Program Officer (Conference Coordination)

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is Bhutan’s oldest conservation partner. The partnership began in 1977 through capacity development of local conservation staff. The support gradually evolved into a full country program with several collaborative conservation projects.

Recognizing the need to conserve Bhutan’s natural capital and immense biological diversity, WWF-Bhutan supports the Royal Government with various environmental conservation programs targeting immediate and longer-term conservation issues. The programs include research and study, education and awareness, promotion of sustainable livelihoods, and protection of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Addressing human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, and mitigation and adaptation to climate change are of paramount importance to WWF-Bhutan’s conservation works in the country. 

By working closely with the communities and the Royal Government on various educational, participatory and innovative initiatives, WWF-Bhutan strives to ensure a progressive convergence of nature, culture and economic vibrancy to build a future where people live in harmony with nature. 

Our vision

A sustainable and just Bhutan for nature and people

Our Mission

1. Sustain a healthy and resilient natural ecosystem with a viable wildlife population of ecological and cultural significance.
2. Inspire environmental stewardship to promote inclusive conservation and development.
3. Catalyze and support nature-based economy contributing to human well-being and resilient economic growth.

MAIN FUNCTION

Under the direction of the Conservation Director WWF- Bhutan, the Programme Officer will be responsible  for supporting the end‑to‑end planning, coordination, and delivery of the conference. The role will oversee conference planning and scheduling; operational and logistics management; coordination with stakeholders, partners, speakers, and service providers; and support financial tracking and administrative processes in line with WWF-Bhuitan's procedures. The position will also support communication, documentation, and reporting, including preparation of conference materials and post‑event outputs. The Programme Officer will provide hands‑on, multitasking support before, during, and after the conference to ensure the event is conducted smoothly, efficiently, and to a high professional standard. The position must also ensure that all programmatic and technical work streams of the Human Wildlife Conflict Coexistence Conference are coordinated and managed in accordance with high standards, timely delivery, and efficiency.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Planning & Coordination

• Lead overall planning, scheduling and implementation of all conference workstreams in collaboration with the Technical Committee and working groups.
• Develop and maintain detailed workplan, timeline with budget covering pre-conference, conference and post-conference phases and ensure activities align with the approved workplan, objectives, timelines, and quality standards.
• Track progress, identify challenges, and facilitate timely corrective actions.
• Support refinement of conference structure, thematic areas, and session

Coordination of Committees & Working Groups

• Act as the primary coordination focal point for the committees and thematic working groups instituted for the conference
• Facilitate clear communication of decisions, action points, and feedback.
• Organize meetings, prepare agendas, circulate documents, and maintain meeting records.
• Maintain decision logs, action trackers, and follow‑up matrices.

Operational & Logistical Management

• Coordinate all logistical arrangements: venue, travel and transport, accommodation, equipment, catering, registration, and on‑site requirements.
• Liaise with service providers to ensure quality, timeliness and value for money.
• Lead the confirmation process for all speakers and participants, including invitations, follow‑ups, confirmations, and updated lists.
• Oversee preparation and distribution of materials (agendas, name badges, banners, session packs).
• Ensure full operational readiness before, during, and after the conference.
• Manage on‑site logistics and real‑time troubleshooting.

Financial Coordination, Budget Management & Compliance

• Lead full-cycle budget management for the conference, including planning, expenditure oversight, monitoring, and tracking in coordination with finance teams.
• Ensure compliance with WWF–Bhutan financial procedures and IKI project requirements.
• Verify and submit all bills, invoices, and payment requests with complete supporting documentation and ensure timely settlements of invoices
• Monitor spending vs. budget, track commitments, and flag variances.
• Maintain transparent, well-organized financial records.
• Ensure cost-effective use of resources.

Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

• Liaise with government agencies, NGOs, partners, donors, technical experts, and community representatives.
• Coordinate speaker engagement, including collecting bios, presentations, and session materials.
• Support stakeholder alignment and foster collaborative relationships.

Communications, Branding & Visibility

• Work closely with the WWF–Bhutan Communication’s Team and external partners to design, review, and finalize all conference promotional and visibility materials.
• Ensure compliance with WWF branding guidelines, IKI donor visibility rules, and communication protocols.
• Support planning and execution of communication and outreach activities leading up to and during the conference, including social media, press releases, web updates, and visual content.
• Review communication products for quality, accuracy, appropriate messaging, and relevance to conference objectives.
• Coordinate visibility materials such as banners, posters, digital communications, and conference branding elements.
• Ensure consistent messaging and storytelling across all conference-related communication outputs.
• Ensure consistent and timely communication among committees, speakers, participants, and partners.
• Draft and disseminate updates, briefs, meeting notes, and progress summaries.
• Maintain structured information channels to minimize gaps or duplication.

Documentation & Reporting

• Prepare progress reports, implementation summaries, and other documentation as required.
• Maintain a digital repository of decisions, presentations, documents, and session outputs.
• Support development of the final conference report and proceedings.

Quality Assurance & Standards Compliance

• Ensure all programmatic, technical, logistical, and communication components meet WWF, donor and partner (mainly RGoB) quality standards.
• Conduct quality checks on outputs (materials, logistics, workflows, communications).
• Ensure compliance with WWF’s policies, donor requirements, and relevant national requirements.
• Ensure health, safety and security arrangements for participants and staff during the conference.

On‑Site Coordination & Troubleshooting

• Serve as the central coordination point during the conference.
• Address real‑time issues and operational bottlenecks to maintain smooth execution.
• Coordinate closely with venue staff, vendors, speakers, and participants.
• Support post‑event wrap‑up, including debriefs and feedback collection.

Other Roles and Responsibilities

• Undertake other tasks as required and assigned by the management related to the Human Wildlife Conflict Coexistence Conference.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal:  Interacts frequently with the WWF-Bhutan office particular with the Forest and Biodiversity Team. Work closely with the IKI Living Landscape Project team, Communications Team, and the ITC Personnel at WWF-Bhutan.

External: Interacts with the Steering Committee, Technical Committee, Working Groups and government Partners for the conference.

Education - Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree with related field experience.

Experience – Minimum 5 years of working experience in a similar field, including organizing conference, seminars, and coordinating multi-stakeholder groups.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and oral English communication and organizational skills. Proficiency in Dzongkha and other national languages is necessary. Communicates clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Must have strong event management skills and the ability to work on initiatives with multiple and parallel competing priorities/workstreams while delivering administration and basic accounting management.
• Should be able to work independently with minimum supervision and guidance from supervisors.
• Ability to develop and coordinate program activities and to work effectively with a wide variety of partners and disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal and teambuilding skills for partnership development and management.
• Is a team player and respectful of human and cultural diversity.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
• Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
• Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
• Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
• Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individual.

1. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

2. The position duration is fixed from June 2026 to December 2026. Extendable based on individual performance and organizational needs.

3. Application Submission Deadline: May 08, 2026.

4. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.