The Maldives hosts globally significant marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows, and associated island ecosystems that underpin the national economy, food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. However, these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to multiple and cumulative pressures, including climate change, overexploitation of marine resources, coastal development, and pollution.

In response, conservation and management approaches are evolving beyond a sole focus on threat reduction towards strengthening ecosystem resilience by supporting natural processes that enhance resistance, recovery, and adaptive capacity under changing climatic conditions. This shift underscores the need for effective, science-based, and locally informed conservation actions.

Within this context, IUCN Maldives implements a diverse portfolio of initiatives spanning biodiversity conservation, marine and coastal management, waste management, pollution reduction, and environmental governance.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Programme Officer[AR2.1], Coastal and Marine Management plays a key role in supporting the effective implementation and technical delivery of marine conservation and waste management, circular economy and pollution reduction initiatives in Maldives. The position will contribute to Improved Biodiversity Management to support a Blue Economy in the Maldives Project funded by the European Union and contribute to the overall growth of the country programme.

Under the supervision of the Maldives Country Programme Manager and in close coordination with programme/project staff and relevant corporate services teams, the Senior Programme Officer will ensure effective and timely planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of assigned projects and thematic components. The position contributes to achieving programmatic and financial objectives within the waste management and marine pollution reduction thematic areas and supports alignment with national priorities and relevant IUCN regional and global programme frameworks.

The main responsibilities are:
i. Project Management, Monitoring and Reporting
ii. Support to the Maldives Country Programme Development
iii. Compliance and Assurance
iv. Other tasks

10. DUTIES

A. Project Management, Monitoring and Reporting

• Provide technical oversight and coordination of assigned projects in waste management, plastic reduction and marine conservation to ensure outputs and commitments identified in approved workplans are delivered in a timely, cost-effective and high-quality manner.
• Supervise and provide day-to-day guidance to project officers, ensuring coherence of workplans, technical quality and performance against agreed targets.
• Oversee the preparation of and provide substantive technical input to assessments, baseline studies, operational guidelines, SOPs, technical reports, policy briefs and knowledge products.
• Contribute to the preparation of annual workplans and budgets for assigned projects and support financial monitoring in coordination with corporate services staff.
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of technical and progress reports in accordance with IUCN and donor requirements.
• Conduct field visits to monitor implementation progress, assess risks and provide technical guidance to strengthen delivery.
• Support the design and implementation of capacity-building initiatives for government institutions, local councils, SMEs and community stakeholders across the assigned thematic areas.

B. Support to Maldives Country Programme Development

• Provide technical and substantive input to the Manager, Maldives Country Programme on the development of waste management, circular economy, plastic pollution reduction and marine conservation initiatives in the Maldives, ensuring alignment with national priorities and relevant IUCN programme areas.
• Support the identification and development of partnerships with government agencies, local councils, civil society organizations, private sector actors and development partners to strengthen implementation and expand programme opportunities in waste management and pollution reduction.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical concept notes and project proposals in collaboration with in-country, regional and global technical teams to contribute to the long-term marine conservation objectives in line with the SDG and KMGBF
• Support integration of waste management, pollution reduction and marine conservation priorities within the broader programme agenda, ensuring coherence with environmental governance, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development objectives.
• Contribute to identifying opportunities for programme growth within the assigned thematic areas.

C. Compliance and Assurance
• Ensure that the country office operationalises the Project Guidelines and Standards (PGS) and the Project Appraisal and Approval System (PAAS), including compliance with Environmental and Social Management Systems, procurement and reporting requirements.
• Support programme and project evaluations and participate in related reviews, as necessary.
• Ensure that lessons learnt are documented and internalised in the current and future work of IUCN at the country office.

D. Other tasks
• Represent IUCN Maldives in external and internal IUCN meetings at national, regional and international levels, as needed.
• Undertake any other tasks that may be assigned and mutually agreed upon with the line manager.