Project Manager, Resilience

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 120 people, plus over 150 associates and consultants, come from across the globe and from many disciplines. Our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

The Project Manager will be responsible for managing multi-million-dollar grants from Global Affairs Canada to support national adaptation planning in developing countries, as well as complementary funds that other donors may contribute to the program.

The Project Manager will work as part of the Resilience Program and within the Secretariat of the National Adaptation Plan Global Network, one of IISD’s flagship initiatives, which is focused on accelerating adaptation planning and action in the Global South to reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems, economies, and people—particularly women and marginalized social groups—to the impacts of climate change.

Scope:

• Oversee the operational planning, monitoring, and implementation of projects and initiatives.
• Support donor relations and contribute to fundraising efforts.
• Contribute to communication products.
• Develop and contribute to project and proposal documentation.

Responsibilities:

Operations and Project Management

• Responsible for the operational management and implementation of initiatives and projects, including workplan and budget development/adjustment, communication with stakeholders, contracting, evaluation, and reporting.
• Set up, track, and refine project finances with the support of the project management and accounting teams.
• Oversee, allocate, and approve project expenses to the appropriate budget in accordance with IISD’s policies and funder terms and conditions.
• Plan and monitor timelines, milestones, delivery deadlines, resources, and outputs using project management tools and collaborate with team members to recommend optimizations.
• Prepare contractor agreements in collaboration with technical leads and the contracting team, as well as tracking contractor deliverables and payments.
• Track outputs and ensure their inclusion in knowledge management systems and reporting.
• Feed accurate data on the project(s) into IISD-wide annual budget planning processes.

Donor Relations and Fundraising Activities

• Coordinate and contribute to the preparation of narrative and financial reports to funders.
• Assist with the development of funding proposals, including but not limited to drafting text for inclusion in the proposal’s objectives and methodology section and preparing descriptions of past projects and planned team members.
• Review potential donor agreements for their compliance with IISD financial policies and procedures.

Communications and Outreach

• Establish and actively maintain a network of partners and contacts, including individuals from governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia.
• Organize and document meetings of various sizes, including identifying and inviting participants, developing agendas, and producing meeting reports.
• Participate in the planning and organization of conferences, briefings, seminars, workshops, programs, and other initiatives hosted or facilitated by the program.
• In collaboration with the Communications team, develop and implement communication strategies and plans to ensure research, analysis, and knowledge products have reach, engagement, and impact.

IISD Policies and Practices

• Contribute to the improvement of operational processes and document lessons learned for institutional learning purposes.
• Read, understand, implement, and keep up to date with all IISD policies, particularly those related to project management. Support dissemination and compliance of these policies in project actions and working with colleagues and contractors.

Other tasks and responsibilities, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4+ years of experience working as a project manager.
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other project management tools.
• Bachelor’s or higher degree.
• Experience working in fast-paced, multi-project environments.
• Fluency in English and in either French or Spanish is a requirement.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work interactively with stakeholders from different contexts, countries, and backgrounds.

Application Procedure

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A cover letter, one page
• IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire
• All submissions must be in English.

Deadline for Receiving Applications: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the ideal candidate is identified.

Please only apply to one posting, as this role is posted to multiple cities.

Start Date: as soon as possible.

Location: Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Montreal

Candidates Must Hold Appropriate Work Authorization for Canada.

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 year.

IISD has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination policy that requires employees who are required or choose to be at an office or participate in in-person team events or in-person meetings/events to be fully vaccinated. Anyone unable to be fully vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from being fully vaccinated can request a reasonable accommodation.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questions on our applicant tracking system when you apply.