Regional Project Manager, Asia (My Forest Child)- Homebased in Asia

The Opportunity

Are you an experienced and proactive project manager or coordinator with great interpersonal skills and an interest in innovative climate and environmental action?

My Forest Child is a unique, innovative project that aims to support three types of interventions in target countries: restoring ecosystems through reforestation and other activities; eco-friendly livelihoods and climate adaptation support for climate-vulnerable communities (especially women and girls); support for child/youth-led climate and environmental campaigning (the Red Alert campaign). These areas of intervention will be supported and sustained partly by marketing carbon management services that support CO2 emissions reductions by corporates and individuals while providing them with ethical offsetting options, with money raised from the marketing of ethical carbon credits to be reinvested in the project. Funding will also be generated by accessing grants, donations, and investment from a variety of sources.

This is a home-based position, which can be part-time/ full-time based on further discussion.

The Regional Project Manager is responsible for day-to-day management and coordination of the My Forest Child project, ensuring effective planning and successful implementation of relevant activities in participating countries and by relevant Save the Children teams. Under the supervision and strategic direction of the Regional Advocacy and Campaigns Director, the post-holder will work closely with relevant project focal points and other key Save the Children staff to prepare and implement project plans, updating timeframes and budgets when necessary, and ensuring effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. 

The post holder will perform a range of tasks including organizing coordination meetings, time and risk management, internal reporting, along with administrative duties such as maintaining project documentation, managing procurements and contracts, handling financial and administrative queries as well as monitoring and updating budgets. 

The Regional Project Manager will also support fundraising efforts including by monitoring and identifying fundraising opportunities, coordinating development of concept notes and funding proposals, and representing and promoting the project to relevant audiences such as potential or actual donors. To succeed in this role, the post-holder should have excellent time management, numeracy, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Role Dimensions

This role requires the holder to work effectively with a multidisciplinary project team mainly comprising some senior regional staff as well as senior and some junior country staff. Additionally, the post-holder will liaise with Save the Children staff in key member or global offices as well as external consultants, partners and suppliers as necessary to achieve project objectives.

This is a unique, complex project requiring skilled, agile project management approaches and the flexibility to address both familiar and unfamiliar challenges, including at short notice. There is a need to learn quickly, and share critical lessons in ways that support the project’s growth as well as the wider Save the Children Movement’s understanding of and support for My Forest Child.

Key Responsibilities

1. Drive the My Forest Child project in terms of overall coordination, management, and ensuring all components progress as planned (and any obstacles are addressed)

• Organize regular meetings with core project team and ensure actions are captured and follow up delivered.
• Provide updates to the overall project lead and other senior managers as required.
• Coordinate with other key stakeholders (for example, Regional Resource Mobilization Director) as well as relevant advisors and partners.
• Keep up-to-date documentation of the project including explanatory summaries to help promote wider understanding and support for My Forest Child objectives and ambitions
• Identify potential obstacles and ensure effective planning to manage dependencies across various project inputs 
• Ensure appropriate sign off secured for project activities and product/content 

1. Ensure effective project management by ensuring clear processes, managing the project timeline, budget, dependencies and deliverables

• Develop or update and monitor objectives and milestones
• Identify and manage project risks and dependencies
• Troubleshoot emerging problems and identify creative solutions to implement
• Ensure competing priorities and objectives among the project team are managed effectively
• Monitor expenditure against budget, and redevelop budgets as required 
• Ensures preparation of timely and high-quality reports for internal reporting processes as required, working with MEAL colleagues to ensure quality project benchmarks and a learning agenda are developed appropriately

1. Lead project communication and collaboration with country offices, facilitating compliance with relevant policies, and flagging emerging issues and potential solutions

• Manage country office engagement through regular communication with designated focal points
• Ensure country offices have the support and information needed to engage effectively

1. Manage contracts and relationships with project suppliers (e.g. creative agencies, internal charged resources) 

• Ensure compliance with procurement processes
• Ensure supplier contracts and purchase orders are adequately detailed and accurate
• Manage relationships with suppliers to ensure coordination and collaboration where required

1. Support fundraising and external representation 

• Provide oral or written project summaries or primers to promote the project to target audiences, either within SCI, other sector actors, or business representatives.
• Monitor and identify fundraising opportunities, coordinating development of concept notes and funding proposals as required.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in any relevant discipline is desirable

Experience and Skills

• At least 5 years relevant working experience in project management 
• A strong understanding of and experience in leading complex projects 
• Experience working in remote and cross cultural teams preferably in Asia-Pacific 
• Previous working experience with NGOs or government sectors
• Understanding of climate and environmental issues is desirable
• Understanding of carbon markets is an advantage
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Design thinking skills
• Interpersonal negotiation skills

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. 

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday 
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated 

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

Closing Date for Application: 19 September 2023

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.