Project Officer, COR, Nairobi
Vacancy #: 7452 Unit: ESARO - Coastal and Ocean Programme Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya Reporting to: Regional Regenerative Blue Economy Manager Work percentage: 100% Grade: P1 Expected start date: 01 January 2026 Type of contract: Fixed-term (up to 8 months) Closing date: 03 December 2025
BACKGROUND
THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION
Background
The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) operates in twenty-four countries in the Horn of Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. The ESARO region is extremely rich in biodiversity with a high number of endemic species and the largest remaining populations of iconic wildlife left on the continent. ESARO’s Programme focuses on biodiversity conservation through a diverse portfolio of projects and programmatic initiatives ranging from activities at the level of individual protected areas to shaping regional policy on biodiversity conservation. ESARO defines and delivers on its programmatic priorities in collaboration with IUCN members, commissions and other strategic partners.
The Coastal and Ocean Resilience (COR) Programme is responsible for marine and coastal issues, including biodiversity conservation, development and management of marine protected areas, other effective conservation measures (OECMs) and their networks, blue economy, ecosystem and fisheries management, High Seas, blue carbon, marine spatial planning, marine pollution, integrated management and governance of coastal areas, adaptation to climate change and disasters risks reduction.
To accelerate and scale up efforts in the region towards coastal and ocean resilience, IUCN has been coordinating efforts, together with countries and partners, to develop the Great Blue Wall initiative.
The Great Blue Wall Is a Western Indian Ocean (WIO)-born, Africa-driven Roadmap To Achieve a Nature Positive World By 2030. It Aims At Unlocking Unprecedented Nature-based Recovery Efforts Through The Establishment Of a Transformational Movement. Its Goal Is To Dramatically Accelerate And Upscale Ocean Conservation Actions While Enhancing Socio-ecological Resilience And The Development Of a Regenerative Blue Economy By Catalyzing Political Leadership And Financial Support. This Will Be Achieved By Spearheading The Establishment Of a Connected Network Of Nature-people Positive Seascapes (or Regenerative Seascapes). This Network Of Seascapes Will Act As a Regional Ecological Corridor Formed By Conserved And Restored Critical Blue Ecosystems Such As Mangroves, Seagrasses And Corals. While The Great Blue Wall Will Act As a Bulwark Against Climate Change Impacts And Biodiversity Loss, It Will Also Shelter Coastal Communities And Create The Enabling Conditions And Necessary Mechanisms To Empower Local Stakeholders To Become Stewards Of The Ocean While Accelerating The Development Of a Regenerative Blue Economy. The Great Blue Wall Is An Action-focused And Action-driven Regional Response To Address Three Interconnected Development Agendas, I.e. Biodiversity - Climate – Socioeconomic Transformation With Three Clear Objectives To Be Achieved By 2030
Three Key Pillars
Job Description
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
The Project Officer will serve as the operational backbone of the COR team. They will:
Coordinate day-to-day implementation of project activities pertaining to marine ecosystem governance, regenerative blue economy, and blue policy.
Manage communities of practice and stakeholder engagement.
Oversee workshop logistics, procurement tracking, and partner communications; and
Support harmonization of deliverables and reporting across seascapes.
This role is pivotal to advancing impact on the seascapes.
Major Responsibilities
IMPLEMENTATION AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Implementation, Operational Delivery and Coordination
Provide day-to-day operational and coordination support for the implementation of IUCN’s marine and coastal resilience and governance initiatives under the seascape approach.
Coordinate logistics, procurement, and documentation for workshops, training, and field activities.
Maintain project trackers, calendars, and follow-up actions to ensure timely implementation.
Support the preparation of Terms of Reference, contracts, and payment requests in line with IUCN procedures.
Follow up with consultants and partners to ensure deliverables and reporting milestones are met.
Manage shared email inboxes and ensure clear communication with all stakeholders.
COORDINATION AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT;
Manage and nurture IUCN’s Communities of Practice, including grantees, fellows, and expert networks supporting marine ecosystem governance and blue economy initiatives.
Support the planning and execution of training and capacity-building programmes for community members and technical partners.
Support coordination of cross-cutting stakeholder processes.
Liaise with national and regional partners for timely delivery and coordination
Coordinate the organization of harmonization workshops and consultations.
EVENTS AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE;
Oversee logistics for in-person and virtual workshops, training sessions, and stakeholder dialogues.
Support management of participant lists, invitations, speaker coordination, and event documentation.
Prepare reports, meeting summaries, and lessons-learned notes from events.
Support knowledge exchange through synthesis of best practices and learning materials.
COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH AND RESOURCE MOBILISATION;
Manage communication flow with stakeholders, fellows, and partners in coordination with the COR Communications Officer.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT;
Maintain consolidated workplans, deliverables trackers, and reporting calendars for WIOCOR and BBNJ portfolios.
Monitor progress across countries and partners, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and internal deadlines.
Assist with budget monitoring and coordination with finance to ensure expenditure aligns with planned activities.
Maintain an updated filing and knowledge management system for all project documents (contracts, reports, workshops, correspondence).
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES;
Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
Requirements
EDUCATION;
An advanced university degree preferably in relevant disciplines, xxx.
Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint) use of internet and online communication tools;
WORK EXPERIENCE;
We Are Seeking a Hands-on, Highly Motivated, Gender-sensitive And Results-oriented Professional Who Demonstrates Autonomy, Innovation, And Strong Coordination Abilities, With At Least 5 Years Of Relevant Experience In The Following Areas
Proven expertise in day-to-day project coordination and operational delivery, including planning, budgeting, procurement, and reporting within multi-country programmes.
Experience in stakeholder engagement and community coordination, including working with government partners, civil society, local organizations, and regional bodies on environmental or ocean issues.
Demonstrated capacity in organising and managing training workshops, technical meetings, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
Good understanding of marine and coastal ecosystem management, ocean governance, and community resilience frameworks, considered a strong advantage.
Proven ability to produce high-quality technical and administrative documents, such as Terms of Reference, decision sheets, briefing notes, reports, and knowledge products.
Familiarity with results-based management (RBM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and project cycle management.
Experience in supporting expert networks or communities of practice, including tracking deliverables and maintaining partner communications.
Ability to apply a gender-sensitive lens in programme delivery and stakeholder engagement.
Regional experience in Eastern and Southern Africa or the Western Indian Ocean region is highly desirable.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English is essential. Ability to communicate in French and/or Portuguese will be considered as an added advantage;
CORE COMPETENCIES;
Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provides a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multiethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.
Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions, promotes the IUCN One Programme approach.
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES;
Adheres to IUCN core values of Transparency, Inclusiveness, Professionalism and Accountability;
Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure and deliver within tight timelines.
Strong communication and diplomacy skills, with experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments.
Commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, with a proactive and mature attitude.
Strong coordination, planning, and time management skills.
Ability to handle complex logistics and competing priorities with efficiency and composure.
Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
Service-oriented approach and commitment to teamwork.
Flexibility and adaptability to dynamic operational contexts.
Willingness to travel within the region to support workshops, community activities, and regional events.
Be willing to undertake frequent travel and interact with different stakeholders from diverse cultures.
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN
BACKGROUND
THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION
Background
The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) operates in twenty-four countries in the Horn of Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. The ESARO region is extremely rich in biodiversity with a high number of endemic species and the largest remaining populations of iconic wildlife left on the continent. ESARO’s Programme focuses on biodiversity conservation through a diverse portfolio of projects and programmatic initiatives ranging from activities at the level of individual protected areas to shaping regional policy on biodiversity conservation. ESARO defines and delivers on its programmatic priorities in collaboration with IUCN members, commissions and other strategic partners.
The Coastal and Ocean Resilience (COR) Programme is responsible for marine and coastal issues, including biodiversity conservation, development and management of marine protected areas, other effective conservation measures (OECMs) and their networks, blue economy, ecosystem and fisheries management, High Seas, blue carbon, marine spatial planning, marine pollution, integrated management and governance of coastal areas, adaptation to climate change and disasters risks reduction.
To accelerate and scale up efforts in the region towards coastal and ocean resilience, IUCN has been coordinating efforts, together with countries and partners, to develop the Great Blue Wall initiative.
The Great Blue Wall Is a Western Indian Ocean (WIO)-born, Africa-driven Roadmap To Achieve a Nature Positive World By 2030. It Aims At Unlocking Unprecedented Nature-based Recovery Efforts Through The Establishment Of a Transformational Movement. Its Goal Is To Dramatically Accelerate And Upscale Ocean Conservation Actions While Enhancing Socio-ecological Resilience And The Development Of a Regenerative Blue Economy By Catalyzing Political Leadership And Financial Support. This Will Be Achieved By Spearheading The Establishment Of a Connected Network Of Nature-people Positive Seascapes (or Regenerative Seascapes). This Network Of Seascapes Will Act As a Regional Ecological Corridor Formed By Conserved And Restored Critical Blue Ecosystems Such As Mangroves, Seagrasses And Corals. While The Great Blue Wall Will Act As a Bulwark Against Climate Change Impacts And Biodiversity Loss, It Will Also Shelter Coastal Communities And Create The Enabling Conditions And Necessary Mechanisms To Empower Local Stakeholders To Become Stewards Of The Ocean While Accelerating The Development Of a Regenerative Blue Economy. The Great Blue Wall Is An Action-focused And Action-driven Regional Response To Address Three Interconnected Development Agendas, I.e. Biodiversity - Climate – Socioeconomic Transformation With Three Clear Objectives To Be Achieved By 2030
- Effectively and equitably conserve at least 30% of the ocean by 2030;
- Conserve and restore at least 2m ha of critical blue ecosystems to achieve net-gain by 2030;
- Unlock the development of a regenerative blue economy that directly benefits coastal communities while also delivering conservation outcomes.
Three Key Pillars
- Blue Planet: As the world embarks on an ambitious journey of conservation and protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, it is of paramount importance to ensure that such target is not only achieved on paper but importantly on the ground by empowering local stakeholders to become stewards and managers of the ocean. This pillar focuses on this effort by supporting the establishment of relevant governance frameworks at seascape level and the necessary enabling policy frameworks at national, regional and international levels. It also focuses on increasing the effectiveness and equity of area-based conservation measures.
- Blue Nature: Like any living organism, a seascape has its own critical features (or “organs”) that need to be protected and restored (or “healed”) if the rest of the seascape is to stay healthy. This pillar therefore focuses on securing the integrity of critical ecosystems by accelerating and upscaling the restoration and conservation of critical blue ecosystems by driving the implementation at scale of Nature-based Solutions.
- Blue People: For a large-scale seascape to thrive and be effectively managed, it is of paramount importance that stakeholders directly benefit from these areas and from ocean conservation efforts. To achieve the scale of impact required, it is crucial that economic activities are not only sustainable and produce socio-economic benefits but also contribute to the regeneration of the ocean. This pillar therefore focuses on unlocking the potential of our blue natural capital by supporting the development of a regenerative blue economy.
- Blue Partnerships: Because overcoming today’s challenges will require all parties to join forces, and for conservation efforts to be sustainable and impactful at scale, innovative and ambitious partnerships will be a critical piece of the solution. Setting up such types of partnerships is IUCN’s DNA. Areas of work include innovative finance, technology and communication, broader ecosystem of partners, coalition building, and knowledge and experience sharing.
Job Description
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
The Project Officer will serve as the operational backbone of the COR team. They will:
Coordinate day-to-day implementation of project activities pertaining to marine ecosystem governance, regenerative blue economy, and blue policy.
Manage communities of practice and stakeholder engagement.
Oversee workshop logistics, procurement tracking, and partner communications; and
Support harmonization of deliverables and reporting across seascapes.
This role is pivotal to advancing impact on the seascapes.
Major Responsibilities
IMPLEMENTATION AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Implementation, Operational Delivery and Coordination
Provide day-to-day operational and coordination support for the implementation of IUCN’s marine and coastal resilience and governance initiatives under the seascape approach.
Coordinate logistics, procurement, and documentation for workshops, training, and field activities.
Maintain project trackers, calendars, and follow-up actions to ensure timely implementation.
Support the preparation of Terms of Reference, contracts, and payment requests in line with IUCN procedures.
Follow up with consultants and partners to ensure deliverables and reporting milestones are met.
Manage shared email inboxes and ensure clear communication with all stakeholders.
COORDINATION AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT;
Manage and nurture IUCN’s Communities of Practice, including grantees, fellows, and expert networks supporting marine ecosystem governance and blue economy initiatives.
Support the planning and execution of training and capacity-building programmes for community members and technical partners.
Support coordination of cross-cutting stakeholder processes.
Liaise with national and regional partners for timely delivery and coordination
Coordinate the organization of harmonization workshops and consultations.
EVENTS AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE;
Oversee logistics for in-person and virtual workshops, training sessions, and stakeholder dialogues.
Support management of participant lists, invitations, speaker coordination, and event documentation.
Prepare reports, meeting summaries, and lessons-learned notes from events.
Support knowledge exchange through synthesis of best practices and learning materials.
COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH AND RESOURCE MOBILISATION;
Manage communication flow with stakeholders, fellows, and partners in coordination with the COR Communications Officer.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT;
Maintain consolidated workplans, deliverables trackers, and reporting calendars for WIOCOR and BBNJ portfolios.
Monitor progress across countries and partners, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and internal deadlines.
Assist with budget monitoring and coordination with finance to ensure expenditure aligns with planned activities.
Maintain an updated filing and knowledge management system for all project documents (contracts, reports, workshops, correspondence).
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES;
Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
Requirements
- POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
EDUCATION;
An advanced university degree preferably in relevant disciplines, xxx.
Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint) use of internet and online communication tools;
WORK EXPERIENCE;
We Are Seeking a Hands-on, Highly Motivated, Gender-sensitive And Results-oriented Professional Who Demonstrates Autonomy, Innovation, And Strong Coordination Abilities, With At Least 5 Years Of Relevant Experience In The Following Areas
Proven expertise in day-to-day project coordination and operational delivery, including planning, budgeting, procurement, and reporting within multi-country programmes.
Experience in stakeholder engagement and community coordination, including working with government partners, civil society, local organizations, and regional bodies on environmental or ocean issues.
Demonstrated capacity in organising and managing training workshops, technical meetings, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
Good understanding of marine and coastal ecosystem management, ocean governance, and community resilience frameworks, considered a strong advantage.
Proven ability to produce high-quality technical and administrative documents, such as Terms of Reference, decision sheets, briefing notes, reports, and knowledge products.
Familiarity with results-based management (RBM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and project cycle management.
Experience in supporting expert networks or communities of practice, including tracking deliverables and maintaining partner communications.
Ability to apply a gender-sensitive lens in programme delivery and stakeholder engagement.
Regional experience in Eastern and Southern Africa or the Western Indian Ocean region is highly desirable.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English is essential. Ability to communicate in French and/or Portuguese will be considered as an added advantage;
CORE COMPETENCIES;
Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provides a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multiethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.
Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions, promotes the IUCN One Programme approach.
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES;
Adheres to IUCN core values of Transparency, Inclusiveness, Professionalism and Accountability;
Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure and deliver within tight timelines.
Strong communication and diplomacy skills, with experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments.
Commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, with a proactive and mature attitude.
Strong coordination, planning, and time management skills.
Ability to handle complex logistics and competing priorities with efficiency and composure.
Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
Service-oriented approach and commitment to teamwork.
Flexibility and adaptability to dynamic operational contexts.
Willingness to travel within the region to support workshops, community activities, and regional events.
Be willing to undertake frequent travel and interact with different stakeholders from diverse cultures.
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN