Project Officer : Freshwater Stewardship

Wwf South Africa; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

WWF South Africa is seeking a Project Officer: Freshwater Stewardship for a 24-month contract, based in KwaZulu-Natal. This role supports vital freshwater ecosystem stewardship, focusing on research, community engagement, and data management to promote effective water resource management and local custodianship.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Passionate about conservation and water stewardship.

Responsibilities

• Support freshwater citizen science and community engagement.
• Conduct research on freshwater ecosystems.
• Facilitate spatial mapping and data management for freshwater systems.

Job description

This is a 24-month fixed-term contract position based in KwaZulu-Natal. WWF is the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organisation, with over 6 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring sustainable use of renewable natural resources, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF South Africa is a national office that is part of the WWF network.

We are a local NGO that has worked for 50 years with the aim of inspiring all South Africans to live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of our country and the wellbeing of all our people.

WWF's work is for nature, for you. Our work is challenging and exciting, and we love what we do.

To join our team, you need to be excellent at what you do, passionate, results-oriented, and have a positive attitude.

Background

WWF-SA seeks to appoint a Project Officer: Freshwater Stewardship to support and contribute to the overall objectives of freshwater ecosystem stewardship.

This role aims to strengthen technical support for strategic water stewardship and catchment management, including spatial planning, monitoring, and data management.

Responsibilities include supporting freshwater citizen science and community engagement, conducting research on freshwater ecosystems, and contributing to communications, knowledge sharing, and learning across WWF priority landscapes to promote effective water resource management and local custodianship.

The Project Officer: Freshwater Stewardship will play a key role in supporting research, citizen science initiatives, stakeholder coordination, and communication of outcomes. Additionally, this role involves supporting and facilitating spatial mapping and data management systems linked to freshwater systems to inform planning and decision-making, alongside regular freshwater monitoring to establish a robust evidence base for effective catchment management and foster local custodianship of water resources.