Position title:	Mekong Regional GEDSI Programme Manager
Reports to:	Director, Operations, Asia Pacific, WWF International
Supervises:	None
Location:	Based in an implementing country office or another agreed location within the Asia Pacific region, with responsibility for coordinating activities across participating countries. Flexible or hybrid working arrangements may be considered, subject to organizational policy and operational requirements.
Date:	August 2026

1 MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT

WWF Asia Pacific, in partnership with WWF-Australia seeks a full-time Programme Manager for the Mekong Regional Gender Equity, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Programme, funded by Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) program and with support from Deloitte. 

 

The programme is implemented in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, and operational from June 2025 to June 2028. 

The WWF Mekong Regional GEDSI Programme (MRGP) is a three-year Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) ANCP funded programme, designed to enable meaningful and transformative GEDSI integration in WWF work.

 

The programme’s overall goal of “Inclusive conservation outcomes are achieved in the Mekong region through the strengthened and sustained integration of GEDSI approaches across WWF’s institutional systems, programmatic strategies, and community-level actions” will be achieved through three supportive outcomes, targeting internal capacity, systemic change, and community agency. 

 

The programme provides practical applications to develop GEDSI tools and resources that support conservation outcomes, informed by the expertise of technical staff in the region.

2 MAJOR FUNCTIONS

The Regional Programme Manager is responsible for the overall management, coordination, and delivery of the Mekong Regional Gender Equity, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Programme across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The role provides operational leadership to ensure high-quality programme implementation, effective coordination across WWF country offices and regional teams, and compliance with donor requirements. Working closely with the Technical Lead, Focal Points, and partners, the Programme Manager supports the integration of GEDSI approaches into conservation programming, strengthens organizational capacity and systems, and fosters collaboration to achieve inclusive and sustainable conservation outcomes across the Mekong region.

3          MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Regional Programme Management 

 

• Ensure effective planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all regional and country office activities
• Ensure activities are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with approved work plans
• Monitor progress against agreed targets, outputs, and performance indicators
• Identify implementation risks and develop appropriate mitigation measures

 

Budget Management and Coordination

 

• Work in close collaboration with Regional and CO Finance teams for annual and quarterly planning processes
• In partnership with MRGP teams, develop and monitor regional and Country Office work plans and budgets
• Ensure timely and efficient utilisation of project resources
• Monitor expenditure and ensure compliance with organisational financial policies and donor requirements
• Work closely with the Finance Manager to align budget planning, financial reporting, and expenditure management

 

Country Office Coordination and Support 

 

• Maintain regular communication and coordination with country focal points to ensure consistent implementation of work plans, budgets, monitoring activities, and reporting
• Facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing across participating countries
• Support countries to identify implementation challenges and develop practical solutions
• Provide timely updates and communications to Country Office Senior Leadership teams, to maintain visibility on programme progress and alignment to Country Office Strategies and operational plans 

 

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (PMEL)

 

• Work closely with the Regional and Country Office PMEL teams to implement the programme’s monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Ensure effective collection, analysis, and reporting of activity data 
• Monitor project performance against agreed indicators and recommend corrective actions where necessary.
• Promote learning and continuous improvement through regular review of project results

 

Communications and Knowledge Management 

 

• Coordinate with the Communications Focal Point to ensure appropriate project visibility, branding, and communications in accordance with donor and organisational requirements
• Support the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, best practices, success stories, and knowledge products
• Contribute to regional knowledge sharing initiatives
• Ensure programme outputs and resources are uploaded to the SharePoint site 

 

Donor Compliance and Reporting

 

• Regular coordination with the Programme Manager (Australia), and Technical Lead (Mekong)
• Ensure full compliance with donor agreements, policies, reporting requirements, and contractual obligations
• Coordinate closely with the Coordination Team to ensure alignment of work plans, budgets, implementation progress, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting with donor expectations
• Prepare and submit timely, accurate, and high-quality technical and narrative reports

 

Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

 

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with regional partners, government agencies, implementing partners, and other stakeholders
• Represent the programme at regional meetings, workshops, and coordination forums as appropriate
• Seek opportunities for collaboration and scale out within WWF programmes, and other DFAT and ANCP funded programmes 

 

 Internal Collaboration

 

• Work collaboratively with members of the regional and Country Offices teams to ensure coordinated, efficient, and high-quality project delivery
• Promote effective communication, information sharing, and teamwork across programme, technical, finance, monitoring and evaluation, and communications functions.
• Contribute to a collaborative, transparent, and respectful working environment

  

Reporting Relationship

 

• No Direct Reports
• Dotted Line and oversight of Country Office Focal Points
• Works in close collaboration with: Regional Programme Finance, PMEL Advisor, and Communications Focal Point
• Adjacent to: WWF-Australia Programme Manager, Regional Technical Lead 
• Reports to: Director, Operations, Asia Pacific.

 

4 PROFILE

Required Qualifications:

• Postgraduate qualification in International Development, Project Management, Social Sciences, Environmental Management, Gender Studies, or a related discipline.

• Minimum of 7–10 years' progressively responsible experience managing complex, multi-country programmes.
• Demonstrated experience managing donor-funded projects, including planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and compliance.
• Experience supervising and mentoring geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven experience working with government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and regional stakeholders.
• Strong experience in financial management, budget monitoring, and grant management. 
• Experience preparing high-quality donor reports and ensuring compliance with donor regulations. 

 

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrated Knowledge of Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in a programme setting
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Experience working in Southeast Asia or other regional programme settings.
• Experience working with international NGOs, or conservation/development organizations 
• Previous experience with WWF or DFAT considered an asset
• Knowledge of Mekong languages preferred 
• Adheres to WWF’s values, which are: Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Determined and Engaging.
• Identifies and aligns with the core values of the WWF organization: Courage, Collaboration, Respect & Integrity.

5 WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

The Regional Programme Manager maintains strong internal working relationships to ensure effective programme coordination and delivery across the region. The role coordinates closely with Country Office programme focal points and works in close collaboration with the Regional Technical Lead and the Australia Programme Manager to align implementation, technical support, and reporting. The position also facilitates coordination between regional and country office teams across Finance, Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL), and Communications functions, while engaging regularly with Senior Leadership Teams to support strategic planning, decision-making, and organisational priorities.

External:

The Regional Programme Manager develops and maintains effective external relationships to support successful programme delivery and strategic objectives. The role liaises with DFAT-ANCP representatives to ensure strong communication, compliance, and reporting, and fosters collaborative partnerships with strategic partners, including government, non-government, and regional organizations. The position also works closely with civil society organizations and local communities to strengthen engagement, promote locally led approaches, and ensure programmes are responsive to community priorities and delivered through inclusive, collaborative partnerships.

 

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.