Research & Project Manager, The Earthshot Prize Africa

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.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Johannesburg, South Africa

Founded by HRH Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize is designed to discover, spotlight, and scale transformative solutions that contribute to five “Earthshots” – protect and restore nature, fix our climate, build a waste-free world, revive our oceans, and clean our air. The Earthshot Prize’s mission is to unleash urgent optimism and action by discovering, accelerating, awarding, spotlighting, and scaling transformative solutions to repair and regenerate our planet. Every year, The Earthshot Prize travels to a new region of the world, spotlighting regional nominees, leaders, and showcasing solutions that spark the world’s imagination and inspire people to act for climate change.

The Earthshot Prize’s (TEP) regional programme, Earthshot Africa, identifies and selects 10 innovative solutions per year, and supports them with a grant as well as technical assistance to scale. This portfolio also covers Generation Earthshot, which is a youth and children’s programme, bringing young people together from around the world to create a movement for climate action. In addition, between 2020 and 2025, TEP has awarded 11 African organisations as Earthshot winners or finalists. The regional programme supports these organisations to identify their needs and scale their solutions.
This position will support the delivery of all regional TEP activities, including Earthshot Africa, Generation Earthshot, and support to African finalists. The candidate for this role will demonstrate strong research skills, with the ability to gather information with creativity and novel approaches, as well as capture and analyse information in a structured manner. The candidate should demonstrate project management skills, with an ability to work across operational areas. The candidate should be self-motivated, have a strong work ethic with the ability to work independently, and set up working modalities to ensure efficiency. This role provides the opportunity to work closely with a globally recognised organisation and to contribute to creating meaningful impact to protect and restore our planet.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Research

• Identify new African nominees for TEP across all five earthshots.
• Design a research strategy that will result in a high number of qualified nominees.
• Keep detailed records to inform analyses of trends across the continent.
• Engage with solutions and build relationships should desktop research not be sufficient.

Communications

• Create content for online platforms regarding the Earthshot Africa programme, as well as African-based TEP finalists, including videos. copy, blogs, interview scripts, speeches, etc.
• Identify opportunities for high-quality content creation.
• Support content creation at events and site visits.
• Liaise with the TEP global communications team to design communications plans and align with global priorities.

Project Management and Administration

• Support the Earthshot Director of Africa on all operational and administrative tasks.
• Complete travel forms and book travel.
• Manage all contracts, invoicing, and payments.
• Support proposal development.
• Support Earthshot Africa and Generation Earthshot grantees with all administrative support required.
• Liaise with both CSA and TEP global teams to ensure necessary processes are being followed.

WORKING CONDITIONS
• Ability to work extended hours or travel as needed.
• Availability across multiple time zones.
• Ability to travel globally.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required

• Bachelor's degree, and 4 to 6 years of direct relevant working experience.
• Strong research skills.
• Strong project administration and management skills.
• Experience in climate change, environmental sustainability, or related fields.
• Written communication skills.
• Analytical thinking skills.
• Detail-oriented
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to travel globally.

Preferred

• Master's degree with a focus on sustainability, development, or related fields.
• Experience in project management and administration.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct in-depth research across multiple countries and contexts.
• Ingenuity and creativity to surface details despite a lack of available information.
• In-depth understanding of climate change concepts and principles.
• Performs complex tasks and determines appropriate processes to follow.
• Ability to foster teamwork and work well across multiple teams.
• Experience with other cultures and value systems.
• Experience developing communications material, written and visual.
• Flexibility to perform duties outside of the job description.
• Adaptable and able to work in a fast-paced environment.

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

Application Deadline: July 17, 2026 (11:49 PM EST)

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.

Employment Equity & Legal Compliance Disclaimer
We are committed to fair employment practices and abide by the Employment Equity Act (Act No. 55 of 1998, as amended), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and all related regulations. We promote transformation by eliminating unfair discrimination and implementing affirmative action measures for designated groups, including Black people, women, and people with disabilities.
As a designated employer, we have implemented an Employment Equity Plan aligned with sectoral and national benchmarks, and we monitor and report progress annually in compliance with the Employment Equity Regulations (2025).
When entering into offers or contracts with any organ of state, we comply with Section 53 of the Act by attaching either a valid Employment Equity compliance certificate or a declaration of compliance with Chapters II and III of the Act, as required.

Application Outcome & Future Opportunities
Should you not hear back from us within two weeks of the closing date for this advertisement, please consider your application not successful. We encourage you to apply for any future roles that align with your skill set.