Project Lead

Position Summary

The MinFor Project Lead serves as the executive leader and Integrator of the Mindanao Forests for People (MinFor) Project and is accountable for the overall performance, strategic direction, and successful delivery of project outcomes across the 11 CADTs of Davao Oriental. 

Reporting to the Senior Operations Manager, the Project Lead provides leadership to all project workstreams, ensuring that Forest Protection, IP–Community Partnership, Sustainable Livelihood, and Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) operate as one integrated management system. 

The role translates organizational strategy into disciplined execution, drives accountability and cross-functional collaboration, and serves as MinFor's principal representative with Indigenous Peoples, government agencies, development partners, and corporate management.

This is a full-time executive leadership role requiring an experienced senior-level professional with the credibility, maturity, and influence to lead complex multi-stakeholder initiatives and represent the organization in high-level engagements with Local Government Units (LGUs), national government agencies, Indigenous Peoples, development partners, and other strategic stakeholders. 

Core Accountabilities

1. Provide strategic leadership to all MinFor workstreams by directing planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and execution to achieve project milestones, KPIs, contractual commitments, and organizational priorities.
2. Represent MinFor before Indigenous Peoples, government agencies, development partners, and corporate leadership while ensuring compliance with corporate policies, environmental regulations, Indigenous Peoples rights, and governance standards.
3. Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with Local Government Units (LGUs), government decision-makers, regulatory agencies, and influential partners to strengthen project implementation, environmental governance, and forest conservation initiatives.
4. Lead complex, multi-year conservation projects using strong project management principles, ensuring effective planning, implementation, monitoring, risk management, resource coordination, and timely delivery of project objectives.
5. Direct annual planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and organizational prioritization to maximize operational effectiveness and long-term project sustainability.
6. Provide executive oversight of operational, environmental, political, financial, and social risks affecting project implementation and ensure timely mitigation measures are implemented.
7. Develop and sustain strategic networks with conservation organizations, government institutions, legal and technical experts, and advocacy groups to strengthen collaborative efforts that protect forest landscapes and respond to environmental threats, including illegal and unsustainable mining or logging activities. 
8. Develop a high-performing leadership team by strengthening accountability, coaching managers and workstream leads improving decision-making, and institutionalizing continuous improvement across the organization.
9. Promote data-driven management by integrating operational intelligence, monitoring results, field learning, and stakeholder feedback into strategic decision-making and organizational improvement.
10. Serve as a trusted advisor to organizational leadership and project stakeholders by providing strategic guidance on policy, governance, stakeholder engagement, conservation priorities, and project management responsibilities and outcome.

Leadership & Behavioral Competencies

1. Strategic Leadership: Translates organizational strategy into operational priorities and measurable results
2. Systems Leadership: Develops and strengthens management systems and operating processes to drive organizational discipline, continuous improvement, and sustainable performance.
3. Organizational Integration: Eliminates internal silos to build a highly collaborative, integrated management team across the Forest Protection, Community Partnership, Livelihood, and CEPA workstreams.
4. Leadership Accountability: Establishes clear performance expectations and coaches team leads to manage progress and ensure strict accountability for results.
5. Stakeholder and Partnership Leadership: Represents the organization professionally in high-level engagements to build trusted relationships with Indigenous Peoples, government agencies, and development partners.
6. Political and Government Relations: Demonstrates the ability to effectively engage Local Government Units (LGUs), national government agencies, policymakers, and regulatory bodies to build support for conservation objectives and navigate complex governance environments. 
7. Indigenous Peoples Engagement: Collaborates effectively with CADT leadership through participatory, consensus-based approaches that respect Indigenous culture and governance systems.
8. Executive Communication: Communicates clearly with diverse audiences to facilitate difficult discussions, complex negotiations, and strategic decision-making.
9. Results Orientation: Focuses on achieving measurable outcomes by using data, performance indicators, and operational intelligence to guide strategic choices.
10. Financial and Risk Management: Oversees budgets, resource allocation, compliance, and organizational risk to make sound decisions under operational and political uncertainty.
11. Integrity and Professionalism: Demonstrates ethical leadership, transparency, accountability, and sound judgment across all professional relationships.
12. Executive Presence and Credibility: Commands respect through professionalism, sound judgment, ethical leadership, and a demonstrated reputation for effectively leading organizations and influencing diverse stakeholders. 

Experience

• Minimum 12 years of progressive leadership experience in forestry, conservation, environmental management, or rural development, including at least 7 years in a senior management role.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary conservation programs involving multiple workstreams, budgets, institutional partners, and Indigenous Peoples.
• Proven track record in organizational leadership, systems development, and performance improvement.
• Extensive experience managing large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects with strong project management discipline, including planning, implementation, monitoring, budgeting, and risk management. 
• Demonstrated experience working closely with Local Government Units (LGUs), government agencies, Indigenous Peoples, and public sector leaders in advancing environmental or development initiatives. 
• Experience in law enforcement, military service, environmental law, legal practice, regulatory enforcement, or related fields is considered a strong advantage, particularly for candidates involved in forest protection, environmental compliance, or the management of complex security and governance issues. 

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Public Administration, Development Management, or a related field.
• A Master's degree in Public Administration, Environmental Management, Project Management, or Natural Resource Management is preferred.
• Professional education, executive training, or specialized certifications in law enforcement, military leadership, environmental law, public safety, security management, conflict resolution, governance, or regulatory compliance are considered a strong advantage.