PROJECT MANAGER

The successful applicant will be based in ZSL-Philippines office in Ortigas, Metro Manila with corresponding fieldwork and travel to project sites. He/she will work directly with the ZSL Philippines Country Director and Program Manager who will provide guidance and overall direction in reference to project strategy and approaches relative to planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning.

1. Lead the development of annual project work plans aligned with the overall project framework, ensuring that annual targets are clearly integrated into each staff member’s individual objectives and monthly work plans.
2. Oversee day-to-day project implementation, including setting detailed workplans, coordinating calendars of activities, delegating tasks, and representing the team in communicating fieldwork schedules and project activities to partners and stakeholders.‑to‑day project implementation
3. Facilitate periodic project reviews with the team to assess progress against targets, compile feedback and evaluation results, identify enabling and hindering factors, extract lessons learned, and recommend adaptive strategies to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and budget utilization.
4. Lead concept development and knowledge product creation, including drafting project concepts, completing conceptual frameworks, and coordinating with internal reviewers to support proposal development, knowledge generation, and documentation of best practices.
5. Provide regular implementation updates to the Project Management Unit and the ZSL Philippines Leadership Team, ensuring timely, accurate, and transparent communication on progress, risks, and mitigation actions.
6. Lead and oversee the preparation and submission of technical reports to the Project Management Unit and project partners, ensuring outputs, outcomes, images, and information are accurate, appropriate, and well‑documented in collaboration with the project team.
7. Provide technical support and quality assurance on all conservation interventions and field activities, ensuring alignment with science‑based approaches, project standards, and monitoring requirements.
8. Build and maintain strong working relationships with local government units, national agencies, community groups, and other stakeholders, including supporting KPIs related to partnerships (activated when organizational direction is provided).
9. Establish and implement systems for monitoring staff workplans, including developing and using feedback/evaluation tools, tracking progress, identifying capacity needs, and providing coaching, mentoring, and technical guidance.
10. Supervise, coach, and evaluate performance of direct-report project staff, including conducting annual performance evaluations, regular check-ins, and supporting professional development needs.
11. Ensure effective and compliant grant budget management, overseeing budget use and ensuring all expenditures follow ZSL’s and the funder’s financial policies, procedures, and donor requirements.
12. Coordinate closely with ZSL Finance and HR & Admin Units (PH and UK) for financial reporting requirements and ensure overall operational compliance, including proper use of project assets, adherence to ZSL policies (H&S, HR, Finance, Communications), participation in institutional activities, and support for learning and capacity‑building sessions with staff and partners.

This job description is designed to outline a range of main duties that may be encountered. It is not designed to be an exhaustive list of tasks and can be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect changes in the job or the organization. 

• A bachelor’s degree in conservation, natural resource management, environmental science, social science, development, or management;
• With at least 5 years’ experience in project management in conservation, natural resource management (NRM) or development settings;
• Extensive experience in planning, direction setting, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, and budget management preferably on conservation projects;
• A good grasp of relevant conservation and development issues, and policy environment in the Philippines is desired, particularly around forestry and coastal and marine sectors;
• Good understanding of local government and community dynamics in conservation/NRM settings;
• Strong planning, team building and mentoring, organisational, interpersonal, communication and presentation skills;
• Demonstrated systems and strategic thinking and problem solution skills;
• An ability to manage competing priorities and delegate effectively.

• Master’s degree in Conservation or Project Management is desirable;
• Experience in projects funded by bilateral or multilateral donor organizations (e.g., USAID, EU, etc.) is an advantage;
• Knowledge on multi-stakeholder collaboration in conservation settings is desirable;
• Experience in designing, implementing, or supporting awareness and advocacy campaigns, particularly in conservation, community engagement, gender, and environmental policy contexts.

ZSL is committed to conservation led by those who know their environments best. We work hand in hand with local communities and conservationists around the world, united in our mission to protect wildlife and power sustainable solutions globally.

We encourage applications from members of the communities we work with, and from those who share our passion for conservation and collaboration. At ZSL, we value respect, local knowledge, and shared purpose, together, we can make a real difference for wildlife,  people and planet.