Keo Seima, Program Director

position:                                 Keo Seima, Program Director
Report To:                              Cambodia Country Program Director
Position Managed:                Forest Carbon Technical Advisor, Keo Seima Project Manager, Keo Seima Operations Manager, Social Safeguards Technical Advisor, ESG Specialists, Livelihoods Officers, Human Rights Focal Points, and relevant technical consultants
Location:                                Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Country Program/Sector:     Global jobshiringnearme.org Program – Greater Mekong
Position Type:                       Full-time
Scope/Capacity:                    Country
Coordination with:                WCS Cambodia Leadership, WCS Global Markets Team, WCS Global Rights & Communities Team, Government counterparts (PDoE, MoE, MLMUPC), Indigenous Peoples organizations, REDD+ marketing agent, and carbon credit buyers.

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
The Wildlife jobshiringnearme.org Society (WCS) is a US non-profit organization established in 1895 and based in New York, that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With a presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. The WCS Cambodia program is located within and managed by the WCS Greater Mekong region, through a dispersed regional network with a hub in Bangkok.

JOB PURPOSE:
The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) is nearly 300,000 ha and consists largely of lowland and hill semi-evergreen and deciduous forest. It supports globally significant primate and bird populations. Nearly 30,000 people live on the edge of or inside the protected area, many of them ethnic Bunong. Following the loss of forest to the south and west, KSWS is now located on a deforestation frontier. The protected area has been a REDD+ project since 2010; it aims to protect forest carbon stocks, biodiversity, strengthen local livelihoods, and uphold human rights and sustainable land management through the implementation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks in line with international safeguards and carbon standards.

The Keo Seima Program Director will be responsible for the overall management and delivery of the Keo Seima 5-year Strategy (2026-2031) to ensure adherence to strategic objectives and performance requirements, and adaptively manage activities as needed.

This senior position will play a pivotal role in driving the next phase of growth and scaling of conservation action across the landscape. The role has overall oversight of WCS field staff across Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, including direct supervision of the Keo Seima Project Manager and Keo Seima Operations Manager. Building on a strong foundation of success, the position will be instrumental in expanding the project’s impact and ensuring its continued leadership in global REDD+ implementation. The incumbent will also be responsible for the continued development of technical support by overseeing an experienced team of Technical Advisors specializing in law enforcement, community engagement, REDD+, biodiversity monitoring, and conservation impact.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide overall management oversight for all components of the Keo Seima Strategy 2026- 2031, including the direct supervision and coordination of internal technical teams, implementing partners, and grantees. This includes ensuring timely delivery of workplans, outputs, and performance indicators in alignment with both WCS’s strategic priorities and the project’s long-term REDD+ objectives.
• Lead and manage the development, execution, and monitoring of annual and multi-year workplans and budgets, ensuring that all activities, staffing, and resource allocations directly support project objectives and institutional priorities.
• Prepare and facilitate Quarterly Steering Committee meetings on project progress, risks, and mitigation actions with project partners, including government agencies, investors, and implementing partners.
• Represent WCS in strategic engagements with carbon investors, government partners, and key stakeholders, providing authoritative input on project strategy, investment structures, and governance to ensure alignment with long-term REDD+ sustainability, equity, and integrity goals.
• Oversee and control all fiscal management functions for the Keo Seima landscape, including the preparation, approval, and administration of site-level budgets, sub-grants, contracts, and cash-for-community mechanisms. Ensure full financial accountability and compliance with WCS, donor, and government regulations.
• Establish and enforce robust financial and operational systems that promote transparency, efficiency, and risk management, supporting the effective scaling of landscape interventions and the sustainable growth of program staffing and partnerships.
• Coordinate with the WCS Global Markets team and technical advisors to oversee the preparation and submission of periodic carbon performance reports (Validation/Verification Body (VVB) supporting documentation, and Monitoring Reports (MR), ensuring alignment with verified emission reduction methodologies and Investor ESG safeguarding requirements.
• Identify and manage third-party service providers, as needed, for specific technical inputs.
• Lead implementation of the project’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), ensuring effective risk identification, mitigation, and compliance with ESG standards, donor requirements, and WCS policies.
• Oversee human rights, child protection, and security safeguards, including implementation of Human Rights strategy, Security Management Plan delivery, and adherence to VPSHR and child protection protocols.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND JOB SKILLS:

• Master’s degree or higher in conservation, environmental management, development or related field
• Minimum 10–15 years of experience managing large-scale natural resource, conservation, REDD+, or development projects with strong social and governance components
• Demonstrated experience in the design, management and reporting of multi-million dollar workplans and budgets.
• Proven experience and working knowledge of REDD+ and carbon market mechanisms, including relevant standards and verification processes.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, human rights safeguards, and Indigenous Peoples’ engagement.
• Demonstrated experience working with high-level government partners and influencing policy frameworks, particularly in the context of natural resource management, climate change, or REDD+ program implementation.
• Strong knowledge of land tenure, livelihood, and community forestry frameworks.
• Excellent leadership, team management, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• fluency in English required; Khmer language proficiency is an asset.

How to apply:
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending an motivation letter and CV through the Application tab by 22:00 UTC+7 December  10, 2025

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.

It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person’s membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS sponsored recreational activities and facilities.

The organization complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS’s employment policies.