15h Left: Project Manager

IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) is one of the world's most influential freshwater research facilities. It features a collection of 58 small lakes and their watersheds in northwestern Ontario, Canada. For over 50 years, scientists at IISD-ELA have conducted whole-ecosystem experiments and made significant scientific discoveries related to issues such as acid rain, mercury from air pollution, algal blooms, and pharmaceutical chemicals in water. The facility is operated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development—an independent think tank headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional land of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and homeland of the Métis Nation.

IISD-ELA acknowledges that its research facility is located on Treaty 3 lands, and the care of these lands during experimentation and restoration to their original state is implicit in its mission. Many regional schools come to the facility to learn more about the science of aquatic ecosystems.

Overview

The Project Manager is responsible for leading the successful execution of assigned research projects throughout the project cycle. They are the bridge between all stakeholders involved, accountable for defining, assembling, and driving forward the project plan; coordinating the delivery of activities; and ensuring tangible results. To achieve this mission, they are responsible for adaptively managing (i) the project's delivery plan and strategy, including arbitration of any change requests; (ii) the team's coordination in moving deliverables forward; (iii) the timing and scheduling of activities; (iv) the acquisition and utilization of adequate resources, including contracting; (v) the project's budget, finances, and accounting; (vi) risk management and problem response; (vii) liaising with and supporting reporting progress to the research funder, and (viii) responsible communication of information.

Responsibilities

Program Management

- Ensure projects under supervision adhere to the program-wide work plan and strategy.
- Regularly review and update the project delivery plan and strategy to ensure alignment with project objectives and stakeholder expectations.
- Support the identification and development of key best practices, tools, and processes.
- Assist the Program Manager, IISD-ELA, in monitoring program performance, including coordination with the science teams.
- Liaise with IISD head office corporate services on project-related matters.
- Provide regular status updates and ensure proper documentation of project information.

Project Design and Planning

- Support the development of project proposals, budgets, and financial plans.
- Work with the Project Lead to collect due diligence documents and submit final documentation to donors.
- Organize and schedule regular project team coordination calls.
- Evaluate change requests, assess their impact, and communicate updates to donors and stakeholders.
- Establish and maintain effective communication channels with funders.
- Coordinate the preparation and timely submission of progress reports to the donor with the technical team.
- Document all interactions and correspondence with donors.

Project Operations

- Ensure accurate project data feeds into IISD-wide annual budget planning processes.
- Prepare project cost templates, manage budgets, and forecast financial needs.
- Monitor project timelines, resources, milestones, and deliverables using project management tools.
- Liaise with funders to receive and process grant agreements.
- Support the contracting process, manage vendor contracts, and oversee payment approvals.
- Ensure compliance with IISD financial and procurement policies when reviewing donor agreements and consultant sub-contracts.
- Identify and document potential risks and mitigation strategies.
- Support the tracking and reporting of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) data.

Project Support

- Assist in organizing project conferences, briefings, workshops, and other initiatives.
- Support program-level communication efforts through the provision of impact information.
- Maintain and update the IISD-ELA Research Project Tracker.
- Participate in the Project Managers Community of Practice to promote a harmonized project management approach.

Other Duties

- Support the IISD digitization process by transferring project-related data and optimizing tool usage.
- Assist the Operations Manager, IISD-ELA, in tracking facility usage and invoicing.
- Ensure IISD-ELA projects are updated in the IISD Project Pipeline for organization-wide visibility.
- Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications

- 5+ years of experience in project administration or management.
- Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g. project management, business administration, accounting); project management certification.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- Decision-making: Make high-impact, strategic decisions at the project level; make autonomous decisions on routine tasks assigned.
- Technical experience: Manage complex, multi-year projects; experience with MEL; experience with finance, accounting, and administration; experience with procurement and contract management.
- Problem solving: Anticipate, mitigate, identify, and coordinate solving medium-impact, cross-functional problems; anticipate, identify, and autonomously solve medium-impact problems; escalate identified problems to supervisors where necessary.
- Stakeholder engagement: Engage with external stakeholders (partners, beneficiaries, vendors); engage with internal stakeholders (team members, other departments); gather requirements and provide updates.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Working Conditions

- Primarily working in an office or home office setting, utilizing computer systems and office equipment.
- Depending on workload and deadlines, may require flexibility in working hours.
- Potential for periods of high workload, requiring efficient time management and adaptability.

- Ability to travel domestically or internationally as required.

Physical Demands

- Limited physical demands, primarily focused on office-related tasks.
- Occasional standing and walking during meetings or presentations.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Potential for periods of high workload, requiring efficient time management and adaptability.

Location: Canada – Hybrid (Ottawa, Toronto, or Winnipeg, where IISD has offices) or remote

Salary: CAD 60,000 to CAD 75,000 per year, depending on location and experience

Application deadline: April 4, 2025 at 16:00 CST

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English. Accommodations for job applicants with disabilities are available on request.

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for Canada where they expect to be based without any sponsorship from IISD.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:

- A CV (required; no longer than two pages)
- A cover letter (required; one page)
- IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire (optional; right click to download)

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 year.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants' advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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