Project Coordinator

About Peace Parks Foundation

Established in 1997 by notable figures including President Nelson Mandela, Peace Parks Foundation is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to large-scale conservation initiatives across southern Africa. It operates through Transfrontier Conservation Areas that cross national borders, enhancing biodiversity, ecological resilience, community welfare, and regional stability. The Foundation integrates conservation, community development, and financial sustainability to ensure protected areas provide lasting ecological and economic benefits. To date, Peace Parks has helped establish 780,000 km² of such conservation areas, co-manages eight parks with significant wildlife recovery, and supports over 280,000 people annually. Its Vision 2050 aspires to maintain 17 fully operational cross-border landscapes covering 980,000 km², making it one of the largest terrestrial conservation efforts globally.

Job Purpose

The Project Coordinator plays a pivotal role in crafting project designs, organizing operations, and managing reporting processes within the Foundation. This role reports to the Senior Project Coordinator based in Stellenbosch.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with landscape, field, and technical staff to transform operational priorities into detailed project concepts, logical frameworks, work plans, and budgets for funding proposals.
• Coordinate and integrate technical, financial, and operational contributions from various stakeholders to ensure funding proposals are comprehensive, well-structured, and submitted on time.
• Ensure alignment of project design with donor expectations, implementation feasibility, and local site needs.
• Assist in registering new projects and their requirements within the Foundation's Project Management System.
• Help prepare regular reports including monthly, quarterly, annual, CEO, country-specific, review, and donor reports by collecting and verifying input from field and support teams.
• Follow prescribed report templates, schedules, and internal reviews to maintain clarity, consistency, and donor-compliant documentation.
• Monitor and track reporting deadlines, proactively engaging with contributors to ensure timely submission.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in project management, development studies, conservation, natural resource management, business administration, or related fields.
• Minimum of five years' relevant experience encompassing project coordination, management, proposal drafting, and donor reporting.
• Proven expertise in creating project designs including logframes, work plans, budgets, and performance frameworks.
• Experience contributing to or overseeing donor and management reports with familiarity of diverse institutional donor requirements preferred.
• Strong capability in coordinating multiple contributors, consolidating information, and managing deadlines towards shared project outputs.
• Fluent English communication skills, capable of delivering articulate, well-structured written materials.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to work across multidisciplinary, geographically-distributed teams while reflecting the Foundation’s values.
• Effective organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills, with meticulous attention to detail and ability to juggle competing demands.
• Flexibility and adaptability to evolving projects, programs, and team structures.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; knowledge of project tracking, reporting, or data management tools is an advantage.
• Prior experience in NGO, conservation, development, or donor-funded environments is favorable.
• Willingness and ability to travel in remote locations considered a strong asset.
• A strong desire for professional development and learning within the organization.

Additional Information

This is a permanent position based in either Harare, Zimbabwe, or Livingstone/Lusaka, Zambia. Candidates should submit a comprehensive CV by the specified deadline. Due to high application volumes, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted within three weeks of the closing date.