Chief of Party, Deploying American Technology to Reduce IUU Fishing in the Pacific Proposal

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. MAJOR FUNCTION World Wildlife Fund (WWF) seeks a Chief of Party (COP) to provide overall strategic, technical, and operational leadership for an upcoming five-year U.S. Department of State cooperative agreement: Deploying American Technology to Reduce Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Pacific. The project will strengthen Pacific Island countries’ ability to detect, monitor, and respond to IUU fishing in their exclusive economic zones by deploying U.S. communications, surveillance, and maritime domain awareness technologies. The Chief of Party is Key Personnel and will be accountable for effective, compliant, and timely implementation of the full award. The COP will independently manage day-to-day project delivery, supervise project staff and consultants, coordinate partner workstreams, oversee work planning and reporting, manage risks, and ensure strong coordination with the U.S. Department of State, including U.S. Embassy Suva, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Pacific Island Country ministries, regional bodies, technology vendors, and other project partners. The COP will report to the WWF-US Oceans Team based in Washington, DC and work closely with WWF-Pacific to ensure regional alignment, locally informed implementation, and durable sustainability outcomes. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Program Leadership Serve as the senior project leader responsible for overall award implementation, quality, timeliness, compliance, and results across the full period of performance. Oversee annual and life-of-project work planning, budgeting inputs, staffing plans, implementation calendars, and adaptive management processes aligned with Department of State priorities and approved award requirements. Maintain effective project management systems to track deliverables, performance indicators, budgets, subawards, procurement actions, partner inputs, risks, and donor reporting obligations. Guide the project through technology procurement and deployment, including any required training, adoption, and transition planning to local partners and stakeholders. Anticipate and resolve implementation issues, elevating risks and strategic decisions to WWF leadership if appropriate. Technical Leadership: IUU Fishing, Technology Deployment, and Procurement Oversee technical activities to assess Pacific Island Country needs for combating IUU fishing, including baseline assessments of communications systems, monitoring capacity, data use, and technology gaps. Lead or supervise the identification, evaluation, procurement, installation, and operationalization of appropriate U.S. technologies, potentially including satellite communications, remote sensing tools, maritime domain awareness platforms, and related data or subscription packages. Ensure technology deployment is practical, secure, user-centered, sustainable, and responsive to the operating realities of fisheries observers, embedded officers, ministries of fisheries, and monitoring, control, and surveillance centers. Promote coordination with existing U.S. government programs such as SeaVision and the Maritime Security Initiative and deconflict activities with other donor-funded efforts in the region. Support documentation of examples where enhanced communications, surveillance, or data tools contribute to fisheries investigations, interdictions, prosecutions, or enforcement actions. Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement Serve as the primary in-region representative for the project with the Department of State, U.S. Embassy teams, FFA, other regional fisheries organizations, Pacific Island Country ministries, maritime coordination centers, and implementing partners. Build trusted, respectful, and diplomatically effective relationships with government counterparts and regional institutions, navigating political sensitivities and partner priorities. Establish an effective, collaborative and cooperative relationship with the WWF-Pacific IUU team and consult with leadership prior to engagement with external entities with which they routinely partner or for whom they are the primary overall relationship manager. Coordinate closely with WWF-Pacific and relevant WWF network offices to align implementation with regional strategies, country relationships, and operational realities. Facilitate high-quality meetings, consultations, workshops, trainings, and partner coordination processes that promote transparency, accountability, and shared learning. Represent the project in donor briefings, regional fisheries fora, technical meetings, and other external engagements as requested. Team Management and Operations Supervise, mentor, and manage project staff, consultants, vendors, and partner workstreams, ensuring clear roles, strong performance, and collaborative team culture. Set expectations for staff and partners, provide regular performance feedback, resolve operational bottlenecks, and promote accountability for deliverables. Coordinate with WWF-US operations, finance, legal, compliance, procurement, and grants teams to ensure project activities are implemented efficiently and consistently with organizational policies. Support a safe and respectful working environment for project staff, partners, and stakeholders across countries of implementation. Grants, Financial, Procurement, and Compliance Oversight Management Ensure implementation complies with Department of State cooperative agreement requirements, 2 CFR 200, applicable standard terms and conditions, and WWF policies and procedures. Work with WWF finance, operations, compliance, and procurement colleagues to monitor spending, review budget-to-actuals, support forecasting, and prepare for audits or donor reviews. Support transparent procurement and vendor management processes for technology, data subscriptions, equipment, services, travel, training, and other activities. Ensure project tracking for subawards or partner agreements as applicable, including scopes of work, deliverables tracking, performance monitoring, and partner reporting. Maintain documentation needed to demonstrate responsible stewardship of U.S. government resources and effective internal controls. Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Sharing Oversee implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan, including baseline assessments, quarterly tracking, semi-annual equipment or system health checks, and documentation of project outputs and outcomes. Ensure timely submission of high-quality donor reports, including updates on technology installed, active users, training, partner engagement, IUU fishing countering efforts, sustainability progress, challenges, corrective actions, and upcoming activities. Use monitoring data, partner feedback, and implementation learning to adapt work plans and improve results over time. Lead sustainability and transition planning with Pacific Island Country governments, donors, and partners to support follow-on financing for technology data packages, subscriptions, maintenance, and continued use beyond the award period. Support mid-term and final evaluations and ensure learning is captured and shared with WWF leadership, Department of State counterparts, and relevant partners. Other Responsibilities Serve as a thought partner to WWF-US and WWF-Pacific leadership on maritime security, IUU fishing, U.S. technology deployment, fisheries governance, and regional partnerships in the Pacific. Perform other duties as assigned. Key Competencies Strategic Collaboration and Leadership . Able to lead complex, multi-country, multi-partner programs and align technical, operational, diplomatic, and donor requirements toward shared results. Independent Judgment and Accountability . Operates effectively with limited day-to-day supervision, makes sound decisions in ambiguous environments, and elevates issues appropriately. Diplomatic Communication . Builds trust with government, donor, regional, and community stakeholders through excellent listening, cultural awareness, discretion, and clear communication. Operational Excellence . Establishes disciplined project management systems, tracks details rigorously, and follows through on commitments across multiple workstreams. People Leadership . Supervises teams with clarity, empathy, accountability, and a commitment to developing staff and strengthening collaboration. Required Skills and Abilities Bachelor’s degree in marine policy, fisheries management, environmental science, international development, public policy, technology deployment, business administration, or a related field. At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience leading complex international programs, including substantial experience managing U.S. government-funded projects. Demonstrated experience managing Department of State, USAID, or other U.S. government grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, including work planning, reporting, compliance, budgeting, and donor coordination. Proven ability to manage large, multi-year, multi-partner projects independently, including staff supervision, partner coordination, risk management, and performance accountability. Experience working with government ministries, embassies, regional organizations, donors, and technical partners in politically sensitive or cross-cultural environments. Strong understanding of project management tools and systems, including dashboards, deliverables trackers, work plans, budget tracking, and collaborative workflows. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to prepare high-quality donor reports, briefing materials, meeting notes, and presentations. Ability and willingness to be based in Suva, Fiji and travel regularly across Pacific Island countries and, as needed, to the United States or other locations for project implementation and coordination. Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home. INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve. RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future. COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation. Preferred Skills and Abilities Prior Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Project Director, or equivalent senior leadership experience on a Department of State, USAID, or other U.S. government-funded international program. Experience in fisheries management, maritime security, monitoring, control, and surveillance, maritime domain awareness, or efforts to prevent and combat IUU fishing. Experience with technology procurement, vendor management, equipment deployment, data subscriptions, software platforms, remote sensing, satellite communications, SeaVision, or related maritime technology tools. Professional experience in the Pacific Islands region and established familiarity with Pacific Island Country ministries responsible for fisheries management or maritime coordination. Experience engaging with FFA, SPC, WCPFC, or other Pacific regional fisheries or maritime security bodies. Experience developing sustainability or transition plans with governments, including budget planning for ongoing technology subscriptions, equipment maintenance, and data packages. Experience managing subawards, contractors, or partner organizations under U.S. government grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. Familiarity with WWF, conservation organizations, regional fisheries governance, and ocean conservation programs. Anticipated Start Date: Late September 2026 Please note: This position is subject to funder approval. Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Relocation may be considered for this position. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.