Civil Society (CSO) Project Manager

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Civil Society (CSO) Project Manager, WWF-Laos

Position title:  Civil Society (CSO) Project Manager, WWF-Laos

Location:         Vientiane Capital, Laos

The CSO Project Manager leads a dynamic and impactful program that aims to empower civil society and community-based organizations to play a stronger role in environmental governance and sustainable natural resource management. As Laos continues to develop and respond to environmental and climate challenges, the involvement of civil society is increasingly recognized as a key driver of inclusive and sustainable progress. This role is vital in unlocking the potential of local organizations by strengthening their capacity, voice and visibility in decision-making processes that shape the country’s natural future.

The CSO Project Manager will coordinate efforts to build institutional and strategic capacity among CSO partners, promote collaboration, and support their engagement in national and local forums. The position plays a central role in fostering community-led conservation and sustainable resource use in key areas. By creating a more inclusive, participatory, and resilient approach to natural resource governance, this role contributes directly to WWF’s vision of a future where people and nature thrive together—and where civil society is a strong, empowered force for positive environmental change.

1. Major Functions

The CSO Project Manager is responsible for planning, managing, and delivering activities that strengthen civil society engagement in environmental governance and natural resource management.

This includes mentoring and guiding CSO partners in project development, overseeing financial and administrative aspects—particularly tracking sub-grants to CSOs and implementing partners—and ensuring timely, high-quality project execution.

The role leads monitoring and reporting of project progress, engages national counterparts, and builds the capacity and credibility of local CSOs to influence policy and manage resources sustainably. The Project Manager is accountable for all project deliverables and plays a key role in advancing WWF-Laos’s strategic objectives through effective civil society partnerships.

1. Duties and Responsibilities

• Project Planning, Management, and Implementation

• Planning, coordination, and management of all CSO-related project activities, ensuring alignment with WWF-Laos’s strategic objectives and programmatic goals.
• Prepare annual work plans and activity implementation plans with CSOs and implementing partners, in coordination with project teams.
• Develop, monitor, review, and update project workplans to ensure timely and cost-effective achievement of project outcomes.
• Oversee project budgets, track expenditures, and report regularly on burn rates
• Ensure all project deliverables are met on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with donor and government counterpart requirements.
• Monitoring and reporting of project activities, including preparing monthly monitoring reports (MMRs), semi-annual, and annual technical reports.
• Organize and facilitate project execution, ensuring collaboration across WWF sites, CSOs, and other stakeholders.
• Liaise with relevant government ministries and other government agencies on CSO-related matters.
• Provide administrative and operational support to ensure smooth project delivery.

• Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Identify institutional and technical capacity gaps of CSO partners and develop tailored capacity-building plans.
• Provide technical support and mentoring to CSOs and implementing partners in project design, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and use of conservation tools such as the Open Standards for Conservation Planning.
• Deliver training and develop materials to build CSO capacity in fundraising, project management, strategic planning, and advocacy.
• Support CSOs to become more effective actors in biodiversity conservation, community engagement, and environmental governance.

• Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build, maintain, and strengthen networks and partnerships with CSOs, NGOs, government agencies, local authorities, and communities in Laos and the region.
• Proactively integrate CSO engagement into WWF’s broader partnership programs, including private sector and government collaboration.
• Support CSO participation in relevant national and local forums, dialogues, and decision-making processes related to natural resource management.
• Organize meetings, consultations, and stakeholder dialogues to foster inclusive and participatory conservation.

• Programme Development and Resource Mobilization

• Contribute to the design and development of new project proposals and funding opportunities related to CSO engagement.
• Provide inputs to technical proposals and participate in strategic planning efforts to expand WWF’s civil society programming.
• Assist in aligning CSO project work with broader WWF landscape and priority site plans.

• Communication and Organizational Support

• Provide accurate and timely inputs to communication materials and campaigns to promote WWF-Laos’s CSO-related activities.
• Support the recruitment, supervision, and evaluation of consultants and staff working under CSO-related projects.
• Ensure WWF’s reputation for quality design, delivery, and partnership is upheld in all CSO engagements

Qualifications Required:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in community development or social studies, natural resources management, environmental or conservation management, or equivalent work experience in relevant fields.
• Qualification in project management and/or in monitoring and evaluation.
• Qualification in civil society development studies an advantage.

Other Qualifications Required”

• Lao nationality, Fluent in Lao and good command of English (other dialects a plus)
• Project Management experience with strong donor relationship and stakeholder management skills
• Experience in facilitating and implementing the Open standards for Conservation to build conservation projects in Laos
• At least 5 years of practical experience in managing, supporting and/or advising forestry-related projects or civil-society projects in either international NGOs, International Agencies (i.e. UN, EU) or bilateral development agencies.
• Experience of working with Government officials, local communities and donor representatives.
• Experience in coordinating multiple projects or separate project components.
• Experience in working in a multicultural environment and regional projects.
• Experience in CSO capacity development
• Adhere to WWF’s values: Courage, Collaboration, Respect, and Integrity,
• Must uphold and actively advocate WWF’s GEDSI, Inclusive Conservation and ESSF policies throughout all project activities
• Internal/External – Interact on a regular basis with WWF National offices, WWF Asia Pacific, WWF-Laos Strategic Partnership Lead, Conservation Director and Country Director, Site Coordinators and Project Managers, Resource Acquisition. Engage with and support all WWF-Laos staff. Interact with CSOs partners and all relevant stakeholders at the community, district, and provincial level of provinces in the landscape. Interact with central government partners, CSOs network and NGOs on an ad-hoc basis.

WWF-Laos can offer you:

Contract duration: 1 year initial with possible extension with industry leading benefit and salary package and

ample opportunity for professional development. For more information on our work in Laos, please visit:

http://www.wwf.org.la.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates please fill out the application form by clicking on the link below:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://forms.gle/NuLwXG81CBmjz4aX9 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Ensure you answer all questions in the system until you click on the submit button for the completion.

*Please upload your CV and Cover letter in English in word/pdf format and submit through online system only.  Suggest to name file of your CV and Cover letter with example below.

(example: CSO Project Manager, WWF-Laos_CV_Khamkeo Santiphab, CSO Project Manager, WWF-Laos_Cover letter Khamkeo Santiphab)

Deadline for applications: 24 September 2025

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

WWF does not charge or accept a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

WWF provides equal employment opportunities and affirmative action for all qualified individuals regardless of race, colour, gender, national origin, disability, inclusive, or veteran status and promotes affirmative action to assure equal employment opportunities.