Head – Programme Delivery

at  Emirates NatureWWF

The Head of Programme Delivery at Emirates Nature-WWF plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of high-impact environmental programs and initiatives across the UAE. This position oversees the planning, implementation, and monitoring of key conservation efforts in alignment with Emirates Nature-WWF’s goals. Reporting directly to the Chief Conservation Officer, the role is responsible for managing cross-functional teams and ensuring collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver on strategic conservation priorities.

Major Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for leading and managing agreed and supported programmes, creating and supporting effective implementation and delivery systems.
• Develop and lead the execution and oversight of implementation, governance, reporting and a review framework to provide a holistic view of all activity progress against deliverables and performance indicators to ensure stakeholders are fully informed, and to inform decision making.
• Manage interdependencies and coordination across project teams to ensure that information relating to program deliverables, risks and issues are effectively communicated between stakeholders and that key performance indicators are monitored and evaluated.
• Identify and define the major strategic issues for the organisation and integrate diverse stakeholder interests with the EN-WWF’s broader agenda to inform the development and prioritisation of deliverables and to proactively understand and mitigate risks.
• Responsibility for implementing internal performance metrics to demonstrate effectiveness, influencing programme management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Ensure all project milestones, contractual and reporting requirements are met to the agreed standard.
• Foster collaborative and mutually supportive relationships with project leaders and senior stakeholders, assess cross-functional project team capability, provide coaching, training and support to enhance the Agency’s project/program management capability, and improve collaborative development and results.
• Lead the effective management of performance and resources in a manner that meets requirements and optimises outcomes (includes managing budget, staff/contract performance, development, asset management, internal and external reporting).
• Empower and equip programme team members, allocating resource to effectively deliver agreed and supported projects and their goals/KPIs.
• Proactively identify potential risks to program delivery and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring alignment with Emirates Nature-WWF’s mission and conservation goals.
• Establish a risk management framework that includes regular risk assessments, contingency planning, and crisis management protocols to protect the organization’s reputation and resource sustainability.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to ensure adherence to relevant environmental regulations and NGO standards, minimizing operational and reputational risks.
• Engage stakeholders to communicate potential risks and develop shared solutions to enhance resilience and long-term program impact.
• Follow WWF’s PPMS, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of conservation projects.
• Ensure that M&E processes are aligned with Emirates Nature-WWF’s wider impact vision and provide insights for continuous improvement in program delivery.
• Align program objectives and outputs with the organization’s long-term conservation strategy and impact narrative, ensuring that all initiatives contribute to Emirates Nature-WWF’s overall mission.
• Support the development of a cohesive storyline for Emirates Nature-WWF’s conservation impact, using data and insights to illustrate the organization’s achievements and societal contributions.
• Collaborate with the communications team to highlight the outcomes of key projects and initiatives, reinforcing the organization’s credibility and value in the environmental sector.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Conservation, Project Management, Sustainable Development, or a related field.
• Relevant certifications in Project Management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) are highly desirable.
• Additional certifications in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), or Data Analytics related to program delivery can be an advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in programme/project management roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership position within an NGO, preferably in environmental or conservation sectors.
• Proven experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams and delivering complex, high-impact programs in the environmental sector.
• Experience working with government agencies, donors, and community stakeholders on environmental conservation projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage program budgets, donor reporting, and financial oversight of large-scale projects.
• Prior experience in the UAE or GCC region with a good understanding of local environmental regulations and cultural contexts is a plus.
• Experience in grant writing, donor relations, and securing funding for large-scale environmental projects is an asset.

Required Skills

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

• Familiarity with tools and methodologies for program delivery, such as PMP or PRINCE2 certifications.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation practices, data analytics, and emerging environmental technologies.
  Competencies
  Emirates Nature-WWF Focus: Acts as a member of Emirates Nature-WWF, placing higher priority on Emirates Nature-WWF goals than own goals and anticipating the effects of own area’s actions on others to ensure holistic Emirates Nature-WWF outcomes.
  External Orientation: Looks outwards ensuring WWF stays relevant, continues to anticipate and adapt to external environmental and global trends.
  Delivering Quality Outcomes: Establishes stretch goals, plans, using best judgment and takes responsibility for planning to and delivering on outcomes.
  Building Working Relationships: Builds collaborative relationships through the understanding and development of other’s and own ideas.
  Communicating Effectively: Uses appropriate means of communication to convey messages, seeks input from others and ensures understanding.
  Leading Teams: Develops direction and shared purpose, builds a team through coaching to ensure the accomplishment of goals and high level team performance.
  Leading Change: Encourages and seeks out innovative solutions and brings people on a journey constructively and empathetically.
  Managing Resources: Makes the right judgments based on financial and resource availability.
  Establishing Strategic Direction: Generates options to achieve long-range goals, selects the best strategies for success and delivers on strategic goals.
  Building Organizational Capability: Diagnoses individual and team capability and development needs and champions talent management.
  Working Relationships
  Internal: All Units
  External: Local government agencies, regulators, private and public sector partners, international conservation bodies, media, suppliers and contractors

INTEGRITY & TRUST

• Be confident
• Believe in success
• Retain high level of ethics
  Additional Information
  Emirates Nature-WWF is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome diversity in the workplace and offer a flexible and diverse place of employment.
  Emirates Nature-WWF staff participate wholeheartedly in general activities and events that require the full support and participation of all staff members, whether the focus of any particular event or activity has any bearing on the job description and assigned project objectives and activities.
  Further, this position requires international travel and participation in global forums and conferences, advocating for Emirates Nature-WWF’s mission at the highest levels. Flexibility and adaptability are essential, as the role will involve leading multiple projects across various time zones.
  How To Apply
  Please send your application consisting of a cover letter explaining why you are the right candidate to work with EN-WWF and your CV with the subject ‘Application for Head – Programme Delivery’ to the attention of Ms Magdalena Tayoun at careers@enwwf.ae before 30th November 2024.
  Emirates Nature reserves the right to appoint a candidate prior to this date

• Responsible for leading and managing agreed and supported programmes, creating and supporting effective implementation and delivery systems.
• Develop and lead the execution and oversight of implementation, governance, reporting and a review framework to provide a holistic view of all activity progress against deliverables and performance indicators to ensure stakeholders are fully informed, and to inform decision making.
• Manage interdependencies and coordination across project teams to ensure that information relating to program deliverables, risks and issues are effectively communicated between stakeholders and that key performance indicators are monitored and evaluated.
• Identify and define the major strategic issues for the organisation and integrate diverse stakeholder interests with the EN-WWF’s broader agenda to inform the development and prioritisation of deliverables and to proactively understand and mitigate risks.
• Responsibility for implementing internal performance metrics to demonstrate effectiveness, influencing programme management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Ensure all project milestones, contractual and reporting requirements are met to the agreed standard.
• Foster collaborative and mutually supportive relationships with project leaders and senior stakeholders, assess cross-functional project team capability, provide coaching, training and support to enhance the Agency’s project/program management capability, and improve collaborative development and results.
• Lead the effective management of performance and resources in a manner that meets requirements and optimises outcomes (includes managing budget, staff/contract performance, development, asset management, internal and external reporting).
• Empower and equip programme team members, allocating resource to effectively deliver agreed and supported projects and their goals/KPIs.
• Proactively identify potential risks to program delivery and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring alignment with Emirates Nature-WWF’s mission and conservation goals.
• Establish a risk management framework that includes regular risk assessments, contingency planning, and crisis management protocols to protect the organization’s reputation and resource sustainability.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to ensure adherence to relevant environmental regulations and NGO standards, minimizing operational and reputational risks.
• Engage stakeholders to communicate potential risks and develop shared solutions to enhance resilience and long-term program impact.
• Follow WWF’s PPMS, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of conservation projects.
• Ensure that M&E processes are aligned with Emirates Nature-WWF’s wider impact vision and provide insights for continuous improvement in program delivery.
• Align program objectives and outputs with the organization’s long-term conservation strategy and impact narrative, ensuring that all initiatives contribute to Emirates Nature-WWF’s overall mission.
• Support the development of a cohesive storyline for Emirates Nature-WWF’s conservation impact, using data and insights to illustrate the organization’s achievements and societal contributions.
• Collaborate with the communications team to highlight the outcomes of key projects and initiatives, reinforcing the organization’s credibility and value in the environmental sector