Senior Programme Lead – Marine Restoration

Senior Programme Lead – Marine Restoration

Location:

Abu Dhabi / Dubai (Hybrid Model), may require travel within UAE.
Type of

Contract:

Full time.
Unit:
Conservation.

Reports to:

Chief Conservation Officer.
Direct reports:
Programme team members, consultants, delivery partners.
Closing date:
March 15, 2026.
Commencement date: Q2 2026.

The Senior Programme Lead – Marine Restoration will lead the end‑to‑end delivery of a flagship three‑year marine initiative addressing the persistent challenge of lost and discarded fishing gear through a holistic, systems‑based approach. The programme focuses on strengthening fisheries governance, improving gear lifecycle management, enhancing data visibility, promoting circular economy innovation, supporting community engagement, advancing field operations, and contributing to policy dialogue and knowledge sharing.

This role combines strategic programme leadership with hands‑on delivery accountability, overseeing planning, implementation, governance, financial management, stakeholder coordination, performance management and impact measurement across a complex multi‑stakeholder consortium including government entities, NGOs, research institutions, private sector partners and coastal communities.

The role requires a systems thinker capable of managing complexity, aligning diverse stakeholders, ensuring integrated programme delivery and positioning the initiative as a national flagship model for marine restoration.

Emirates Nature is a UAE environmental non‑governmental charity, established in 2001 under the honorary Founder and President H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It operates from offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah and is governed by a local board of directors. Emirates Nature works in association with WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations.

The partnership has been active in the UAE for two decades and is renowned for its commitment to biodiversity conservation, habitat protection, sustainable development and community engagement.

Key flagship projects include marine conservation initiatives to protect coral reefs and marine species, wildlife conservation programmes for endangered species such as Arabian oryx and sea turtles, habitat restoration projects in critical ecosystems and sustainable development initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change impacts and promoting eco‑friendly practices across various sectors.

The organisational objective is to ensure a high‑performing workforce within its offices, with highly efficient, skilled members all of whom are focused on supporting and delivering conservation activities to stakeholders within the UAE.

• Programme Leadership & Delivery Integration
  • Ensuring coherence in delivery across programme work streams, ensuring timely implementation, managing interdependencies and avoiding siloed implementation or duplication of effort.
  • Leading a structured, iterative delivery approach across the programme lifecycle, from pilot to scale‑up, systematically reviewing performance and lessons learned to inform adaptive delivery and implementation strategies.
  • Driving integrated workplans across programme pillars/work streams, involving partners and ensuring delivery against milestones, KPIs, and impact targets.
  • Ensuring alignment of programme delivery with Emirates Nature–WWF conservation strategy, national environmental priorities, and relevant regulatory frameworks.
  • Strengthening coordination across internal units (conservation, communications, fundraising, operations and finance) to ensure integrated programme delivery and organisational alignment.
• Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement & Representation
  • Leading strategic partner engagement and consortium management, including alignment of incentives, conflict resolution, and performance accountability across delivery partners.
  • Leading and coordinating external representation of the programme, positioning the initiative as a national flagship model.
  • Supporting senior leadership in programme briefings, as required, to enable effective participation in strategic decision‑making,…