Programme Officer, Technology and Innovation for Nature

Vacancy #: 7288 Unit: Protected and Conserved Areas Team Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: European Regional Office, Bonn, Germany Reporting to: Programme Manager – Technology and Innovation Work percentage: 100% Grade: P1 Expected start date: 01 July 2025 Type of contract: Fixed-term (12 months) Closing date: 25 May 2025 BACKGROUND IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organisations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by more than 1,000 professional staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. Its headquarters are based in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

Within the Centre for Conservation Action, the IUCN Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) team leads global efforts to enhance the integrity, resilience, and equity of protected and conserved areas worldwide, in collaboration with governments, site managers, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and conservation organisations.

A key strategic enabler for the PCA Team is technology and digital innovation, to help deliver on priority programmes that enhance area-based and species conservation effectiveness and impact. To achieve this, the Senior Programme Manager, and the technology and innovation team are developing and delivering a coherent and impactful programme of work that leverages IUCN’s knowledge, tools, metrics, and approaches to accelerate appropriate solutions that deliver conservation outcomes at scale. All of which is implemented through a diverse project portfolio delivered in collaboration with IUCN’s Regional and Country Offices, thematic teams, and members. JOB DESCRIPTION The Programme Officer, Technology and Innovation for Nature supports the coordination and implementation of IUCN’s activities related to the deployment and testing of appropriate technologies and digital solutions. S/he promotes the delivery of measurable conservation outcomes through innovative technologies and approaches for biodiversity monitoring, aligned with IUCN Programme targets. The Programme Officer will play a vital role in ensuring quality delivery, and effective collaboration across the portfolio of tech and innovation for conservation projects whilst generating high quality knowledge and learning.

S/he provides technical and administrative project management support, knowledge development and exchange, communication and training assistance. S/he supports the management of collaborative partnerships with global companies and public actors, including with the ICT sector, and contributes to the renewal of the portfolio. In doing so, s/he will be expected to collaborate closely with the Business & Nature Team, other thematic Teams, IUCN’s Regional and Country Offices, as well as with Commissions, and members as necessary and to ensure that lessons learnt are integrated into the programmes policy and knowledge work.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, Technology & Innovation, the main duties and responsibilities include:

1. Project Management and Delivery
- Support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of projects focused on the appropriate use of technology and digital solutions for biodiversity conservation, focusing on technical and economic feasibility for upscaling.
- Based on the development and implementation of science-based technology-driven projects that enhance biodiversity monitoring capabilities, design and support the management of initiatives that establish methodologies for biodiversity certificates and related nature-positive market mechanisms.
- Consolidate, advance, and promote innovative technologies for biodiversity monitoring to yield metrics which are efficient and widely applicable on a large scale.
- Develop improved technical approaches, monitoring concepts, and tailored guidelines for biodiversity certification and holistic project implementation.
- Coordinate with technical partners and stakeholders to ensure quality delivery of project outputs and outcomes.
- Lead the drafting of Terms of Reference, conduct risk assessments and due diligence, and coordinate consultants and partner inputs.
- Develop project workplans, budgets, and monitoring frameworks with clear milestones and deliverables.
- Track project progress, compile reports, synthesise information, and manage risks.
- Organise and facilitate stakeholder meetings, workshops, and Steering Committee sessions.
- Evaluate project effectiveness through impact assessments and adapt approaches based on lessons learnt.
- Conduct desk research and analysis to support the Protected & Conserved Areas, and Business & Nature project implementation.
- Implement effective monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks for projects.

2. Knowledge development, communication and training
- Research and synthesise emerging technologies and innovative approaches that are practical, scalable, and aligned with conservation needs for biodiversity monitoring and measurement.
- Develop technical guidance, tools, and methodologies for implementing technologies and innovative approaches.
- Create training materials and capacity building programmes on technology applications and innovative approaches to scale and accelerate for conservation action.
- Communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences through well-designed and clearly developed presentations, webinars, and written materials.
- Maintain and update communication materials, liaising with project teams to gather success stories and support visibility of project outcomes, such as project web pages, newsletters, and visual content, in collaboration with communications team members.
- Stay current on relevant scientific and policy developments related to conservation technology, biodiversity metrics, and nature markets.
- Contribute to organisational learning by documenting lessons and insights from implementation of appropriate technology and innovative approaches.
- Produce and disseminate knowledge products such as technical briefs, reports, case studies, and best practice guidelines on the intersection of technology, innovation, and biodiversity conservation.
- Develop relevant and innovative techniques and concepts for biodiversity monitoring and promote their broad applicability.
- Contribute to developing terms of reference for knowledge outputs and support the management of leading units or consultants.
- Coordinate the development and dissemination of knowledge outputs and communication materials to promote IUCN’s work, and as appropriate, take lead and the assigned responsibility for specific components of knowledge or tool outputs.
- Contribute to review of draft publications, tools and reports as necessary across the programme of work to ensure accuracy and consistency of IUCN’s approach and liaise with team members in charge of communication and policy engagement.
- Provide specific technical advice and inputs to IUCN thematic units and regions with respect to ensuring that the development of publications, tools and knowledge are consistent with the Protected & Conserved Areas Team strategy and business lines.
- Develop content for training and capacity building, and support the delivery of (virtual or in-person) capacity building processes through organising workshops and technical webinars in coordination with internal and external partners, and with IUCN Academy as needed.

3. Support for networking and coordination
- Build and maintain partnerships with technology providers, research institutions, and conservation organisations.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between technology experts and biodiversity conservation practitioners.
- Engage with the private sector to promote adoption of biodiversity monitoring technologies and certification approaches.
- Support the development of communities of practice around conservation technology and biodiversity measurement.
- Support cross- IUCN Centre and Team initiatives, and in the IUCN Regional and Country Offices that leverage technological innovation for nature conservation outcomes.
- Identify strategic opportunities for scaling successful approaches through broader networks and partnerships.
- Help to establish effective internal information sharing and coordination between IUCN programmes and offices working on harnessing the transformative power of technologies and digital solutions for biodiversity conservation.
- Contribute to facilitating internal IUCN working groups on appropriate technologies and innovative approaches, tools and learning from their application by projects led and supported by IUCN.
- Represent IUCN in assigned relevant technical meetings or stakeholder working groups and initiatives.

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organisation such as IUCN, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the manager, the staff member, and the Human Resources Management Group.

SALARY

The gross annual salary for this position is in the range from EUR 50.000 to EUR 65.000 (depending on skills, experiences and IUCN equity analysis) subject to deductions for social security contributions and health insurance, and before tax. REQUIREMENTS • Master’s degree in Biodiversity, Biology, Ecology, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Policy, Sustainability Management, or another relevant field. Strong grounding in biodiversity, conservation, sustainable development and social science concepts and theory, beyond immediate field of expertise.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in project delivery, and minimum 2 required in engaging and working with technologies and digital solutions and the private sector on biodiversity themes, with a preference for experience on-the-ground (environmental and/or biodiversity assessments, biodiversity net gain reviews or monitoring, certifications…).

• Technical understanding of IUCN key standards and tools (in particular, IUCN Green List, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, Nature-based Solutions global standard, Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, IBAT – Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool).

• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with complex data.

• Proven ability to work in multi-disciplinary groups.

• Excellent organisational and networking skills, team-oriented attitude and ability to work independently.

• Ability to take initiative, exercise good judgment, think laterally and resolve complex issues in a dynamic and changing environment.

• Experience in all phases of programme/project development, including planning, execution, monitoring & evaluation, technical and financial management and reporting.

• Experience in supporting training and other capacity building activities with an emphasis on providing access to scientific knowledge and standards to non-scientific audiences.

• Works well under pressure, with the ability to prioritise and successfully optimise the allocation of time, people, and other resources.

• Professionalism and diplomacy in communicating cross-culturally and with diverse audiences.

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail.

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Proficiency in written and spoken. Spanish and/or French is desirable. APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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