Operations and Administration Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

CI is launching a bold new initiative to close the finance gap for conservation and protected areas across Africa. To support the successful delivery of this initiative and the broader Nature Finance team based in South Africa, we are seeking an Operations & Administration Manager. This role is central to the operational success of the Nature Finance team, providing critical administrative, financial, and HR expertise and support to ensure efficient delivery and compliance.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Cape Town, South Africa

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Conservation Finance, the Operations and Administration Manager will own and lead day-to-day operations (including onboarding, financial transactions, expense tracking, time reporting, and travel logistics) for the entire Nature Finance Africa programme, ensuring compliant, and efficient processes that support delivery across multiple workstreams and partners. The role is responsible for setting operational priorities, improving processes, and proactively identifying risks. They will also maintain accurate project data, support internal and donor compliance, and coordinate meetings and events. In addition, the role also involves liaising with IT and other departments to resolve operational issues and ensure smooth functioning.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Senior Vice President, Conservation Finance, on all operational and administrative matters.
• Serve as the primary resource and subject matter expert (“go to person”) for operational matters on the programme and within the Nature Finance department, ensuring services run efficiently and in alignment with CI and CSA policies.
• Educate and support staff in applying operational procedures and resolving queries.
• Coordinate onboarding processes and manage HR documentation.
• Organize travel logistics and process related expense reports.
• Provide logistical support for internal meetings and external events.
• Liaise with IT to resolve departmental tech issues.
• Ensure full compliance with CI, CSA, and donor operational, financial, and contractual requirements, serving as the primary point of accountability for audits, reviews, and reporting readiness.
• Oversee financial transactions, including purchase orders, reimbursements, reclasses, and expense tracking, and ensure integrity as well as alignment with budgets and donor requirements.
• Maintain accurate project data in CI’s management systems and generate reports as needed.
• Own the time reporting process, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely resolution of discrepancies (this includes monthly review of time reporting and collaboration with payroll to ensure correct coding and adjustments).
• Maintain organized filing systems and track contracts and donor agreements for compliance.
• Support the Programme Director in strengthening programme coordination and delivery tracking across the departments/ workstreams, ensuring alignment of timelines, outputs, and reporting requirements.
• Maintain and support the effective use of project management systems (including Monday.com), ensuring milestones, tasks, risks, and dependencies are accurately captured and regularly updated to enable informed oversight by the Programme Director.
• Support the preparation of programme dashboards, governance reports, and working group updates, proactively following up with workstream leads to ensure timely submission of inputs and visibility of risks or bottlenecks.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Normal office environment.
• Up to 10% travel annually.
• Flexible working hours will be discussed during the interview process, aligned with the requirement to be available to work across time zones.
• This is a fixed-term assignment, initially expected to last 2 years, with potential for extension based on performance and funding.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree/three-year tertiary qualification in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent.
• 4 to 6 years of relevant experience in operations, administration, or finance.
• Strong interpersonal skills and sound judgment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Discretion in handling personnel and financial matters.
• Proficiency in MS Office and ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Advanced PowerPoint, Word, and Excel skills.
• Experience in a project management programme such as Monday.com
• Mature individual who can work independently and remain calm and confident under pressure.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex, multi-stakeholder programmes with structured tracking, coordination, and reporting requirements.

Preferred

• Experience working in both a for-profit/corporate and a nonprofit or donor-funded environment.
• Experience supporting a complex, multi-year program of work.
• Experience in a consulting environment is advantageous.

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter.

Application Deadline: February 26, 2026 (11:49 PM EST). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.