Project & Research Coordinator, Cities4Forests

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Cities4Forests Implementation Manager, you will support day-to-day management, international office coordination, and overall delivery of the initiative. In this position, you will support team members to ensure the successful and effective delivery of projects. You you will provide project management and research support across multiple projects and initiatives in Cities4Forests. You will work with an interdisciplinary and cross-programmatic team to advance nature-based research and strategies that leverage restoration, protection, and sustainable management of natural and working landscapes to provide water, health and well-being, climate mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity benefits globally.

You will work closely with WRI’s Urban Development team, the Global Forest Watch team, the Global Restoration Initiative team and will serve as an exciting introduction to the world of international environment and development work with an opportunity to help put the latest research and into meaningful action.

In the U.S. office, this position is remote due to Covid-19 and can remain remote once restrictions are lifted. This position can also be based in either our offices in Addis Ababa, The Hague, London, Nairobi, Washington, DC, or the US.

Job Responsibilities:

Project Management (40% of time required)

• Support Implementation Manager in day-to-day efforts to support and liaise with Cities4Forests colleagues in WRI’s International Offices, namely: Brazil, Colombia, Central Africa, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Mexico
• Support project managers with the preparation of regular progress report to donors
• Liaise with external partners and WRI colleagues across programs and countries to ensure coordinated approach to projects and to leverage opportunities
• Prepare and maintain sub-agreements and contracts in collaboration with project managers and the team’s Grants and Finance specialists
• Provide support to fundraising and development efforts on an as-needed basis

Research Coordination & Knowledge Development (40% of time required)

• Review and synthesize key documents for internal distribution
• Assist researchers and project managers with literature reviews and qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Provide support, advice and guidance on policy research, data interpretation and analytical issues to research staff

 Communications (10% of time required)

• Assist with preparation of presentations, key messages, project briefs, and other internal and external meetings
• Assist with research for blog writing on an as-needed basis

Operational Support (10 % of time required)

• Coordinate and schedule team meetings, take notes, synthesize key takeaways and manage follow up processes
• Organize internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences and other dissemination activities in collaboration with project managers
• Update event trackers and support coordination and planning of events
• Draft event abstracts and session proposals in collaboration with other team members

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science/policy/management, water management, forestry, international/sustainable development, or related fields
• Minimum 1 year of full-time, relevant professional experience working in project management/operations or research
• Relevant experience in Latin America, Africa and/or Asia would be an advantage
• Experience working for a non-profit and/or in an international development setting is preferred
• Detail-oriented and organized thinker with an interest in effective program management
• Excellent computer skills in MS Office Suite (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint, etc.), web-based communications (e.g., Skype, Zoom, etc.), and internet research
• Demonstrated strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and interest in working with a diverse team of colleagues
• Must be adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and have the ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and demonstrated strong work ethic
• Comfort working with remote managers
• Entrepreneurial nature

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with cover letter. Resume and cover letter must be submitted in English to be considered. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. 

Potential Salary:

$47,000 – $60,000 if based in United States. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

Program Overview:

Program Overview Over the past decade, WRI has been at the forefront of increasing investment in well-designed nature-based solutions (NBS) for water security, disaster risk reduction, and climate and community resilience. We have developed guidance on best practices for evaluating enabling conditions for NBS and appraising NBS projects. We have pioneered an economic method for analyzing NBS investment opportunities and applied it with utilities in several watersheds around the world including in Portland (Maine, USA), Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Monterrey (Mexico), Bogota (Colombia), and other locations. We have supported the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank with their NBS strategies. We have advanced the first green bond standard for water infrastructure and worked with a utility to issue the first-ever green bond for forest-based water infrastructure. And we have developed and piloted a multi-stakeholder finance platform, known as the Forest Resilience Bond, resulting in an unprecedented pipeline of blended finance NBS deals. Our Learning Guide on Social Equity Considerations supports cities to advance inclusive and equitable NBS projects and our work with Caterpillar Foundation, L’Oréal, FEMSA, and Danone has resulted in significant investment in watershed stewardship as well.

Building on this progress, we now aim to scale up our work on NBS through the Cities4Forests initiative. Cities4Forests Overview Cities4Forests is a cross-programmatic effort – involving WRI’s Water, Forests, and Cities programs – that aims to catalyze political, social, and economic support from city governments and urban residents to integrate inner, nearby, and faraway forests into city development plans and programs. Participating cities share an aspiration to reduce commodity-driven deforestation, restore forests and trees, and manage forests more sustainably. Cities4Forests’ goal is to amplify current best practices and extend the deliberate city-forest relationship to the global scale on which cities and forests interact. It is a voluntary coalition involving mayors’ offices — and supported by other subnational agencies such as public water utilities and offices of sustainability — from more than 75 cities around the world. We encourage peer-to-peer inspiration and learning, and members receive technical support from WRI and partners with expertise in forests, climate change, water, communications, finance, and policy.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills, and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence, and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years, and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.