Technical Advisor: Protected Area Management

Duration: 3-year fixed term

Reporting to: Chief Operations Office

Location: Head office based, with travel to all relevant landscapes

Working condition: Hybrid

BACKGROUND

Founded in 1997 by President Nelson Mandela, HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and Dr Anton Rupert, Peace Parks Foundation is a non-profit organisation pioneering conservation at scale across southern Africa.

Working through Transfrontier Conservation Areas that span national borders, Peace Parks connects protected areas, supports biodiversity conservation and ecological resilience, strengthens local economies and promotes regional peace and stability. Its holistic approach is built on three pillars: conservation at scale, community development and conservation finance, ensuring that protected areas deliver long-term ecological and economic value.

To date, Peace Parks has supported governments in establishing 780 000 km² of Transfrontier Conservation Areas across southern Africa. It also co-manages eight parks where wildlife populations have rebounded fivefold and supports more than 280 000 people annually through its interventions. With formal government mandates and strong community partnerships, Peace Parks offers a proven model for building resilience for people and nature across southern Africa’s most significant landscapes.

The Foundation’s Vision 2050 is to secure 17 fully functional transboundary landscapes spanning 980 000 km², making it one of the world’s largest land-based conservation initiatives.

www.peaceparks.org

JOB PURPOSE

The Protected Area Management Technical Advisor (PAMTA) provides specialist technical advice, support and quality assurance to strengthen the effective management of protected areas in line with recognised good practice, approved management plans, legislation, conservation standards and organisational strategy.

The role supports protected area managers and management entities across diverse management models to translate conservation strategies and management plans into practical, measurable and effective operational systems, while building capacity for continuous improvement.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Technical Advisor will provide expertise across the protected area management cycle, including:

• Strategic protected area planning;
• Organisational and operational design;
• Conservation management;
• Law enforcement and security coordination;
• Biodiversity management;
• Community and stakeholder engagement;
• Tourism and sustainable use;
• Infrastructure, asset and fleet management;
• Financial and resource planning;
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning;
• Risk management;
• Governance and compliance; and
• Organisational capacity development.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Protected Area Management Effectiveness
• Technical Advisory Support
• Planning and Operating Systems
• Conservation and Operational Performance
• Capacity Development

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Management, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Management, Protected Area Management, Wildlife Management or a related field.
• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is preferred.
• 10–15 years’ relevant experience in protected area, conservation or natural resource management, including experience in a senior technical, management or advisory role.
• Demonstrated experience in protected area management systems.
• Additional qualifications in management, project management, business administration or organisational development are advantageous.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Broad experience across several areas of protected area management and conservation operations, including law enforcement and ranger operations, wildlife and biodiversity management, tourism and concession management, and community-based natural resource management.
• Experience in co-management arrangements, public-private partnerships and institutional strengthening, including organisational design and workforce planning.
• Experience in protected area infrastructure planning, conservation finance, monitoring and evaluation, and management effectiveness assessments.

Experience working across multiple protected areas, countries or institutional environments would be advantageous.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a Curriculum Vitae, with full address, telephone number and email address. These should be submitted by 10 September 2026.

Please apply online.

We appreciate the time and effort taken by all applicants in expressing their interest in this role. Due to the high volume of applications received, we are only able to contact candidates who are selected for further consideration. If you do not hear from us within 3 weeks, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion. We encourage you to apply for future opportunities that match your skills and experience.