Safeguards Manager

Safeguards Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

The Seed Fund is a strategic fund held and administered by Conservation International. It provides timely, strategic assistance to conserve vital reserves of biodiversity and irrecoverable carbon and kickstart the implementation of ‘Country Packages’ in Host Countries. ‘Country Packages’ bring together governments, the private sector, philanthropy, and multilateral institutions to achieve ambitious forest and climate goals at the national level. So far, seven countries— Peru, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Republic of Congo — have launched Country Packages, and more are in development.

The initial Seed Fund partners are Conservation International, the Government of France, the Rob Walton Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. They are collectively committing EUR 115 million with the goal of raising at least EUR 200 million. The Seed Fund intends to support Country Packages that show a commitment to protecting and conserving a country’s high-biodiversity and high-carbon areas—including forests, mangrove ecosystems, oceans, and peatlands, and the communities living in and near them.

Eligible recipients include research and education institutions, development agencies, government bodies, and civil society organizations.

The Seed Fund will, among other things:

• Invest in capacity building and strengthen delivery on the ground, including through NGOs or Indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Design and implement conservation efforts for vital reserves of carbon and biodiversity.
• Advance key scientific and monitoring products and boost scientific cooperation to provide data for Country Package development.
• Support the upscaling of long‑term and reliable finance and financial innovation to further increase domestic funding sources and support public and private international support.
• Support feasibility studies for the long‑term delivery of larger Country Packages.

This position is an integral part of the Seed Fund Delivery Team.

This position is based in Kenya, South Africa, Peru or Colombia. Fluency in French is required.

The Safeguards Manager will lead the design, implementation, management, and capacity building of the Seed Fund’s Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS). Comprised of policies, standards and procedures, guidance, capacity‑building processes, and a grievance redress mechanism, the Seed Fund ESMS is designed to avoid or mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts and enhance positive outcomes.

Reporting to the Managing Director, Seed Fund, this position will provide targeted support to Seed Fund partners and projects, supporting realization of CI’s safeguards, gender, and human rights‑based obligations. The Manager will support the development of the ESMS, high‑quality safeguard plans and approaches, tools, guidance, and capacity building to assure compliance with CI’s safeguard policies.

• Oversee Seed Fund safeguard management in accordance with CI’s Environmental & Social Management Framework (via a fit‑for‑purpose ESMS)
• Provide input, analysis, and support to developing and overseeing the Seed Fund ESMS, including risk identification, procedures for safeguard screening, guidance, tools, and approaches within the Fund and country‑level initiatives.
• Ensure the coordination and integration of E&S risk management procedures within the Fund’s internal processes.
• Evaluate safeguard compliance (using due diligence criteria) by reviewing necessary E&S documentation of country packages and with potential site visits.
• Provide technical guidance to country package partners on safeguard risk identification, analysis of mitigation…