Conservation Project Manager at Space for Giants

About Us

Space for Giants is an international conservation organisation, based in Africa, founded in 2011. Our mission is to protect the natural ecosystems on which Africa’s large wild animals depend, ensuring they are valued by local people. We currently work in 11 countries across Central, East and Southern Africa, focusing on some of the most pressing challenges facing the conservation of megafauna today. We have three thematic pillars of work to achieve our mission which are: 1) The protection and management of natural ecosystems and associated value creation for local citizens; 2) Combating the illegal wildlife trade; and 3) Promoting Human-Wildlife Coexistence. We pride ourselves on our highly collaborative approach with national governments, recognising the importance of being relevant to elected leaders and their constituents, striving to ensure that our conservation work is aligned with their priorities. Grounded in world class science, we bring high quality technical expertise and experience to inform and deliver our conservation programmes, wherever we work. We also pride ourselves on being adaptable and nimble to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and evolving challenges in a very dynamic space.

We have grown rapidly since we were founded – from working to study, protect and manage elephants in a single landscape in central Kenya; to engaging in policy and strategy development across international, national and landscape-level environments. To better position Space for Giants for current conservation challenges and opportunities, we developed a new five-year strategic plan in 2021. This broadened the focus of the organisation beyond African elephants, which are still an anchor and symbol for our work, to the critical ecosystems on which they and other large wild animals, and indeed all of us, depend. To read more visit: www.spaceforgiants.org

Your Position with Space for Giants

The Space for Giants Conservation Department oversees a diverse range of programmes including Human Wildlife Coexistence, Protected Area Management and Conservation Monitoring and Evaluation. With strong project management skills and experience, the Conservation Project Manager will work across this diverse set of programmes supporting the Conservation Director and other conservation department managers to ensure project delivery and targets are met. The Conservation Project Manager will work across the conservation department to ensure that projects are compliant to delivery plans, budgets, reporting requirements, and will ensure that content is generated for and from these to feed into grant applications and impact reporting.

Responsibilities & Scope

1. Provide daily support to the Director of Conservation as directed, especially focused on financial reporting, project reporting, grants writing and communication
2. Provide project management support across the Conservation department by tracking and reporting on updates for all projects, tracking key deliverables, targets, budgets vs actuals
3. Provide operational support to the Conservation Director in setting up meetings, taking meeting notes, circulating these to all participants, and following up on all actions required
4. Ensuring that all team members complete and hand in timesheets monthly
5. Support the Conservation Director to develop and submit annual strategic objectives and associated budgets for approval
6. Project budget reporting on budget vs actual, adjustments required, red flags
7. Development of concept notes, proposals, presentations, etc for use in reporting and fundraising
8. Support the Conservation Impact Manager to develop and maintain an impact measurement framework to measure the division’s impact and to monitor and evaluate this over time. In doing so, supporting the Communications Department in reporting SFG’s impact to our network of supporters and partners.
9. Assist with grant writing applications as well as supporting institutional and private grant reporting requirements
10. Always upholds and promotes Space for Giants’ core values
11. Work with and in support of the Director of Conservation to ensure that all projects are being managed and delivered in compliance with funding contracts and delivery terms
12. Requires willingness to travel regularly domestically and internationally, and to occasionally work weekend and evenings

Experience Required

• At least five years of project management within the conservation sector
• Educated to at least Master’s degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant field
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (french an advantage)
• Experience in meeting deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire and mentor a team
• Proven experience in working with African Governments and Stakeholders
• Excellent project and systems management skills
• Strong GIS skills an advantage
• Working knowledge of various types of conservation technology (including but not limited to SMART, Earthranger, etc.);
• Strong interpersonal and multicultural skills
• Experience of conservation in Africa
• Willingness to work on weekends and public holidays when required
• A critical thinker
• Valid driving license

Place of Work

You will be based in Nanyuki, Kenya, working at the Space for Giants office. Your office hours will be from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Reporting and Delivery

The position will report to the Director of Conservation

Contract Term

This is a permanent position. Remuneration is negotiable subject to experience and skills.