MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Implementation and Portfolio Support;
• Support coordination of policy-related activities across seascapes and thematic areas
• Assisting developing policy briefs, background notes, and synthesis reports
• Contribute to maintaining an updated tracker of seascape, fellow, and expert network activities
• Support workshop preparations, participant coordination, and documentation
• Research and Policy Analysis;
• Conduct desk research on regional and international ocean policy frameworks, including high seas governance, regenerative blue economy, and marine ecosystem management.
• Support preparation of meeting notes, summaries, and talking points for regional dialogues.
• Assist in mapping ongoing initiatives and stakeholders relevant to the Great Blue Wall.
• Coordination and Communities of Practice;
• Help coordinate the Fellows, Seagrass Breakthrough, and BBNJ Expert Networks.
• Maintain contact lists and ensure regular communication and follow-up with members.
• Support the organisation of online knowledge exchange sessions and webinars.
• Communication and Visibility;
• Support the drafting of short updates, highlights, and visibility materials for the COR newsletter or social media.
• Assist in documenting and archiving policy outputs, photos, and event materials.
• Contribute to donor reporting inputs as needed.

Other Responsibilities;

• Perform any other related duties as assigned to support policy implementation and coordination under the Coastal and Ocean Resilience portfolio.

REQUIREMENTS

• Education;
• Candidates must be currently enrolled in or have recently completed at least one year of a university degree (undergraduate or graduate) in a field relevant to the assignment. Applicants must be pursuing studies that are directly related to the internship’s duties as outlined in the Terms of Reference.
• Demonstrated interest in environmental and/or marine conservation, sustainable development, or environmental diplomacy.
• Strong research and writing skills, with familiarity in policy or scientific literature review.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom, SharePoint).

Work Experience;

• Some prior experience (professional, academic, or volunteer) in policy research, environmental governance, project management or international development is highly desirable
• Familiarity with regional or global frameworks such as BBNJ, CBD, or SDG 14
• Excellent organisational and analytical skills, with attention to detail and ability to synthesise information clearly.
• Experience working in multicultural settings and managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

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MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

IMPLEMENTATION AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

• Implementation, Operational Delivery and Coordination
• Provide day-to-day operational and coordination support for the implementation of IUCN’s marine and coastal resilience and governance initiatives under the seascape approach.
• Coordinate logistics, procurement, and documentation for workshops, training, and field activities.
• Maintain project trackers, calendars, and follow-up actions to ensure timely implementation.
• Support the preparation of Terms of Reference, contracts, and payment requests in line with IUCN procedures.
• Follow up with consultants and partners to ensure deliverables and reporting milestones are met.
• Manage shared email inboxes and ensure clear communication with all stakeholders.

COORDINATION AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT;

• Manage and nurture IUCN’s Communities of Practice, including grantees, fellows, and expert networks supporting marine ecosystem governance and blue economy initiatives.
• Support the planning and execution of training and capacity-building programmes for community members and technical partners.
• Support coordination of cross-cutting stakeholder processes.
• Liaise with national and regional partners for timely delivery and coordination
• Coordinate the organization of harmonization workshops and consultations.

EVENTS AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE;

• Oversee logistics for in-person and virtual workshops, training sessions, and stakeholder dialogues.
• Support management of participant lists, invitations, speaker coordination, and event documentation.
• Prepare reports, meeting summaries, and lessons-learned notes from events.
• Support knowledge exchange through synthesis of best practices and learning materials.

COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH AND RESOURCE MOBILISATION;

• Manage communication flow with stakeholders, fellows, and partners in coordination with the COR Communications Officer.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT;

• Maintain consolidated workplans, deliverables trackers, and reporting calendars for WIOCOR and BBNJ portfolios.
• Monitor progress across countries and partners, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and internal deadlines.
• Assist with budget monitoring and coordination with finance to ensure expenditure aligns with planned activities.
• Maintain an updated filing and knowledge management system for all project documents (contracts, reports, workshops, correspondence).

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES;

• Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

REQUIREMENTS

• The successful candidate will have a background in project coordination and management, community engagement, or programme operations, coupled with a strong understanding of marine and coastal resilience and multi-stakeholder partnership dynamics in the region.

EDUCATION;

• An advanced university degree preferably in relevant disciplines,.
• Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint) use of internet and online communication tools;

WORK EXPERIENCE;

• We are seeking a hands-on, highly motivated, gender-sensitive and results-oriented professional who demonstrates autonomy, innovation, and strong coordination abilities, with at least 5 years of relevant experience in the following areas:
• Proven expertise in day-to-day project coordination and operational delivery, including planning, budgeting, procurement, and reporting within multi-country programmes.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and community coordination, including working with government partners, civil society, local organizations, and regional bodies on environmental or ocean issues.
• Demonstrated capacity in organising and managing training workshops, technical meetings, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
• Good understanding of marine and coastal ecosystem management, ocean governance, and community resilience frameworks, considered a strong advantage.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality technical and administrative documents, such as Terms of Reference, decision sheets, briefing notes, reports, and knowledge products.
• Familiarity with results-based management (RBM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and project cycle management.
• Experience in supporting expert networks or communities of practice, including tracking deliverables and maintaining partner communications.
• Ability to apply a gender-sensitive lens in programme delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Regional experience in Eastern and Southern Africa or the Western Indian Ocean region is highly desirable.