IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with almost 1,300 government and NGO Members and more than 15,000 volunteer experts in 185 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by almost 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director, Project Development is responsible and accountable for oversight on project, planning and programme delivery and implementation and provides high-level advisory capacity to respective group heads, project managers, as well as to partners and programme/project stakeholders. The incumbent is responsible for delivering activities as provided in project documents and agreements and continuously monitors the viability of the business case for both IUCN and the clients. The duties of the Director, Project Development change and adapt to the level and complexity of the programmes and projects it supports.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

1. Leadership, Oversight and Management of Projects, Programmes and Portfolios (3P)
• Provide leadership, oversight and overall direction to ensure efficient and cost effective development/developing implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, programmes and portfolios for IUCN Asia and effective delivery of expected results in line with project agreements while ensuring stakeholder satisfaction;
• Develop, maintain and implement work plans that include specific milestones using generally-accepted project management techniques, standards and tools, incorporating tolerances and management of risks that might affect the project at identified stages and developing mitigating measures as appropriate;
• Ensure that projects, programmes and portfolios are implemented in compliance with agreements and IUCN’s rules and procedures and deliver products and services within specified time, cost, quality, scope, risks and benefits;
• Oversee and ensure the timely implementation and delivery of work plans, financial reports, technical progress reports, work packages and other documents to project stakeholders.

2. Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership Development and Communication
• Continuously engage stakeholders and ensure clear communication channels in keeping donors and clients informed of implementation progress;
• Keep an eye on potential business and partnership opportunities and capitalize on relationships in coordination with the supervisor and the Membership Unit;
• Lead and direct prioritized fund raising efforts and ensure that Programme and Project Managers on networking and designing related project initiatives;
• Oversee the development and ensure the delivery of an effective communications strategy for all projects, programmes and portfolios within IUCN Asia, ensuring that results and success are communicated to a wide internal and external audience, in close coordination with the Communications Unit;
• Build new and maintain existing relationships with key stakeholders, primarily donor institutions, governments, regional integration organizations, as well as financial and scientific institutions and professional associations;
• Spearhead the development of multilateral environmental agreements that are relevant to the thrusts of IUCN in general, and of IUCN Asia in particular.

3. Operations and Administrative Controls
• Effectively manage and utilize administrative, financial and human resources available and ensure that these are used in conformity with relevant IUCN rules and standards, contributing to and benefiting from an integrated operational and financial management model in the region, and allocate the necessary support in respect to projects and programmes across IUCN Asia as necessary;
• Develop and manage budgets, obligations and commitments and ensure expenditures are in line with the work plan and the project agreement, in compliance with IUCN’s financial rules and in coordination with the Regional Finance Unit;
• Lead and motivate teams, ensuring that effective performance management remains a priority for acknowledging top talent and identifying performance issues and presenting corrective measures to staff in coordination with the Regional Human Resources office.

4. Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Development
• Employ best practices in project management and ensure lessons learned are shared with programme and project teams that encourage collaborative and participatory approach;
• Provide feedback to Programme/Project Managers, Group Heads and project staff and facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions for continuous capacity improvement;

5. Private Sector
• Provide assistance with development and support to all units across the region on private sector projects;

6. Programme and Project Planning, Monitoring and Reporting
• Support the Country Offices in effectively coordinating Projects and Programme to ensure coherence and integration across the programme as well as with the Asia Region and globally;
• Provide guidance in coordinating the process of country programme and project planning, monitoring and reporting in accordance with guidelines established for the Asia Region and globally;
• Provide direct oversight in ensuring that the country office operationalizes the Asia Project Appraisal System (PAS) guidelines;
• Review all strategic, intersessional and annual plans to ensure they meet the high standards of the Asia Region;
• Work closely with the Deputy Regional Director, Country Representatives, Programme Coordinators, Director of HR and Head of Finance on matters related to preparation of project budget and donor contracts, definition of the core functions and costs of IUCN, integration of annual work planning and budgeting, and new financing mechanisms;
• Liaise closely with thematic units and Projects to ensure outputs and commitments identified in work plans are delivered in a timely and effective manner and any resulting products are of high quality;
• Develop/Standardise and integrate monitoring and evaluation in the work of all projects including the development and use of performance indicators for quality management;
• Support programme and project evaluations and participate in related reviews, as necessary;
• Ensure regular programme reporting requirements by both donors and IUCN Asia Regional Office (ARO) are met (e.g. Quarterly Progress-Reports & Annual Report);
• Establish strong links between communications/knowledge management and programme coordination and delivery.

7. Perform other duties as may be assigned.