Project Manager HCI

About this role

Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members.

Project Description:

The Heart of Conservation Initiative (HCI) is a 5-year global project designed to address systemic barriers that limit Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ ability to steward their lands, territories, waters, and biodiversity-rich ecosystems. Despite strong evidence that Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage or influence at least 37% of remaining natural lands globally, they receive less than 1% of international climate and biodiversity finance, face complex donor procedures, limited direct access to funding, and insufficient recognition in decision-making arenas.

Building on the achievements of the GEF-7 Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI), HCI’s objective is to increase Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ organizational capacities and ability to access sustainable finance at scale   for territorial stewardship to deliver social, economic, cultural, and Global Environmental Benefits. The project is transformative in that it targets structural change in biodiversity finance systems—shifting from centralized, intermediary-driven models toward more inclusive, Indigenous Peoples and local community-led financing and governance mechanisms.

This will be achieved through four integrated components: (i) organizational and technical self-strengthening of Indigenous Peoples and local community funds and organizations and  implementation of self-determined Indigenous Peoples-...