Project Manager (N-26-43)

Job Description

The International Potato Center (CIP), on behalf of the Landscape Alliance (CIFOR & ICRAF in Action), is looking for a proactive Project Manager who will ensure the overall work planning, day-to-day management, delivery and reporting of the IKI projects CAP4BIO (Brazil, Peru, Colombia) and Transformar para Conservar (Peru, Colombia).

About Landscape Alliance: Landscape Alliance (LA) is the operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Centre for Research on Agroforestry (ICRAF). It transforms science into action, unlocking the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to advance planetary health and human well-being.

CIFOR and ICRAF are independent International Organizations and CGIAR Research Centers.

About the position: Reporting to the Latin America Director, the Project Manager bridges strategy and execution. This includes coordinating consortium members' activities in line with the project documents and objectives, organizing consortium meetings, contracting consultants and external services, and ensuring donor reporting, environmental and social safeguards reporting, MEL, and output/outcome indicator reporting in compliance with donor guidelines and Landscape Alliance policies.

Given the two projects' complementary geographic and thematic scope, the position also fosters synergies and learning between them and across Landscape Alliance teams and partners, applying a programmatic approach. The position will be based in Lima, Peru.

Key responsibilities:

Purpose

• Lead annual project planning, supporting the project consortiums in translating project strategies into Annual Operational Workplans and Budgets (and their updates), based on partner inputs, for review by the PIs and Project Steering Committees (PSCs).
  
• Own and maintain the overall operating framework for project execution, covering planning, MEL learning loops, partner contracting standards, and risk & assurance approaches, under the oversight and guidance of the PIs.
  
• Ensure activities across both IKI projects are carried out in accordance with the logical framework, workplan, budget, calendar, indicator matrix and project annexes approved by the donor.
  
• Foster synergies and cross-learning between the CAP4BIO and Transformar para Conservar projects and across Landscape Alliance teams and partners, applying a programmatic approach.
  
• Oversee the development and implementation of the projects' MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) plans, including lessons learned, under the overall supervision of the PIs.
  
• Support adaptive learning across the programme, including internal reflection, after-action reviews and documentation of lessons learned, in collaboration with the Quality 4 Impact (Q4I) team.
  

Engagement

• Coordinate joint efforts with consortium partners and CIFOR/ICRAF technical teams to align internal planning cycles with donor reporting timelines and strategic programme milestones.
  
• Support the PIs in facilitating workstream integration and run regular internal team meetings to track progress and foster ownership of deliverables.
  
• Support the governance and management bodies of the projects — in particular the Steering Committees and Management teams — and organize the project task forces.
  
• Organize consortium-level virtual and face-to-face meetings (core groups, task forces, technical meetings) under the oversight of the PI (core groups/SC meetings) or of responsible staff (technical groups).
  
• Lead preparation of documentation for Steering Committee meetings and serve as secretary of the projects' core groups, preparing meeting minutes.
  
• Manage effective coordination among consortium partners, including through online tools such as virtual document repositories (e.g., SharePoint).
  
• Coordinate with consortium partners on compliance with co-financing commitments, and monitor their implementation and reporting.
  
• Coordinate with the Financial Support Unit (FSU) at CIFOR and ICRAF, and with the Program Management Unit (PMU), on financial management, sub-grant/subcontract compliance, and required documentation.
  
• Liaise with the PIs and PMU to prepare and organize donor meetings, and to ensure compliance of project activities with the agreements between CIFOR, ICRAF and the project donors.
  
• Coordinate with the communication specialist to periodically update project information on IKI and internal project portals, and liaise with relevant officers/coordination committees on knowledge products, strategic briefs and high-level reports.
  
• Be a member of the Landscape Alliance's internal coordination bodies for project implementation; participate in relevant office, technical, follow-up, monitoring, training and policy meetings.
  

Delivery

• Monitor delivery progress against the activity plan; help devise internal tracking systems, related KPIs and briefing materials.
  
• Coordinate the timely implementation of all project activities across both IKI projects, proactively ensuring delivery by CIFOR, ICRAF, project partners and contractors, and proposing mitigation actions for delays.
  
• Lead, support and maintain the projects' document and internal information management systems (online repositories, MS Teams channels, etc.); manage calendars and regular team meetings, including progress tracking of action points.
  
• Prepare, review and process (in coordination with HR and Procurement) external services agreements and consultancy contracts included in the project workplans; draft and review Terms of Reference; review implementation and delivery of these engagements.
  
• Plan, coordinate and monitor travel arrangements in accordance with institutional policies and established budgetary parameters.
  
• Ensure compliance with CIFOR, ICRAF and donor policies across project activities.
  
• Evaluate, on a monthly basis, the operational and financial levels of project implementation via the financial tracker system; oversee the role of the financial and administrative analyst in support of related tasks.
  
• Anticipate and troubleshoot operational bottlenecks — by CIFOR, ICRAF or partners — including financial execution and cash-flow issues (disbursements and payments).
  
• Be responsible, subject to final review and oversight by the PI, for the annual technical donor reporting, including progress on indicators (in coordination with the MEL Coordinator), coordinating inputs from CIFOR, ICRAF and partners.
  
• Manage and monitor sub-grant agreements, subcontracts and deliverables with consortium and other partners, coordinating with the PMU and following up on compliance.
  
• Provide programme budget oversight, coordinating across Admin, Finance, contracted partners and the project team; coordinate with the FSU on financial reports, disbursement requests, and distribution of funds to consortium partners in compliance with organizational and donor policies.
  
• Prepare, in coordination with PMU and FSU, documentation management with partners (voucher system); prepare for audit reviews and quality-assurance procedures.
  
• Help prepare knowledge products, reports, articles and documents that disseminate project results, in coordination with relevant technical teams.
  

Requirements

What are we looking for?

• Master's degree in project management, environmental science, economics, development, business, or a related discipline, with sound knowledge of related contemporary issues.
  
• Minimum 9 years of experience in project/programme management and implementation in environment and natural resource management, in public institutions, the private sector, or international organizations — including at least 4 years as lead manager/coordinator of a large-scale project, with responsibility for the full planning–implementation–monitoring–reporting cycle with partners and donors.
  
• Experience in the oversight and application of project MEL plans and processes, and of social and environmental safeguards.
  
• Experience engaging with inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations and stakeholders on natural resource management policy at regional, national, and sub-national levels in a Latin American context, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively liaise with key stakeholders locally and regionally.
  
• Proven ability to manage multicultural teams, multiple tasks, and competing deadlines, with very strong organizational and management skills.
  
• Bilingual, written and spoken, in English and Spanish (required); Portuguese is desirable.
  

Benefits

What are we offering?

• Compensation package commensurate with experience.
  
• Excellent working environment.
  
• Work in an equal and diverse workplace.
  
  

Requirements
What are we looking for? Master's degree in project management, environmental science, economics, development, business, or a related discipline, with sound knowledge of related contemporary issues. Minimum 9 years of experience in project/programme management and implementation in environment and natural resource management, in public institutions, the private sector, or international organizations — including at least 4 years as lead manager/coordinator of a large-scale project, with responsibility for the full planning–implementation–monitoring–reporting cycle with partners and donors. Experience in the oversight and application of project MEL plans and processes, and of social and environmental safeguards. Experience engaging with inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations and stakeholders on natural resource management policy at regional, national, and sub-national levels in a Latin American context, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively liaise with key stakeholders locally and regionally. Proven ability to manage multicultural teams, multiple tasks, and competing deadlines, with very strong organizational and management skills. Bilingual, written and spoken, in English and Spanish (required); Portuguese is desirable.