Project and Biodiversity Specialist Manager – Cape Town

IAIAsa; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Biodiversity Africa is seeking an experienced environmental professional to lead the delivery of complex biodiversity and environmental projects in Cape Town. This senior, hands-on Manager will oversee projects from appointment to completion, coordinate specialist teams and ensure high technical standards.

The role focuses on translating project requirements into clear scopes and programmes, maintaining client relationships, and driving continuous improvement in templates, workflows and QA

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in environmental related field.
• Honours degree in Environmental Science or related discipline.
• Experience as an Environmental Assessment Practitioner or similar role.
• Knowledge of South African environmental assessment processes.
• Strong project leadership, critical thinking and problem solving.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound organisational abilities and time management.
• Valid driver’s licence.

Responsibilities

• Lead management of biodiversity and environmental projects from initiation to completion.
• Coordinate specialist workloads across projects and manage deadlines.
• Translate project requirements into clear scopes, programmes and deliverables.
• Maintain trusted client and stakeholder relationships throughout projects.
• Identify risks early and implement mitigation plans.
• Support proposal writing, including scopes, methodologies and budgets.
• Oversee invoicing through project milestones and quality control of deliverables.
• Review reports for technical coherence, completeness and consistency.
• Develop and improve templates, workflows and quality-control procedures.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Risk management

Proposal writing

Client management

Team coordination

Problem-solving

Education

Honours degree in Environmental Science or related

Demonstrated Environmental Assessment Practitioner experience

Valid driver’s licence

Job description

Vacancy: Project and Biodiversity Specialist Manager – Cape Town – Permanent

Job position: Project and Biodiversity Specialist Manager

Job type: Permanent

Location: Cape Town

Closing Dates: 31 October 2026

Starting Date: N/A

Biodiversity Africa is looking for an experienced environmental professional to take a leading role in the delivery of complex biodiversity and environmental projects.

This is a senior, hands-on project management position for someone who combines sound environmental assessment experience with strong judgement, clear communication and a genuine ability to bring structure to a busy consulting environment. You will oversee the management of projects from appointment to completion, coordinate specialist teams and help ensure that our work is delivered efficiently, consistently and to a high technical standard.

The role offers an opportunity to work closely with experienced biodiversity specialists and contribute meaningfully to projects at the intersection of development, environmental assessment and biodiversity conservation. You will play a central role in translating project requirements into clear scopes, realistic programmes and coordinated deliverables, while maintaining trusted relationships with clients and project stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who enjoys creating clarity, anticipating problems and enabling our specialists to do their best work.

The person we are looking for

You are likely to thrive in this role if you:

• Take ownership and follow projects through to completion;
• Can see both the strategic picture and the practical details required for delivery;
• Create calm and clarity in a complex, deadline-driven environment;
• Communicate directly, respectfully and confidently;
• Anticipate risks and act before they become problems;
• Enjoy supporting technical specialists and coordinating diverse areas of expertise;
• Are comfortable making decisions and holding others accountable;
• Value technical integrity and will not compromise quality for expediency; and
• Continuously look for better, simpler and more effective ways of working.
• Manage projects from initiation through to completion, ensuring that deadlines, deliverables and quality requirements are met.
• Coordinate and manage specialist workloads across projects, taking account of team capacity, seasonal survey requirements and competing deadlines and implement solutions proactively.
• Allocate work appropriately and support specialists in prioritising and planning their deliverables.Develop, implement and improve systems, processes and tools to increase efficiency and consistency across projects.
• Identify potential capacity constraints and delivery risks before they affect project outcomes.
• Manage client relationships and act as a key point of contact throughout projects.
• Build trusted professional relationships through responsive, clear and solutions-focused communication.
• Manage client expectations regarding project scope, information requirements, timelines and deliverables.
• Assist with or lead proposal writing, including developing scopes, methodologies and budgets.
• Facilitate invoicing through notifications around project billing milestones.
• Review reports and other deliverables for technical coherence, completeness and consistency before submission.
• Support the continued improvement of templates, workflows and quality-control procedures.
• Develop and implement practical systems and tools that improve project visibility, consistency and efficiency.
• Contribute to a culture of high standards, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. Key safety check-in for staff members during field surveys.

What we offer:

• A senior role with meaningful responsibility and scope to influence how projects are delivered.
• The opportunity to work alongside experienced biodiversity professionals on varied and technically engaging projects.
• A collaborative working environment that values scientific integrity, practical problem-solving and high-quality work.
• The opportunity to strengthen systems, shape project-delivery practices and make a visible contribution to the continued growth of the business.
• 5 years’ relevant professional experience in environmental related field.
• A minimum of an Honours degree in Environmental Science, Natural Sciences, Environmental Management or a closely related discipline. Demonstrated experience as an Environmental Assessment Practitioner or in a comparable environmental assessment role.
• A sound understanding of South African environmental assessment and authorisation processes.
• Strong project leadership, critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience managing multiple projects, deadlines and competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational and skills.
• A valid driver’s licence.

Salary range:
Salary will be commensurate with experience and position.