Job Summary:
Senior Program Manager is responsible for centrally supporting the initiatives and coordination of the Markets Program with a particular focus on program and project management for the team’s three primary pillars: REDD+ and carbon finance; sustainable commodities; and biodiversity mitigation hierarchy. The position is crucial to ensuring the Markets team meets its day-to-day objectives and tasks while maintaining a wide-angle lens of the program’s longer-term needs and goals. This includes managing projects and grants; pursuing new business opportunities; maintaining and strengthening partnerships with external stakeholders and donors; liaising and collaborating with a wide range of WCS staff and departments; coordinating program’s participation in relevant events; supporting budget management; coordinating staff recruitments; and overall ensuring the smooth and timely implementation of program initiatives and tasks.
Major Responsibilities:
Lead programmatic management and coordination for Markets Program initiatives including project management, monitoring, reporting, and donor communication for a select set of high-priority Markets grants and contracts.
Track, identify and pursue new business opportunities including writing and reviewing grant proposals, leading funding application processes, developing budgets, and coordinating with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) to review, negotiate, and finalize new grant and contract agreements.
Coordinate Markets team’s participation in relevant events and conferences, including the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) and New York Climate Week, various taskforces, committees, and working groups, and internal meetings and gatherings.
Develop and manage a system for transparency and tracking of required tasks across the Markets team to allow for improved communication, coordination and delivery on projects, work plans, and deadlines; and maintain program files, databases, and project portfolios to ensure proper document management.
Support the development of internal and external program materials and correspondence, including communication, strategic, and reporting documents.
Serve as primary Markets Team liaison for coordination with the Forests and Climate Change Program, Business and Grants Management staff, Program Development, Global Resources, Communications, Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel (OGC), European Union staff, and others.
Coordinate recruitment, contracting, and onboarding of new Markets staff and consultants.
Work closely with Business and Grants Manager to ensure sound budget management of Markets program and grants and proper coordination between technical and budgeting staff.
Coordinate closely with communications staff to develop, manage, and update Markets Program websites and web materials.
Qualification Requirements
Job Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in environmental science or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum five years’ experience in program or project management at a conservation non-profit or in a related field.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and attentiveness to detail.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively in a complex, global, matrixed organization, including experience working virtually across cultures and time zones.
Proven ability to effectively manage and balance multiple deadlines, tasks, and initiatives.
Demonstrated track record in securing new business opportunities.
Willingness and flexibility to step in to support the team when needed and with short notice, and ability to foresee and plan for upcoming challenges and opportunities.
Demonstrated commitment to WCS’s mission and objectives.
Additional Requirements:
Willingness to travel (0-15%)