Ecological Manager

Job Title: Ecological Manager, Spekboom Restoration Project

Division: Conservation

Location: Gqeberha, Eastern Cape (with regular travel to Jansenville and project field sites)

Reports to: Conservation - Project Manager, NatCarbon Africa

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment. 

NatCarbon Africa seeks an Ecological Manager in the Conservation Team for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.

With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.

Position Summary:

The Ecological Manager will report directly to the Conservation - Project Manager and will be responsible for the overall leadership, coordination and performance of the Spekboom Survival Monitoring field team. This includes direct line management of two Senior Field Technicians and, through them, the Junior Field Technician teams who deliver the project's tiered survival monitoring framework — Tier 1 (Baseline) post-planting assessments, Tier 2 (Monitoring) quarterly cohort resurveys, and Tier 3 (Individual Plant Monitoring) monthly high-resolution resurveys. The Ecological Manager will ensure survey schedules, data quality, field logistics and budget are managed effectively as the programme scales in line with the approved team capacity and escalation plan, and will act as the key link between field delivery and project leadership on all survival monitoring matters.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership, line management and performance management of the Survival Monitoring field team, including direct oversight of two Senior Field Technicians and, through them, all Junior Field Technician teams.
• Own delivery of the tiered survival monitoring framework (Tier 1 Baseline, Tier 2 Monitoring, Tier 3 Individual Plant Monitoring), ensuring survey schedules are met and sampling coverage is maintained as planting volumes grow and Tier 2’s cumulative resurvey obligation compounds.
• Translate the project’s planting schedule and the approved team capacity and escalation planner into monthly field rosters, tier assignments and team deployment plans, adjusting proactively as planting volumes and cohort maturity shift.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, training and development of Senior Field Technicians and Junior Field Technician teams, including cross-training across tiers to support a flexible, pooled-team model that absorbs low-planting periods without idling capacity, such as redirecting dormant teams to support the herbivory management plan.
• Hold overall accountability for field data quality, methodology and quality assurance across all tiers, working with Senior Field Technicians to resolve data issues, refine field protocols and pilot new tools and technologies.
• Manage the Survival Monitoring budget and field logistics, including vehicles, equipment and stores, tracking actual team counts and spend against the approved budget and escalation plan and escalating variances before they compound.
• Oversee field health, safety and compliance standards, including First Aid, OHSA and site-specific safety requirements, across all teams as headcount grows.
• Act as the primary point of contact between the field team and the Conservation - Project Manager, providing regular, at minimum monthly, capacity and progress reporting against the planner baseline.
• Represent the Survival Monitoring programme in Project Change Requests, budget reviews and funder/investor communications, including responding to technical queries on methodology, resourcing and equipment choices.
• Review and contribute to technical reports, summaries and other project documentation synthesising field data for internal, funder and investor reporting.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Senior Field Technicians to inform adaptive management decisions, ensuring early signs of poor survival outcomes are identified and escalated for corrective action.
• Participate in technical sessions, workshops, conferences and other relevant events to advance the field of thicket ecosystem restoration academically and commercially.

 General:

• Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting project priorities.
• Some travel within the Eastern and Western cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate schedules. Work hours may be irregular.
• This outline of duties, and responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign the employee additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by operational requirements. The functions and responsibilities detailed within this job description may be subject to modification at the employer’s discretion, based on evolving operational requirements, while remaining consistent with the parameters of the employee’s position.

Skills:

• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to manage, motivate and develop a multi-tiered field team spanning Senior Field Technicians and Junior Field Technician teams.
• Strong budget and resource management skills, including the ability to track spend and capacity against an approved plan and flag variances early.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (Afrikaans and Isixhosa advantageous).
• Strong organisational, planning and time-management abilities, with the ability to translate a capacity plan into practical field rosters.
• Excellent data management and analytical skills, with a high level of attention to detail and commitment to data quality.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across a multidisciplinary team, and to represent the programme to project leadership and external stakeholders.
• Physically fit and comfortable working in challenging outdoor conditions, including spending time in the field alongside teams.
• Demonstrates initiative, integrity and sound judgement under pressure, with a passion for ecological restoration and making a positive impact.

Qualifications:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in ecology, forestry, botany, environmental science, conservation, or related fields.
• An MSc in the related fields is advantageous.
• Relevant qualifications or demonstrated experience in people management, project management or budget management are advantageous.

 Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in ecological monitoring, restoration, or related fieldwork, including at least 1.5 to 2 years in a supervisory or field management role.
• Proven experience leading or managing multiple teams, ideally across different tiers or workstreams, in a technical or fieldwork context.
• Experience managing a field budget, including staffing, equipment and transport costs, is highly advantageous.
• Strong understanding of ecological restoration practices and data collection methodologies, including tiered or stratified monitoring designs.
• Proficiency in GIS, GPS, and other field monitoring equipment.
• Advanced computer literacy, particularly in data management, analysis and reporting tools.
• Knowledge of the Thicket Biome and the ability to identify key plant species is highly advantageous.
• Valid Driver’s Licence (off-road driving experience advantageous).

Working Conditions: 

• Frequent travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate schedules. Work hours may be irregular. 

You will join a great team! We are:

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, but all experts in our respective fields. We bring together a wide range of cross-sector experiences, ideas, and skills.
• Relentless in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. But it is not all work for us – we also believe in celebrating our successes, recognising individual contributions, and taking time to support each other’s growth and development.
• At our core, explorers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking new ways to deliver impactful solutions. We are not afraid to dream big, take risks, and step out of our comfort zones because we know that together, we can achieve great things.

Compensation

To help us attract and retain top talent, NatCarbon Africa pays employees competitively to the market, depending on experience. Salary is one component of NatCarbon Africa’s total compensation package which also includes health care and life insurance, contributions to each employee’s retirement plan, paid time off and funds to support professional development. We will recognise employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions.

In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:

• Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance.
• Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and
• Embody the values of NatCarbon Africa.

How to Apply

To apply, please send us the following:

• Cover letter (not to exceed one page).
• Resume/CV (not to exceed three pages).

Please add app.bamboohr.com to your contact list to ensure you receive emails from us

NatCarbon Africa provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.

Only applications received online via the NatCarbon website or LinkedIn Page will be considered