Emirates Nature–WWF is seeking an experienced Project Manager – Sustainable Fisheries to lead the planning, coordination and delivery of a complex, multi-year sustainable fisheries programme in the UAE.

The Project Manager will be responsible for ensuring that multiple interconnected technical, operational, stakeholder and partner-led workstreams are delivered on time, within budget, to the required quality standards and in accordance with agreed objectives, milestones and KPIs.

This is primarily a project management and delivery role. The successful candidate will require sufficient understanding of fisheries, marine conservation and sustainable seafood systems to effectively coordinate technical specialists, critically engage with technical outputs and understand the implications of project decisions. However, the role is not expected to act as the programme’s principal scientific or fisheries expert.

Working under the strategic direction of the Senior Programme Lead and in close collaboration with technical experts, project staff and external partners, the Project Manager will translate programme objectives into structured implementation plans, manage dependencies and risks, coordinate resources and partners, track budgets and deliverables, and ensure effective monitoring, reporting and adaptive management.

The role requires a highly organised and solutions-oriented individual who can bring structure to complex programmes, maintain momentum across multiple workstreams and stakeholders, and proactively identify and resolve delivery challenges.

Emirates Nature is a UAE environmental non-governmental charity, established in 2001 under the Honorary Founder and President H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed’s vision for the United Arab Emirates. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Ruler’s representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) Board of Directors.

We operate with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah and are governed by a local board of directors.
Emirates Nature works in association with WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. Emirates Nature-WWF has been active in the UAE for two decades and is renowned for its commitment to biodiversity conservation, habitat protection, sustainable development, and community engagement. Some of our flagship projects include marine conservation initiatives to protect coral reefs and marine species, wildlife conservation programs focusing on endangered species such as Arabian oryx and sea turtles, habitat restoration projects in critical ecosystems, and sustainable development initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change impacts and promoting eco-friendly practices across various sectors.  

It is our organizational objective to ensure a high performing workforce within our offices with highly efficient, skilled members all of whom will be unilaterally focused on supporting and delivering conservation activities to our stakeholders within the UAE.

Project Planning, Coordination & Delivery

•    Lead the day-to-day management and coordinated delivery of the programme in line with its strategic objectives and approved scope.
•    Translate programme objectives into detailed implementation plans, workplans, timelines, milestones, KPIs, budgets and clear responsibilities.
•    Develop, maintain and actively manage an integrated project workplan covering all programme workstreams.
•    Identify and manage dependencies, critical paths, decision points and resource requirements across project activities.
•    Establish clear ownership and accountability for deliverables and systematically follow up with responsible teams and partners.
•    Monitor progress against agreed milestones and proactively address delays, bottlenecks and emerging implementation challenges.
•    Coordinate activities across internal teams, technical specialists, consultants, contractors and external partners.
•    Ensure coherence between technical activities, stakeholder engagement, operational implementation, budgets, monitoring and reporting.
•    Manage changes to scope, timelines and resources through structured documentation, decision-making and escalation processes.
•    Ensure appropriate project documentation, version control and records of key decisions and actions are maintained.

Partner, Consultant & Team Management

•    Manage the day-to-day delivery interface with implementation partners, consultants, contractors and technical service providers.
•    Ensure partners and consultants have clear understanding of agreed scopes, deliverables, responsibilities, timelines and expected quality standards.
•    Track external deliverables against agreed scopes of work, milestones and budgets.
•    Coordinate the review and acceptance of partner and consultant outputs with relevant technical and organisational leads.
•    Identify performance or delivery issues early and coordinate corrective actions or escalation where required.
•    Facilitate effective collaboration and information flow between different organisations and project teams.
•    Supervise project staff as assigned and support effective prioritisation, accountability and performance.

Technical Coordination & Quality Assurance

•    Coordinate the delivery of fisheries assessments, technical studies, sustainable fisheries initiatives, innovation pilots and other technical workstreams.
•    Work closely with internal and external technical experts to ensure activities are appropriately designed, implemented and reviewed.
•    Ensure appropriate technical expertise is mobilised at relevant stages of project implementation.
•    Critically review technical deliverables for completeness, relevance and alignment with programme objectives, while ensuring specialist scientific review is undertaken by appropriate experts.
•    Ensure technical recommendations are translated into practical implementation actions, timelines and responsibilities.
•    Support integration across areas such as sustainable fisheries management, fisher engagement, fisheries improvement initiatives, responsible seafood value chains, traceability, improved fishing and handling practices, logistics, market development and policy engagement.
•    Maintain sufficient awareness of relevant fisheries science, management approaches and emerging technologies to effectively coordinate technical specialists and programme activities.

Budget & Resource Management

•    Manage project budgets in accordance with approved workplans, internal financial procedures and contractual requirements.
•    Track expenditure, commitments and forecasts in coordination with Finance and relevant project teams.
•    Regularly review actual expenditure against budgets and identify potential underspend, overspend or resource constraints.
•    Prepare and maintain accurate financial forecasts and recommend corrective action where necessary.
•    Ensure financial resources are appropriately aligned with programme priorities and implementation timelines.
•    Coordinate procurement, contracting and resource requirements with relevant internal teams.
•    Support effective and efficient use of project staff, consultants, technical resources and operational budgets.

Risk, Issue & Change Management

•    Establish and maintain a project risk and issue register covering operational, technical, financial, stakeholder, contractual and reputational risks.
•    Proactively identify emerging risks, dependencies and implementation constraints.
•    Assign risk owners and ensure mitigation measures and corrective actions are implemented and followed up.
•    Escalate significant risks, delays or decisions to the Senior Programme Lead in a timely manner.
•    Develop practical contingency measures where activities or assumptions change.
•    Support adaptive project management while maintaining control over agreed objectives, resources and deliverables.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting

•    Establish and maintain an integrated project management dashboard tracking milestones, KPIs, deliverables, budgets, risks, dependencies and key actions.
•    Monitor progress against programme objectives and agreed results frameworks.
•    Coordinate collection and consolidation of information required for technical, management and contractual reporting.
•    Ensure reporting is accurate, evidence-based, timely and consistent across programme workstreams.
•    Provide concise management updates identifying progress, emerging issues, decisions required and recommended corrective actions.
•    Work with technical specialists to interpret monitoring results and incorporate findings into adaptive project management.
•    Document lessons learned and support continuous improvement throughout programme implementation.
•    Ensure appropriate project records and evidence are maintained to demonstrate delivery and results.

Stakeholder & Partnership Management

•    Manage day-to-day relationships with key programme stakeholders and partners under the strategic guidance of the Senior Programme Lead.
•    Coordinate engagement with government entities, academic institutions, private-sector partners, fishing communities, fishermen cooperatives, seafood-sector stakeholders and other relevant organisations.
•    Build trusted and professional working relationships that support effective programme implementation.
•    Plan and facilitate project meetings, technical discussions, workshops, consultations and validation processes.
•    Ensure clear follow-up of decisions, commitments and actions arising from stakeholder and partner meetings.
•    Facilitate collaborative problem-solving between government, industry, researchers, fishing communities and project partners.
•    Support participatory approaches that integrate technical expertise, stakeholder priorities and local knowledge.
•    Provide project updates and technical inputs for presentations, leadership engagement and external reporting as required.

Internal Coordination & Communication

•    Act as the central coordination point for day-to-day programme delivery.
•    Maintain effective communication between Conservation, technical teams, Finance, Operations, Communications, Fundraising and other relevant functions.
•    Ensure relevant teams receive timely information regarding project progress, upcoming activities, decisions, risks and resource requirements.
•    Work with Communications and Outreach teams to ensure technical and project information is accurately translated into appropriate stakeholder and communication materials.
•    Support organisational learning and sharing of programme results and lessons.

Experience:

•    Minimum 7–10 years of progressive professional experience, including substantial responsibility for managing complex projects or programmes involving multiple workstreams and external partners.
•    Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering projects against defined milestones, budgets, KPIs and reporting requirements.
•    Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams, consultants, contractors and external organisations.
•    Experience managing project budgets, forecasts, contracts, risks and reporting processes.
•    Experience working in fisheries, marine conservation, sustainable seafood, environmental management, natural-resource management or a closely related sector is strongly preferred.
•    Experience working with government entities and complex multi-stakeholder programmes is highly desirable.
•    Experience operating in the UAE, GCC/MENA region or comparable institutional and regulatory environments is an advantage

Education:
•    Bachelor’s degree or higher in project/programme management, business administration, environmental management, sustainability, fisheries, marine or environmental science, natural-resource management, or another relevant discipline.
•    Professional certification in project or programme management, such as PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent, is desirable.
•    Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.
•    Arabic language proficiency is highly desirable.

Skills:
Project Management & Delivery Skills
•    Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-year projects or programmes involving multiple interconnected workstreams, partners and deliverables.
•    Strong command of project-management disciplines including work planning, milestone management, dependency and critical-path management, budgeting, forecasting, risk and issue management, KPI tracking and structured reporting.
•    Proven ability to establish clear accountability and drive delivery across multidisciplinary teams and external partners, including stakeholders over whom the role may have no direct line-management authority.
•    Strong organisational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
•    Excellent problem-solving and decision-support skills, with the ability to identify emerging delivery problems early and develop pragmatic solutions.
•    Ability to translate strategic objectives into structured, practical and measurable implementation plans.
•    Strong financial management capability, including budget monitoring, forecasting and variance management.
•    Experience managing consultants, contractors or external service providers and reviewing delivery against agreed scopes of work.
•    Strong attention to detail while maintaining oversight of the overall programme and its strategic objectives.
•    Familiarity with project-management and collaborative working tools for planning, task management, document control and progress reporting.

Stakeholder & Communication Skills
•    Strong stakeholder-management and diplomatic communication skills.
•    Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government, private-sector organisations, technical experts, research institutions and communities.
•    Ability to facilitate meetings and discussions involving stakeholders with different priorities and perspectives.
•    Ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical audiences.
•    Strong written and verbal communication skills.
•    Ability to build trust, manage expectations and maintain constructive working relationships in complex environments.

Technical Understanding
•    Sufficient understanding of fisheries, marine conservation, natural-resource management or sustainable seafood systems to effectively manage technical workstreams and engage with specialists.
•    Ability to critically review technical reports and scientific information from a project-management and implementation perspective.
•    Understanding of the relationship between environmental sustainability, fisheries management and socio-economic considerations.
•    Familiarity with sustainable fisheries approaches, seafood value chains, fisheries improvement initiatives, traceability, responsible sourcing or related areas is desirable.
•    Familiarity with emerging technologies relevant to fisheries and marine management, including geospatial systems, remote sensing, digital monitoring or AI-enabled tools, is an advantage.

Delivering Results

Takes ownership of delivery and maintains a strong focus on agreed outcomes, milestones, timelines and quality.

Planning & Organising

Transforms complex objectives into structured implementation plans, establishes priorities and manages multiple interconnected activities effectively.

Managing Complexity

Understands interdependencies across technical, operational, financial and stakeholder workstreams and maintains oversight of the programme as a whole.

Accountability

Establishes clear responsibilities, follows through on commitments and constructively addresses underperformance or delays.

Problem Solving & Judgement

Identifies problems early, analyses their implications and develops practical solutions while recognising when issues require escalation.

Building Working Relationships
Develops trusted and productive relationships across internal teams, external partners, government entities, technical specialists and communities.

Communicating Effectively

Communicates clearly, concisely and appropriately with both technical and non-technical audiences and ensures decisions and actions are properly documented.

Adaptability

Responds effectively to changing circumstances while maintaining control over programme objectives, resources, risks and deliverables.

Managing Resources

Ensures responsible, efficient and transparent use of financial, human and technical resources.

Internal:

Works closely with the Senior Programme Lead, marine and fisheries technical experts, Project Officers, Conservation teams, Finance, Operations, Communications & Outreach, Fundraising and other relevant organisational functions.

External:

Works with government entities and regulators, fishing communities and fishermen cooperatives, academic and research institutions, consultants, contractors, technical service providers, seafood-sector stakeholders, private-sector organisations and other programme partners.

At Emirates Nature–WWF, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and supportive workplace where people can thrive both professionally and personally. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating an environment built on respect, collaboration, and equal opportunity.

We are proud to be recognised as a Parent-Friendly Plus Employer, an accreditation endorsed by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and awarded under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, in recognition of our commitment to family-friendly workplace practices and employee wellbeing.

Our employees are encouraged to contribute beyond the scope of their individual roles. As a collaborative organisation, all staff are expected to actively participate in organisational initiatives, events, and cross-functional activities that support Emirates Nature–WWF's mission, values, and strategic objectives, regardless of whether such activities fall directly within their primary job responsibilities.

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:  Manager – Technical Delivery, Sustainable Fisheries’ to the attention of Ms Magdalena Tayoun on [email protected] before 30th September 2026. Emirates Nature reserves the right to appoint a candidate prior this date.