TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature. We actively monitor and investigate wildlife trade and provide information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is an international network, organised into seven regional programmes.

The Project Manager will implement the project: Cutting Wildlife Trafficking Off at the Source: Strengthening Capacity to Investigate and Combat Wildlife Crime within and from South Africa. The Project Manager will also coordinate part of TRAFFIC’s work in Africa on wildlife trafficking, under the Wildlife Crime Initiative.

The Project Manager must be able to cope with complex project management situations and will be required to apply considerable thought before taking action and to take responsibility for all project related decisions. The selection of appropriate capacity building solutions will involve analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of current capacity within government agencies responsible for controlling the wildlife trade in South Africa

Specific Duties

The Project Manager will:

1. Lead implementation of activities under the INL funded project, Cutting Wildlife Trafficking Off at the Source: Strengthening Capacity to Investigate and Combat Wildlife Crime within and from South Africa, in particular:

a. Develop and deliver a specialised training programme reflecting priorities identified in the project needs assessment.
b. Acquire and deliver the equipment identified during the project needs assessment to each province;
c. Develop and deliver a mentoring programme for junior biodiversity law enforcement officials guided by the methodologies outlined in the project needs assessment.
d. Use a project-level Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) formative monitoring and evaluation approach in designing and adaptively managing project delivery.


2. Coordinate part of TRAFFIC’s work in Africa on wildlife trafficking, under the Wildlife Crime Initiative, liaising with counterparts in Asia and globally.

3. Provide input into the Wildlife Crime Initiatives reports, work plans and other documents, as well as proposal development;

4. Support project management processes, including maintaining appropriate records and preparing financial and technical reporting information as required;

5. Provide input on the production of T-ESA’s annual reports, work plans and budgets and other documents;

6. Liaise with other offices of the TRAFFIC Network, relevant inter-governmental organisations, and wildlife authorities in the region to foster understanding and support for T-ESA’s programme objectives in a positive manner;

7. Represent TRAFFIC at national, regional and international meetings, and other events as required;

8. Support other tasks as agreed with the TESA Senior Programme Manager and TESA Regional Director.