures, standards and controls.

Financial and Resource Management

• Contribute to multi-year and annual budget plans, cost estimates and resource requirements.


• Facilitate accurate and efficient monitoring, control and management of Park and Project budgets


• Support procurement processes for large contracts.


• Guide teams and efficient utilisation and management of organisational resources and assets.

Review monitoring and evaluation data and reporting

• Perform critical review of all operational reports.


• Highlight constraints, emerging risks and dependencies, and the decisions that are required.


• Provide operational inputs to RPMO, MEL, donor and management reporting as requested.


• Effective tracking of regional priorities and performance against operational milestones in collaboration with the RPMO, project managers and operational teams

Representation and continuity

• Represent Peace Parks Foundation at delegated institutional and technical meetings.


• Provide operational continuity during Regional Manager absences within documented authority.


• Undertake formal acting responsibilities only where confirmed separately in writing.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Operations Management, Project Management, Conservation Management, Public Administration, Finance or a related field.


• A relevant postgraduate qualification or professional certification in Operations Management, Project Management or Business Administration will be advantageous.


• Minimum of 7-10 years' relevant professional experience in operations, administration, project management or organisational management.


• Experience working within a complex NGO, conservation, development or international organisation environment.


• Demonstrated experience managing operations across multiple projects, locations or countries.


• Experience supporting field-based operations and decentralised teams.


• Demonstrated experience in financial administration, procurement and operational planning.


• Experience working with donor-funded projects and programmes will be advantageous.


• Experience in Protected Area management, conservation or natural resource management environments will be strongly advantageous.


• Experience working in multiple countries and with diverse stakeholders will be advantageous.

We appreciate the time and effort taken by all applicants in expressing their interest in this role. Due to the high volume of applications received, we are only able to contact candidates who are selected for further consideration. If you do not hear from us within 3 weeks, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion. We encourage you to apply for future opportunities that match your skills and experience.

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