Senior Programme Lead – Marine Restoration; UAE Nationals

Senior Programme Lead – Marine Restoration (UAE Nationals Only)

• Location:
  
  Abu Dhabi / Dubai, Hybrid Model, and other UAE locations may be required for projects
• Type of contract:
  Full time
• Unit:
  Conservation
• Direct reports to:
  Chief Conservation Officer
• Reports:
  Programme Team Members, Consultants, Delivery Partners
• Closing date:
  July 10, 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. The Senior Programme Lead will oversee 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.

• 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.

• 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, high‑level stakeholder engagements, and key governance forums.
• Supporting visibility, knowledge dissemination, and thought leadership outputs that position the programme as a leading regional model for marine restoration and circular economy innovation.

• Establishing and implementing programme governance structures, reporting frameworks, and decision‑making processes.
• Overseeing programme budgets, financial controls, contracting, and compliance requirements.
• Managing risk across technical, operational, reputational, and financial dimensions.
• Ensuring strong documentation, institutional learning, and knowledge transfer to support organisational capacity building and future programme scaling.

• Overseeing a robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework that links data, impact measurement, and policy outcomes.
• Reporting to donors and senior leadership, with full accountability for delivery performance.
• Supporting adaptive programme management by integrating emerging scientific evidence, stakeholder insights, and operational lessons into ongoing implementation.