Sr. Manager, Program Implementation

About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For 50 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature and believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate.  Rare's organizational culture is results-oriented, and entrepreneurial, and our global programs cover the thematic areas of climate change, fisheries and marine conservation, sustainable agriculture food security, and Green Recovery.

Project Overview

Rare Philippines is seeking a talented professional to fill the role of Senior Manager, Program Implementation, who will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Aquatic Livelihoods and Ocean-based Nature Solutions (ALON). This project addresses the interconnected challenges of ecosystem degradation, poverty, and climate vulnerability affecting coastal communities in Palawan and Siargao, Philippines. Small-scale fishers and marginalized groups experience unstable incomes, limited access to markets and financial services, and declining fishery resources caused by unsustainable practices and weak governance. With this challenge, the project will work towards the following intended changes:

• Improved fisheries governance: Communities will co-develop and enforce locally relevant fisheries governance systems, covering 80,970 hectares of municipal waters.
• Increased income opportunities: Households engaged in community enterprises will benefit from reliable livelihood options through improved market access, enterprise training, coaching, and product development.
• Strengthened household resilience: Savings clubs and financial literacy campaigns, with strong participation from women, will enhance household stability and provide financial safety nets against climate shocks.

Position Overview

The Senior Program Manager will work to build Market and Financial Inclusion initiatives so that the underserved groups gain access to affordable financial services and fully engage in economic opportunities. The position holder will use his/her expertise in Livelihood and Enterprise Development so that the resources of the underserved communities are supported, improved, and sustained and that the growth of small and medium enterprises is supported. S/he will also programmatically lead the development of Fisheries Governance Systems.

Essential Functions

Stakeholder and Partnership Management/Coordination

• Lead coordination with national and local government partners (BFAR, DENR-BMB, DILG, LGUs, LGU Alliances) to reinforce co-management and policy coherence.
• Manage relationships with civil society, academe, private sector, and donor organizations supporting fisheries and blue economy programs.
• Represent Rare in inter-agency, partner, and donor coordination forums related to fisheries, blue economy, and ocean-based nature solutions.
• Coordinate with the COAST Facility Philippines Secretariat to align ALON implementation, learning, and reporting with Facility objectives.
• Facilitate stakeholder mapping, engagement planning, and collaboration protocols with government, private sector, and civil society.
• Represent Rare in technical working groups and learning events convened by the COAST Facility and partners.
• Maintain a consolidated partnership dashboard to track commitments, deliverables, and risks across partners.

Donor Relationship Management

• Strengthen alignment with the COAST Facility Philippines
  • Serve as the primary liaison between the ALON Project and the COAST Facility Philippines Secretariat to ensure strategic and operational alignment.
  • Facilitate coordination on performance tracking, communications, and knowledge sharing between ALON and other Facility initiatives.

Contractor and Partner Oversight

• Oversee and coordinate the work of implementing contractors and technical partners to ensure deliverables, timelines, and budgets align with project objectives.
• Conduct joint planning and regular progress reviews with partners.
• Review and endorse contractor outputs, ensuring adherence to quality, inclusivity, and safeguard standards.

Reporting and Internal Coordination

• Reports to the Director, Program Implementation and Innovative Finance, with functional coordination with the COAST Facility Philippines Secretariat, Rare Philippines Vice President – Rare Philippines Country Director, and relevant Global Shared Services leads.
• Provides direct supervision to the Associate, Program Implementation and Manager, Financial Market and Inclusion, and functional oversight of field implementation teams, consultants, and implementing contractors engaged in ALON delivery.
• Coordinates closely with assigned Program Implementation Managers (PIMs) and the Program Implementation Director to ensure smooth field execution, aligned work plans, and integrated reporting.
• While field teams do not directly report to this role, the Senior Manager will coordinate their inputs, monitor progress, and align activities to ensure coherence across all implementation sites.

Contract and Budget Accountability

• Work with Operations and Finance to plan, monitor, and manage partner budgets and contract compliance.
• Track expenditures and ensure proper documentation aligned with Rare's procurement and financial policies.

Coordination with Rare Philippines and Global Teams

• Coordinate with Rare Philippines program, operations, and finance teams, as well as Rare Global Shared Services Group and other global centers of expertise, to secure the necessary technical, financial, and operational support for ALON implementation.
• Collaborate with global technical teams on behavior adoption, monitoring and evaluation, enterprise development, and blue finance to enhance quality and alignment with Rare's global strategy.

Learning and Adaptive Management

• Establish systems for capturing and sharing lessons across Rare teams, contractors, and partner LGUs.
• Lead after-action reviews and learning exchanges that contribute to adaptive management and replication.
• Support COAST Facility knowledge management and visibility efforts showcasing ALON results and innovations.

Program and People Management

• Lead the development, implementation, tracking, control, and evaluation of program strategy, plans, and resources, ensuring that risks are researched, analyzed, and mitigated.
• Manage, coach, and mentor the project team to optimize people and program performance.

Education and Experience

• Degree in enterprise development, business management, economics, finance, or other related fields. Advanced relevant studies, an advantage.
• Solid experience in program and project leadership and management, organizational development, and community development.
• Demonstrated solid experience in developing business models, enterprise and livelihood, manuals and tools, and partnerships and collaborations.
• Proven experience in facilitating inclusive and participatory processes to amplify engagement and leadership of marginalized members of local communities
• Comfortable working with coastal communities, a multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural environment
• Comfortable in managing ambiguities and a critical thinker
• Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate virtual, international meetings, and support main program partners with challenging schedules
• Strategic and results-oriented
• Has strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Filipino.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Rare is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.